How to Respond to Student Writing: 10 Ways to Give Feedback that Sticks
Have you ever had the experience of a student crying, arguing, or yelling after handing back a graded essay? Have you personally ever felt wronged by a teacher or college…
Paragraph Acronyms for Argumentative Writing
Have your students ever looked at you like deer in headlights when you ask them to provide you with a baseline writing sample? Mine have. That’s why I wanted to…
Teaching Conclusion Paragraphs in Middle and High School
Looking for an instructional approach that will help students to write stronger conclusion paragraphs? You’ll find some ideas here. And these are the reasons why uniforms should not be required….
5 Ways to Use Body Paragraph Examples
Teaching writing is hard. It just is. For a handful of students, writing is second nature; still, most need support and guidance. Once students get passed the introduction paragraph, they…
Teaching Students How to Write an Introduction Paragraph
Perhaps you stumbled on this post after reading my prior post about choosing a research topic. Or, maybe you googled “how to write an introduction paragraph” because you are struggling…
Fun Ways to Use Mentor Sentences
Mentor sentences have so many potential applications for the secondary classroom. If you’ve never used them or aren’t quite sure about their value, here’s a quick run-down. What are mentor…
Note Taking Strategies and Tips for Secondary
Looking for ways to teach note taking strategies, but not sure where to begin? Keep reading. Okay class, today we are going to be taking notes during our mini-lesson on…
How to Help Teens Choose Research Topics for Argumentative Writing
How do you help students choose research topics? I used to approach every class the same way. It only took me one year to figure out that approach didn’t work….
Nonfiction-Inspired Poetry: A Creative Writing Assignment
Poetry and nonfiction are quite possibly two of the most polarizing text genres for both teachers and students. People tend to gravitate toward them or away from them, but they…
How to Sequence Writing Instruction
Wondering how to sequence writing instruction in the secondary ELA classroom? Writing is, by nature, a somewhat abstract and subjective concept. It’s difficult to pin writing instruction down to a…
Avoiding Plagiarism: Teaching Tips and Lesson Plans
Avoiding plagiarism can be a tricky topic to teach. It’s important for teachers to make students aware of the consequences and to empower them with the digital literacy tools they…
Simple Yet Meaningful Thanksgiving Writing Activities
Looking for a way to engage your secondary ELA students this holiday season? Try using simple yet meaningful Thanksgiving writing activities to keep your classes focused and interested during those…
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