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I am super excited about joining up with the other members of the Literary League to give you some inspiration for back to school.A little about me: This September marks the twenty-fourth time I've gone back to school as a teacher, always to the same school, the same classroom and the same … [Read more...] about The Literary League Goes Back to School

I am excited to be linking up with some awesome ELA educators for this "first days of school" blog hop/giveaway--and also very excited that my first day doesn't happen until September!I'm going to re-share some things that my followers may be familiar with, not because I'm being lazy, … [Read more...] about First Days of School Blog Hop!

English Teachers on TpT Come Together for American Author, Harper LeeIt's a big day in the literary world: Harper Lee's much anticipated - and controversial - new novel, Go Set a Watchman is hitting the book shelves. To celebrate this momentous event, several TpT ELA sellers have joined together to … [Read more...] about A Celebration Sale

When I heard that Harper Lee was publishing a new book, I was so excited.  To Kill a Mockingbird has been a favourite of mine since I read it for the first time thirty years ago as a student; it became more beloved when I began to teach it, mostly because of the wonder that is Atticus … [Read more...] about On heroes and humans

On June 15th, we took possession of our new home, just blocks away from the one we lived in for twenty years.  We've been looking for a few years now, waiting for the perfect house, one that is in the same neighbourhood and, most importantly, at a price that would allow us to do any necessary … [Read more...] about Somewhere between before and after

Technology seems to be changing so many things, causing us to evaluate how and why we do what we do.  I never thought that prom would be one of those things, but yesterday, the day after our prom, we were doing a whole lot of evaluating.Pictures have always been a big part of any graduation. … [Read more...] about Prom: Dance or Photo-Op

It happens every year.  I hear it in the grocery store, at church, on the street, even from my friends and extended family: "It must be great to be winding down!"  BAM.  My back goes up and I want to ask, "Are you freakin' serious?"  But I push down the sarcasm, smile and say, as … [Read more...] about One Sentence You Should Never Say to a Teacher in June

I'm excited to be joining up with some amazing secondary ELA teachers who want to share some tips for starting next year off right.One way to do that is to end this school year with a little reflection and planning. I'm always worn out by the end of June; however, if I dig deep and spend some time … [Read more...] about Looking Ahead Blog Hop

For those who follow me, you know I'm a big advocate of using activity to help students learn.  I'd like to share an idea for a math class that can be easily adapted for any subject, with a little imagination.Last Friday afternoon was a beautiful end of May day.  I came back after lunch to … [Read more...] about A Calculus Scavenger Hunt

When students write, they want to get 'er done.  The grab their pens or laptops, sit down and begin, often without spending a whole lot of time thinking about what it is they want to say. They just want to complete the assignment and pass it in.  As a result, their writing process looks … [Read more...] about Writing is a Thinking Process

It's the twenty-first century. Actually, it has been for some time now.  So many things have changed at lightening speed that it's hard (and expensive) to keep up.  However, one thing has been slow to keep up with all of the changes in our world: education.  Rows of desks, pen and … [Read more...] about 21st Century Methods of Assessment

I'm excited to be linking up with Julie from Faulkner's Fast Five, and Lauralee from The Language Arts Classroom, as well as many other awesome educators.  I'm mostly excited about the topic: sailing into summer.  I thought it would never come this year, but I should have had more faith. … [Read more...] about Sailing Into Summer Blog Hop