Let me start by saying this story has a happy ending. But it begins in a very stressful way.The school year began like any other. I was blessed with an amazing group of sophomores to teach this year. They are kind, funny, and hard-working students. Unfortunately, they also qualify as the most ...
Read More about My Journey Toward a Writing Center
Word of the Week – A Year-Long Vocabulary Strategy
I'll admit it, I'm guilty of the cardinal sin of English teachers.I have given out a list of vocabulary words, told students to define the words, and given out a quiz the following week. Most English teachers have. It's not because we're trying to be lazy, I'm sure. It's just that between ...
Read More about Word of the Week – A Year-Long Vocabulary Strategy
Just Caught You Reading
Every spring, I go into the classroom next door and greet the ninth graders with that most dreaded news: they must complete summer reading. Our school implemented a summer reading program a few years ago as a way to engage students in doing something academic over the summer, and to make our ...
Read More about Just Caught You Reading
Research Source Sheet – Helping students record research quickly and ethically
As a high school English teacher, I spend a lot of time grading essays. A lot. An eternity, really... But the hardest papers to grade, and to teach, are definitely research papers. And in 10th grade, proper research is not considered simply task, but more of a life skill.Over the years I've seen the ...
Read More about Research Source Sheet – Helping students record research quickly and ethically
