Success With Grammar

Success with Grammar

Best Christmas Holiday Lesson Ideas & More That Your Teens Will Love
July 24, 2024
The excitement is in the air, the carols are playing, the trees are going up: It’s Christmas! What a wonderful time of year for celebrations. If you are like me, though, you want to be sure that you are still keeping your class contained and working on something skills-based through the Christmas Holiday season. Here are the best Christmas holiday lesson ideas, activities, and more for middle & high school teens for all subjects.
Teaching Arthur Miller's The Crucible: Cover it All and Engage Your Students
July 23, 2024
From the history to the hysteria, the fears to the fury, and the lies to the love story, it is understandable why The Crucible is still a staple in many high school English classrooms. There are so many layers crafted in the lines of Arthur Miller’s magnum opus, but that can be a blessing and a “curse.” Such a rich plot line can be a literature teacher’s dream come true; however, it can also raise two concerns: 1) how much is too much to cover and 2) what if I miss something important? We don’t want to “burn” the students with boring information when teaching The Crucible, but we do want to make sure they have the full picture to best understand and enjoy Miller’s creation. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing how I set the stage to engage my students and how to teach Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.
Everything You Need to Know About Celebrating a Solar Eclipse in Your English Classroom
July 23, 2024
During my time in the classroom, the world has experienced two solar eclipses – in totality. That’s a pretty big deal — so much so that most schools in the area and beyond even adjust their schedules. Of course, I wanted to use it as a teachable moment in my classroom, and “totally” join in on the fun! Therefore, I’m sharing everything you need to know about celebrating the solar eclipse in your English classroom.
The Power of “I Don't Know” – as a Teacher
July 23, 2024
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 don’t know.” In the past few years, though, I’ve really begun to embrace the power of the statement “I don’t know.” I don’t view it as a “cop out” because I’d never in one-hundred years let my students use it as an excuse, either. If students tell me “I don’t know,” I say, “Tell me what you do know,” and we go from there. But, what I’m sharing today is something a little different – something I hope will offer a paradigm shift to alleviate maybe just one bit of stress
Books without a Movie Version Your Students will Love Anyway
July 23, 2024
With so many books being turned into money-making movie franchises, it might be hard to get your students to read something that hasn’t been recreated on the big screen. While I’m not opposed to the book-turned-movie selections (my Netflix queue is full and waiting for me to binge a few), I’ve always sought out books for my students that weren’t as popular. I’ll chalk it up to erring on the side of wanting to be different. Either way, the five books I’ve taught below haven’t hit the box office yet, and the fact that there are titles for fiction and nonfiction on the list that leave my students begging to keep reading makes my nerdy English teacher-heart happy. So, here are five book suggestions for your middle and high school students — without movies — that they will want to read anyway!
July 23, 2024
It’s that time of year when things are starting to wind down. It’s after state testing, and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I teach juniors and seniors and that senioritis starts to creep in about March for the seniors who know their days in public education are just about over. Well, what if those feelings of apathy, tiredness, discontent, and general aggravation aren’t just coming from the students? What if you – the teacher –are starting to feel the summer slide, too? You know the symptoms all too well from seeing it in your students, so if you have that same diagnosis this time of year, here is how to avoid catching senioritis from your students and end the year strong.
Halloween Lessons for Middle or High School Students
July 22, 2024
If bringing a little Halloween spirit into your middle or high school lesson plans is on your to-do list, then you’ve come to the right place! Halloween is one of my favorite times of year – probably because it’s my birthday – but I do just love it! Doesn’t that give me some pretty solid expertise for Halloween?!? 🙂 I’ve gotten together with some of my fellow teacher-authors (from all subjects) to bring you a carefully curated list of creepy creations for Halloween. Check out the ideas below to see some “spooktacular” Halloween lessons for middle or high school students that they are sure to love!
Friday Flashback: TN Commissioner of Education Classroom Visit; Grand Ole Opry; TCTE Conference Pres
July 22, 2024
For this month’s Friday Flashback, I am a few days behind. I guess that goes to show how SUPER busy this month has been. It has, though, been a very exciting one! Here’s a quick peek at my September.
Friday Flashback: August 2015 Edition
July 22, 2024
It’s time again for a monthly reflection! The entire month of August has been focused mainly on back to school. August seems like such a long month since we always start right at the beginning, and there are no breaks in this month. I’m already looking forward to Labor Day! Here are some of the highlights from this month, and you are welcome to link up your highlights below!
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