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…
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…
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…
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 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.…
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…
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 can be a tricky topic to teach in high school. It’s important for teachers to make students aware of the consequences and to empower them with the tools…
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…
Your students are arguing with you, whining left and right, straying off task, staring at a blank screen, even exhibiting behavior issues. They’ve shut down. You’re only trying to do…