“While natural, innate talent does exist, developing talent needs enduring and nonstop nurturing to come to a full fruition. Talent is made, not born. A dynamic environment that instills these beliefs into the fabric of the school matters enormously. Jonathan Kozol (2007) believes that knowledge is passed on through instruction and imitation and that that … Continue reading Talented Students in ELA: 8 Tips for Teachers
3-2-1: Redefining My Teaching at Semester
It's a new year; it's a fresh start. As millions of American students head (somewhat grudgingly) back to school after the winter break, teachers are faced with the unique challenge of redefining the classroom community after weeks apart. In my secondary classes, January is perhaps even more important than August in terms of developing classroom … Continue reading 3-2-1: Redefining My Teaching at Semester
Commandments of Teaching AP Language and Composition-Part Two
This is the second half of a two-part series about teaching AP Language and Composition. You can check out the first part here. Good feedback is everything. I still struggle with this, as feedback simply takes time (who has that?!). Some of the best feedback ideas I’ve learned came from a Marzano workshop. The highlights: … Continue reading Commandments of Teaching AP Language and Composition-Part Two
Meaningful First Days: 3 Ways to Build Community (No Icebreakers!)
I really dislike icebreakers. They make me cringe. When I became a teacher, I swore I would spare my students the torture of icebreakers. That being said, I also realize how important it is to build a classroom culture in those first few days of school. It's taken me a few years to figure out … Continue reading Meaningful First Days: 3 Ways to Build Community (No Icebreakers!)
5 Reasons I Started Using Canvas Instead of Google Classroom
It's official: Classroom and I are no longer together. It was an amicable breakup. We just drifted apart. And I found a better LMS. Enter Canvas. I used it in grad school, and I loved it. When I found out it was free, I was sold. When I mentioned the switch to my colleagues, I … Continue reading 5 Reasons I Started Using Canvas Instead of Google Classroom
7 Ideas to Supercharge Back to School
It's that time again! I've been busy getting ready to head back to the classroom. The beginning of the school year can be so overwhelming. It's hard to absorb all the new initiatives, procedures, and information when all you want is time to get ready for students. The ideas that follow will help you make … Continue reading 7 Ideas to Supercharge Back to School
The 5 Students You’ll Meet in the AP Classroom and How to Meet Them Where They Are
I teach AP Language and Composition. It’s a tough course, and for most of my students, it’s their first AP English course (they take it as juniors, then go on to AP Lit as seniors). In the past few years, my school has embraced an open enrollment policy for AP courses in certain subject areas. … Continue reading The 5 Students You’ll Meet in the AP Classroom and How to Meet Them Where They Are