Ideas from the Blog

Halloween is not a holiday that gets much attention in high school. Yes, some of us dress up.  Some of us give out treats. But, by and large, the day passes without a lot of class time being lost to any spooky fun. I decided to change that this year, and I decided to be sneaky about it. I'm … [Read more...] about Fall Fun with Creative Writing

It's the middle of October already and the signs are everywhere: pumpkin-lined door steps, candy displays at the grocery store, and students who are starting to slip into the doldrums.  The honeymoon is over and any back to school energy has been used up.I've decided to wake up my students with … [Read more...] about Secondary Smorgasbord: Writing a Scary Story

This week my grade eleven IB class started their first major writing assignment for The Merchant of Venice.  With my IB class, the focus is always the same: what is the author's purpose?  What techniques do they use to achieve that purpose?  And how do cultural and contextual considerations affect … [Read more...] about Developing a Thesis Statement

Most English teachers would agree that they love the idea of independent reading.  Who wouldn't want students that are highly engaged and interested in reading great books? However, the idea can also be more than a little daunting, because when we give our students control over their choices, … [Read more...] about Managing Independent Reading

Learning stations are perfect for independent reading:We are one month into reader's workshop and many pages have been read.  It's been a wonderful thing, but because I'd been sick for awhile, I hadn't taken in my students' reader's notebooks and, to be honest, hadn't given them a lot of … [Read more...] about Learning Stations for Reader’s Notebooks

My twelfth grade class is full of lovely young people.  I'm quite enjoying every one of them.  However, when it comes time for class discussion, most of them clam up, look at their desks, and silently hope that John will answer my questions. John usually complies, eager to expound on his … [Read more...] about Five Ways to Encourage Participation in Class Discussion

I'm juggling a couple of balls these days: we're doing reader's workshop for part of the week and non-fiction for the other. I'm introducing the elements of fiction to my students and also trying to show them how you can use poetic devices like metaphor in persuasive writing. And it's hot. Not my … [Read more...] about Open the walls of your classroom

MOVING HELPS LEARNING: When I went back to school this year, I spent two full days in meetings.  After a summer of relaxation and moving to the beat of my own wishes, I was required to sit for hours in a hard plastic chair while my well-intentioned principal droned on about the same information … [Read more...] about 10 Simple Ways to Get Your Students Moving to Learn

It's time to start Reader's Workshop in my classroom. We spent our first few days of school getting to know each other, and one thing I wanted to know about my students is how they feel about reading.  I gave them a quick survey on their "reading life", and I will keep it in my workshop binder … [Read more...] about Getting Ready for My Reader’s Workshop

This weekend, as I prepare both my classroom and my first day "spiel," I'm thinking a lot about what I want most out of my students. Perhaps I'm a bad girl, because I'm not thinking about outcomes and curriculum, but I'd much rather think about ways to foster a love of learning in my class. While … [Read more...] about Dear Students, I Want You to Fail: A Message for the first day of class

By the time I grab my books and I give myself a look I'm at the corner just in time to see the bus fly by. It's alright’ cause I'm saved by The Literary League! That’s right, we are at it again! It’s one of the biggest back-to-school give-aways courtesy of some of your favorite ELA … [Read more...] about The Literary League’s Back 2 School Giveaway