After teaching young writers for 18 years, I’ve found that getting a kid started is the biggest hurdle to writing success. If you can get them going, you are more than halfway there! Ever since I ... READ the POST
3 Ways to Incorporate Academic Vocabulary into Instruction
Academic vocabulary are words kids will see often in school, especially in textbooks and assessments, but are not always heard in everyday conversation. As a result, your students will be all over the ... READ the POST
Improving Reading Comprehension: Making a Movie in Your Head
No doubt you've told your students to "make a movie in their head" while reading a book to help with reading comprehension. We know it's sound advice: when you can picture the story unfolding, you are ... READ the POST
Classroom Tour 2021
How are you, friends? Admittedly, I am struggling. This year has been so.much.harder. than last year. Already, my own four kids have had to quarantine. They barely made it two weeks. The stress is ... READ the POST
Middle School ELA in 55 Minutes a Day!
This is hardly the first time I've written about this. For years, I've been trying to nail down a format to cover what could essentially be two (maybe even three!) subjects in one class ... READ the POST
Middle School Classroom Library Book List
I am often asked about the titles in my classroom library. Specifically, if I have a list to share. And for the longest time, I had to say that I didn't have a list to share... until now! I ... READ the POST
