Bell ringers are a staple in my high school English classroom. Even my yearbook students must complete a task at the start of the period. Without fail, each day my students have an assignment to do right after the bell rings -- every day! About my 2nd or 3rd year teaching, I implemented a system of top-of-the-period daily work, and I haven't looked back since. Along the way, I learned what didn't work and what did. Here I'm sharing everything you need to about bell ringers for class.What is a Bell Ringer?Also known as warm ups, … [Read more...]
How to Avoid Catching Senioritis from Your Students
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 … [Read more...]
