There is no doubt that communication is changing, but some of those shifts have not made their way into academic writing yet.
Because of this, I want to make sure my students know exactly what I expect when they are writing in my classroom.
Here are my four basic grammar expectations for the classroom:
Read MoreWe want our students to be good students, but might fail to tell them exactly what that means to us. Sometimes we assume students know what we want.
In order to make sure everyone is on the same page, I lay out these five expectations on the first day of school.
Read MoreThrough the years, I’ve learned structure helps you avoid burnout since you are not constantly battling your students, and it allows room for your creative juices to flow. I truly believe teachers like you want to make a difference, and effective and consistent routines and procedures will help you to fully embrace your passion for why you started teaching.
Here are the routines I teach in my middle school classroom the first week of school-
Read MoreI am not one that likes to teach to a test, but just as an athlete prepares for game day with a scrimmage and a dancer for a performance with a dress rehearsal, I understand the value of practicing for game day.
This weekend I sat down with my calendar and came up with a plan that is going to help my students review the power standards and concepts before the big test.
If you’re in the same boat with me and are looking for a last minute review plan, get ready to take some notes! We are about to hash out our last couple of days!
Read MoreDo you ever wonder what poems to read with your middle schoolers that will keep them engaged while taking a deep dive into meaning, form, structure, and theme?
While I’m still on the hunt for “The Perfect Poem” that will check all of those boxes, I have compiled a list of poems that I do like reading with my middle schoolers.
Here are 6 poems that are perfect to read with your middle schoolers…
If you’re looking for a jumping off point for poetry or a way to review figurative language, then this post is for you!
Before we start reading and analyzing poetry as a class, one of the things that I have to make sure of is that my students know how to identify and analyze the meaning of figurative language.
In order to ensure my students have a strong foundation, I developed a week-long plan to review the basics of figurative language.
Click to read about what I do each day!
Read MoreThe other day, I asked my students to compare and contrast three of the characters in our book.
I was expecting really insightful answers like how they respond to conflicts is different even though they all have taken on an adult role.
However, what I got was, “Ummm….two of them are boys and the other one is a girl”
As I find myself doing sometimes, I expected my students to already be an expert in the concept.
In order to teach my students how to dive deep into the story and characters, I came up with two activities to practice comparing and contrasting.
Read MoreI think almost every teenager knows how to argue.
At least, that has been my experience with my personal teenager and the 1,000+ I have taught throughout the years.
However, when they are asked to locate an argument in a text, they are suddenly not the experts we thought they were.
Here are the 4 steps (plus one bonus step at the beginning) I use to teach my students the basics of how to identify and analyze arguments and claims. 👉
Raise your hand if teaching central idea makes you want to bang your head against the wall?! 🤦♀️
I have found that when you ask students to tell you the central idea of an article, there are two types of responses: The one where they retell every single detail from the article and the one where they just respond with one or two words related to the topic. You might have that rare unicorn of a student who knows how to drill down to the central idea, but more than likely your students can use some help with this concept.
If so, I’m here with 4 steps you can follow to teach central idea to your middle school students!
Read MoreOne year I asked my students about their resolutions, and was shocked at how many of them didn’t even know what I was talking about. I made a commitment right then that I would incorporate goal setting into our classroom. It’s a valuable skill to learn how to analyze where you are and visualize where you want to be. Click to read the activities I do with my students to help them with goal setting and motivation.
Read MoreIn order to breathe some life into my inference lessons for my students who show an understanding of inference, I came up with three activities that require students to apply their knowledge of inference and text evidence.
If you have students who are bored and need something engaging and fun, check out these three ideas.
Read MoreAfter all of our relationship building activities, one of the first things I teach is how to write a constructed response using text evidence. There are a lot of strategies you can use like RACE or ACES, but my favorite way to teach this is the RTQT method. In my experience, students are able to remember and expand on the different components with quality responses.
Now you might be sitting there wondering, What exactly is RTQT? Click through to read about this fun strategy!
Read MoreAre you struggling with trying to figure out how you’re going to structure your ELA class?
Did you check out the pacing guide and wonder how to fit all the things into one period?
Or, do you just want to check out how someone else organizes their day to see if there is something new you can add to your class?
This Structure Secrets video takes you behind the scenes and shows exactly what I do on a daily basis-down to the minute.
Read MoreAs teachers, we have been blessed with an amazing opportunity to connect and build relationships with young people who need someone in their corner cheering them on.
I know it’s not easy with the demands of high stakes testing, all the hats we have to wear, and trying to get through all of the standards. The good news is, though, there are little things we can implement that can help us start to build strong and lasting relationships with our students.
Here are five easy ideas to help get you going.
Does the first day of school make you a little nervous? Sure you have your fun bulletin boards up, assigned seats ready to go, and your classroom library all set up, but now what?
What do you do when 30 middle schoolers actually walk into your classroom, sit in the plastic blue seats, and stare expectantly at you?
Because I know it can be a little daunting to plan for the first day along with the hundreds of other things you have to think about, I’m going to share what I do on day one. Click for tips, ideas, and resources!
Over the years, my bell ringers have developed and grown to include meaningful and engaging tasks. I have found that if I do the same type of bell ringer every single day, students get bored. I don’t blame them. It would be like eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich everyday for lunch. I’m the type of person who likes to throw in a square retro pizza and some tater tots into the lunch rotation, so my bell ringers need some variety too.
I have four core bell ringer activities that I rotate through throughout the year. Each set takes a week to complete, so we do two of each type in one quarter. Click to read all about them!
Do your students struggle with reading and understanding poetry? Do you hear something along the lines of…“Ugh. We hate poetry. It’s so hard! I can never understand it!” To be honest, this is a fair response. Analyzing poetry does take effort and it is a skill that has to be taught.
Although there are exceptions, interpreting poetry is not something that comes naturally to middle schoolers or adults. It is totally understandable to be hesitant to teach poetry. Without an analyzing framework, it can be a daunting task. Click to read about the 8 active reading steps that will help make this process a little easier!
Based on teacher demand, I am creating an awesome resource that will be part of the Bellringer Capsule!
The content for The Grammar Series is based on over 600 votes on what teachers, like you and me, think middle school students struggle with the most.
Click to learn more!
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