It seems to me that 2018 has been quite the long year... but then again it does feel like I was just rounding the corner of 2018 not too long ago, and here we are already at 2019. One of the most important things we can do as teachers is reflect, and so that's why I love this annual blog post. It's been my new year tradition for the past several years (2015, 2016, 2017), and choosing only five moments is always so hard, but here goes: My top five classroom success stories of 2018! This year in review... 1) Read-o-Lution: Reading is the … [Read more...]
Benefits of Using Task Cards in Middle and High School
Using task cards in middle and high school can be hugely successful. Interestingly, I was using "task cards" in my high school English class before I knew they were called that - and way before they looked so cute! If I needed to guide a particular group on a topic or break up the assignment, I would often just grab some colored index cards and a sharpie and begin assigning the tasks, differentiating, or reviewing! Now with the wonderful world of technology :) and access to tons of programs, task cards can come in any form or fashion. Here … [Read more...]
Benefits of Using Hot Topics Info Text Lessons in Class
According to a Gallup analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education, "About 130 million adults in the U.S. have low literacy skills. This means more than half of Americans between the ages of 16 and 74 (54%) read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level." Whether you are an English teacher or not, if you work with students in class, you know there is a desperate need for improved reading skills among our students. As an English teacher, my students read a lot, and they read as many types of texts as possible. It seems that the … [Read more...]
