Creating and running a successful yearbook program does require a lot, but it doesn't have to be a mystery. While this post isn't designed to promote one specific yearbook publishing company, I am happy to share some expertise from my amazing Jostens representative. With 14 years in the industry, she has seen a thing or two and knows a thing or two about yearbooks. In this interview with a yearbook representative, I am happy to introduce my long-time yearbook rep and friend: Rebecca Kilday. Below she shares peeks into the industry and her … [Read more...]
Yearbook Distribution Day Tips and Best Practices
Yearbook distribution day is both exciting and worrisome for a yearbook adviser. There are so many things that can go wrong, but they don’t have to! I don’t have it all figured out, but over the years I have developed some methods and strategies to help make the day a success. I’m sharing those Yearbook Distribution Day Tips and Best Practices here!Pre PlanningIt just takes a little bit of work up front to make things go smoothly on yearbook distribution day. Halt sales - We sell online and at school, and what’s sold at school … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Begin a Novel Unit
Getting to teach a novel -- or play -- unit is probably one of my favorite parts of being a high school English teacher. I love everything about it: setting up classroom decor, discussions, character analysis, developing projects and prompts, seeing how the kids are enjoying it, and, of course, the beginning. When I think how to begin a novel unit with my secondary English students, I typically have a few goals in mind: 1) Grab their attention by building excitement and mystery without giving too much away 2) Provide the information they need … [Read more...]
A FORMULA FOR SUCCESSFUL WRITING INSTRUCTION SERIES: #5 Finishing Up
Since this phase represents the end of the process and everything that occurs after the paper has been completed, I like to call this phase the "after party." It really works, too, if you think about because the accomplishment of writing should be celebrated!1 - Meaningful feedback is key in teaching students to truly look at what they've written after the fact. I want my students to know that I've read what they've written, and taking the time - yes quite a bit of time - to write something meaningful on each paper is part of that … [Read more...]
A FORMULA FOR SUCCESSFUL WRITING INSTRUCTION SERIES: #4 The Writing Process
The writing process itself is, of course, what we've been working up to during this series. This is show time. This is game day. This. Is. It. During the writing process, students really have to show what they know. The process itself takes time, and hopefully, you've allotted for that. In my writing curriculum, I include a pacing guide for the resources included with it. Here are the steps I follow with my students. (It's important to note here, too, that I am discussing in this post a writing assignment and not a writing … [Read more...]
A FORMULA FOR SUCCESSFUL WRITING INSTRUCTION SERIES: #3 The RACE Paragraph
The next stop on my formula for successful writing instruction is the easy-peasy RACE formula. (You can see Part 1 here and Part 2 here.) Stay with me now... you've probably seen the RACE strategy done before. You may even have something similar to it. Whatever works for you and your students is awesome. I, however, go about it a tad differently because when I am teaching basic paragraph writing, I do like to give something for students to use from start to finish. Plus, this method reminds them of the key ingredients AND can easily be … [Read more...]
A Formula for Successful Writing Instruction Series: #2 The Old-Fashioned Writer’s Portfolio
We've arrived at stop two (See Post #1 here and Post #3 here) of my formula for successful writing instruction, and that is the writer's portfolio. It's important for this post to come second in the series because it requires some prep work and proactive planning. To have the writer's portfolios as a staple and routine in your classroom, you'll want to have them ready and set up the correct way from the start. It can be done midstream, but it will be easier and more effective to get going with it up front. In this blog post, I'm going to … [Read more...]
The Power of “I Don’t Know” – As a Teacher
We’ve all been in that situation where we had something come up and we didn’t know the answer. Or we’ve had the nightmare of feeling like we weren’t prepared with all the answers. It all feels awkward, uncomfortable, or embarrassing. When I first started teaching, I would have nearly died when I had to admit to students that I didn’t know the answer to something. I’d like to say that I handled those situations with grace instead of stuttering around – or worse, making something up. But, I can’t be certain. I just know I didn’t want to say, “I … [Read more...]
Why and How I Teach Shakespeare with a Translation
The debate surrounding whether to teach Shakespeare or not to teach Shakespeare continues to grow in discussions of modern curriculum. I don't wish to engage in that debate because for me it's simple; teach Shakespeare. Even in that camp - those brave teachers of Shakespeare - there is another debate. That debate is whether or not to use translated supplements of the plays. In that debate I would like to participate and make my case for Shakespeare Made Easy, or other similar publications. Some people may feel using supplemental tools like … [Read more...]
Sports-Themed Lesson Ideas for Middle and High School English Class
‘Tis the season for sports to be underway in high schools and colleges. What about trying to catch some of that fever in your English language arts classroom? Here are a few "slam dunk" sports-themed lesson ideas for English class. Vocabulary, reading, & writing are even more fun when sports are involved. 1) Vocabulary: Do you have a set of vocabulary words that you teach each week? Try having students make spirit posters for their favorite sport at your school using vocabulary words! 2) Figurative Language: Maybe students need to brush up … [Read more...]
