Blog

I am so very lucky to teach in a district that is promoting a reader's workshop approach in our high school English classes. In fact, over the last two years, they have stocked our classroom libraries with multiple copies of many best selling YA books.  We have different genres, different subject … [Read more...] about Three Reasons You Should Do Reader’s Workshop in High School

It would happen every summer, just a few weeks before I'd head back to school: the recurring dream. I'd be in front of an out of control class, trying desperately to speak and no words would come out of my mouth.  I'd wake up with an uncomfortable feeling that would stay with me all … [Read more...] about Tips to Prevent Behavior Problems in the Secondary Classroom

I like to have a "theme" for the year, a guiding idea or question that keeps students focused on a reason: why are we doing this?  With my twelfth grade class, most of or texts and activities centre around the power of persuasion. We read non-fiction articles with the intention of discovering … [Read more...] about Create a Guiding Question for the Year

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

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 nicely as I can at … [Read more...] about One Sentence You Should Never Say to a Teacher in June

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 like the … [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

Assessment for learning, not just of learning.  It's a catch phrase educators are well aware of--but it's much more than just a bunch of buzz words.  Assessment for learning is something we should be using on a regular basis for real growth in our classrooms.Unfortunately, for too much of … [Read more...] about Managing Formative Assessment

Last week I wrote about the process my grade ten class was following to "grow' an essay.  I found that, while they had a good understanding of the novel and knew what points they needed to make, they were struggling with putting it all together into a strong, cohesive essay.We started with … [Read more...] about Growing an Essay–an update

In that magical ideal world, our students would come to us, armed with sharpened pencils, eager to spend the period writing, writing, writing.  They would come to class early, turn to a new page, bend their heads and begin. We don't live in that world, do we?  The reality is that some of … [Read more...] about Writing Prompts