Put your teacher observation fears to rest with lesson plan ideas to maximize student engagement. Discover what administrators look for the most!

Going into student teaching can be a daunting task. I'm sharing my best tips that helped me be a successful student teacher and prepare for...

Grading papers takes time...too much time. This grading strategy for high school teachers is a game-changer you won't want to miss...

How to survive your PGCE placement. Top tips to make your PGCE year go smoothly. Great for NQTs and student teachers too.

Read about five different quick assessment strategies that will provide the teacher with insight into their students’ learning.

As educators, we know how critical reflection is to the learning process. Getting students to reflect- deeply and meaningfully- is often one of the most challenging lessons we teach. I have found that both my middle school and high school students will often scoff at these reflection activities, pro

AND HOW TO AVOID THEM! Today, I'm sharing a round-up of common mistakes that new, new-ish, and let's face it, even veteran teachers make while teaching. They're considered common for a reason. I guarantee the colleagues you currently admire were making some of the very same mistakes when they started their career. The thing about mistakes is that they are really just learning opportunities. So, take a look at the mistakes, check out the tips to improve, and see how you can turn the mistake into a success. Weak or Lacking Classroom Management Skills: Mistake: New teachers often struggle with establishing and maintaining effective classroom management, leading to disruptions and a loss of instructional time. Tips to Improve: >>> Prioritize learning and implementing classroom management strategies early on. (Here are tons of ideas.) >>> Attend professional development workshops or seek guidance from experienced educators. >>> Check out videos and classroom management guides from seasoned teachers. Keys to Success: At the beginning of the school year, develop a well-structured classroom routine, set clear expectations, establish consistent consequences, and build positive relationships with students. By doing so, you create an environment conducive to learning and minimize disruptions. Find everything you need for effective classroom management right here. Poor Time Management and Overwhelming Workload: Mistake: New teachers may underestimate the amount of time and effort required to effectively plan lessons, assess student work, and provide timely feedback. Tips to Improve: >>> Prioritize tasks - take care of the most pressing tasks first >>> Break tasks down into manageable chunks >>> Create a realistic schedule >>> Learn to delegate or seek assistance when necessary Keys to Success: Develop efficient lesson planning strategies (grab free lesson templates here), utilize technology tools for grading and feedback, and establish routines for managing paperwork. By managing time effectively, you can maintain a healthy work-life balance and provide quality instruction. A HUGE help is to seek assistance to help you save time and energy lesson planning. Check out my favorite units that are ready to print and teach here. Insufficient Differentiation of Instruction: Mistake: New teachers may struggle to meet the diverse needs of their students, resulting in a "one-size-fits-all" approach that leaves some students disengaged or struggling. Tips to Improve: >>> Familiarize yourself with various differentiation strategies, such as flexible grouping, tiered assignments, and scaffolding techniques. >>> Seek professional development opportunities to enhance your differentiation skills. >>> Plan lessons like these with built-in differentiation. Keys to Success: Use pre-assessments to identify students' prior knowledge and tailor instruction accordingly. Offer a variety of learning opportunities and resources to meet individual needs. Embrace a growth mindset, continually seeking ways to adapt and improve your instruction. Inadequate Communication with Parents: Mistake: New teachers may overlook the importance of regular and effective communication with parents, leading to misunderstandings and missed opportunities for collaboration. Tips to Improve: >>> Establish open lines of communication from the beginning of the school year. (This video has some ideas.) >>> Utilize various communication channels such as emails, newsletters, parent-teacher conferences, and online platforms. (Check out how to incorporate positive phone calls into your routine.) >>> Plan an Open House presentation that notes how you will be communicating with parents. (Here's a completed presentation that you can customize.) Keys to Success: Regularly update parents on their child's progress, behavior, and upcoming events. Seek parental input and involvement, as they can provide valuable insights into their child's learning style and needs. Building strong partnerships with parents creates a supportive network for student success. Find everything you need to positively connect with parents here. Neglecting Self-Care and Professional Growth: Mistake: New teachers often put their own well-being and professional development on the back burner, leading to burnout and stagnation. Tips to Improve: >>> Prioritize self-care activities such as exercise, relaxation, and hobbies. >>> Seek opportunities for professional growth, such as attending conferences, and joining professional organizations. >>> Engage in reflective and mindful practices. (Here's a set of FREE positive affirmations for teachers.) Success: Taking care of yourself allows you to bring your best self into the classroom. Continuously seek opportunities to improve your teaching practices through self-reflection, peer observations, and seeking feedback. Embrace a growth mindset and remain open to learning from your experiences. (Teach your students about growth mindset with this Doodle and Do lesson.) ------------------------------------ Turning these mistakes into successes requires self-reflection, continuous learning, and a willingness to adapt and grow as an educator. Remember that mistakes are learning opportunities, and by addressing them proactively, you can develop into a successful and impactful teacher. If you're a new or new-ish teacher reading this blog, let me end by thanking and congratulating you. Thank you for taking on this noble profession. Being an educator is so important. And...congrats on entering a career that provides challenges like no other. You'll be faced with some difficult days as an educator, but don't worry...there are just as many wonderful moments ahead. If I can support you in any way, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. *************GREAT NEWS************** If you're looking for more ways to have a successful school year, be sure to grab the FREE EVERYTHING GUIDE for TEACHERS! It includes over 100 pages of freebies!!! Thanks so much for stopping by! Mary Beth P.S. I'm sharing more insight into how my teaching evolved in this popular blog post.

This past semester I had the honor of meeting Megan Ryan, who began her teaching journey in the school where I teach. My first year was a long time ago 😉 — another place and another time. So, when the year came to a close, I really wanted to pick her brain. Learning from each […]

Quick checks for understanding that any teacher can use TODAY to improve outcomes. Low prep, low cost, high yield assessment strategies

Set yourself and your students up for success by planning your high school classroom procedures and routines this school year.

Student Teaching Toolkit Calling all student teachers and supervising teachers...this resource is made especially for YOU! The Student Teaching Toolkit is filled with everything a student teacher needs to have a successful student teaching experience... • Classroom Management Resources and Systems • Classroom Organization Tracking Forms • Introductory Activities • A Complete Classroom Observation Lesson • Interview Preparation Guide • Tips and Tricks for Successfully Student Teaching This resource literally has everything that I wish I had as student teacher. Each item in this resource is designed to give student teachers a solid framework and a usable tool to help them be successful! It’s perfect for those of you starting your student teaching experience or as a gift from the supervising teacher to your student teacher. Classroom Organization: Tracking Logs and Forms • Weekly Lesson Planning Guide • Long-Range Lesson Planning Guide • Communication Log • Attendance Tracking Form • Student Teacher Guide for using each classroom organization resource Introductory Activities • Student Teacher Interview (with 20 questions and prize cards) • Little Bit About You – Student Survey • Student Teacher Guide for implementing each introductory activity Classroom Management Resources • Great News Notes • Missing Homework Record • Homework Excuse Note - Accountability tracking system • Homework Pass • Positive Behavior Punch Card - Simple behavior management system • Prize Cards - 24 cards to easily reward positive behavior • Fun in Five Cards - 12 cards filled with fun activities to do with students when you have 5 extra instructional minutes • Easy Ways to Establish Positive Relationships with Students Guide • Easy Ways to Manage Behavior in the Classroom Guide • Teacher Guide for implementing each classroom management strategy Classroom Observation Lesson - An engaging and interactive lesson teaching and reinforcing the skill of finding sequence • Detailed Lesson Plan • Sequence Story Cards • Instructional Guided Notes • Cut-and-Paste Sequence Activity • Practice Reading Passages (3) • Teacher Keys Interview Preparation • Student Teacher Guide for Interview Preparation • Interview Question Reflection and Evidence Record Tips and Tricks for Successful Student Teaching • 9 Detailed Tips and Ideas for a Positive and Productive Student Teaching Experience Check out these other great resources for student teaching... Reading Comprehension Skills - Mini-Unit Bundle - Making Inferences, Finding the Main Idea, and Making Predictions Listening Comprehension UnitWriting Unit Bundle - Narrative Writing Unit, Poetry Writing Unit and Fable Writing Unit - 31 Days of Instruction! Following is Fun! Get the inside scoop on all store discounts, free products, and product launches. Just click the green “Follow Me” star under my store name on this page or click the green “Follow Me” star on my store homepage. *** Click HERE to receive the Brain Waves Instruction Newsletter filled with exclusive FREEBIES and Teaching Tips! *** Click HERE to become a seller on TpT (Referral by Brain Waves Instruction) Thanks! Brain Waves Instruction

If you're reading this, then you know that setting up a classroom can be a daunting task, and keeping the classroom organized can seem almost impossible. That's where these easy classroom organization hacks come in. They are simple ideas to make your spaces more efficient, and...well...organized. (Oh, and if you're looking for more back to school ideas, grab this FREE guide for teachers filled with nearly 100 pages!) Here's a round up of 6 easy organization hacks to try in your classroom. HACK #1: SHOE ORGANIZER FOR SUPPLIES If there's one thing that classrooms are notorious for, it's having a lot of supplies. Figuring out where to put all the work and craft supplies can be overwhelming. However, you can make your life easier with a shoe hanger. Just hang a clear, over-the-door shoe organizer on the back of your classroom door or up on a wall. Use the pockets to store small supplies like markers, calculators, and glue sticks. Photo: A Bowl Full of Lemons HACK #2: HANGING FILE FOLDER CRATE Papers! Papers! Papers! A classroom is filled with papers. If we don't get a handle on all the handouts, they can overrun a classroom space. So, make your life a litter easier with hanging file folder crates. Use a portable file crate with hanging file folders to organize handouts, worksheets, and other papers. Label each folder with the corresponding subject or topic for easy access. Photo: The Simply Organized Teacher HACK #3: MAGNETIC SPICE CONTAINERS Here's an idea for your teacher desk area. To keep it tidy and organized, attach magnetic spice containers to a metal whiteboard or cabinet to store office items such as paper clips, pushpins, or rubber bands. They keep your supplies within reach and reduce desk clutter. Photo: Real Simple HACK #4: BINDER CLIP CABLE MANAGEMENT I'm not a big fan of all the wires associated with technology in the classroom, So, I've used this simple hack to keep them all in order. Simply use binder clips to keep computer and device cables organized. Attach them to the edge of desks or use a small basket to hold the clips and prevent cables from tangling. Photo: Everyday Dishes HACK #5: DAILY SUPPLY CADDIES Oh my goodness! This is one of my favorite ways to keep the classroom organized. Before the school year begins, gather supplies that students frequently use in small supply caddies or even plastic food containers. Then, when students are working, you can place small supply caddies or containers on student desks containing frequently used materials like pencils, highlighters, and scissors. This minimizes disruptions caused by students searching for supplies. Photo: Lakeshore Learning HACK #6: STUDENTS' WORK: I used this hack in my middle school classroom to manage all the papers that students turn in and need handed back to them. I set up a central system of mailboxes for students. Use the mailboxes to give students important papers and to hand back graded work. Learn more in this blog post. Photo: Amazon **** GREAT NEWS! **** If you're looking for more ways to make back to school prep easier, then you're going to love the free EVERYTING BACK TO SCHOOL GUIDE (for teachers)! I hope you found some ideas for organizing your classroom. Don't forget to grab even more FREE ideas for setting up your classroom here. Thanks for stopping by! Mary Beth P.S. Check out my "recipe" for a great first day of school. It's delicious :)! This post contains affiliate links.

Advice for teacher training students

Do you want a student teacher next week? The first day of school? If the answer is yes or you don't have a choice here are 5 tips to ...

Winners have been chosen! Congratulations to Cherish Eagan and Emily Roesngren Who: Science Teachers What: Back to School Science Giveaway -- Enter here to win $15 store credit to my store, and follow the links below to win many more great science products from other teachers for use in your classroom! Update! There are so many entries I will be picking more than one winner. Where: Right here, with links to many other science teachers below When: August 9th to 14th How: Use the rafflecopter below, and the links to enter at other stores. FAQ's: Why store credit? Good question.....I have a variety of science products and general products in my store, and what if I am giving away middle school products, but you teach high school? Or giving away Earth Science products, but you teach Biology? I want this giveaway to result in a prize that is valuable to you. So, store credit it is. What do I have to do to enter? Follow the steps on the rafflecopter below to enter. The more entries, the better chance of winning. What can I use my store credit for? Anything in the the Science in the City store. When the giveaway ends and rafflecopter helps choose the winner, I will contact you. You look through my store and let me know which items you would like that total $15. I will email them directly to you. What would you recommend as best buys? Depends on what you teach, but here are some suggestions.... General classroom products I would look at the following $15 package This set would be good for any class (not just science) and includes many types of exit tickets, classroom organization tools, and a puzzle template set that can be edited to review or reinforce any set of vocabulary. Biology...I might pick Earth Science....I might pick If none of those strike your fancy, feel free to browse my store and choose your own prize package. Where else can I enter? At the bottom of this post is a link up to many other science teachers who are participating. a Rafflecopter giveaway An InLinkz Link-up

What goals do you have for yourself and your students?

Yes, English teachers can have a life. Use these strategies to cut your work load and increase the learning in your classroom.

Games are a tried and true way to engage students. Whether teaching in-person or remotely via a live session like Zoom or Google Meets, teachers know that games, brain breaks, and icebreakers are an awesome way to get students actively involved in learning. With the ever-changing landscape of education, I thought it might be nice to compile some versatile activities that challenge students in really fun ways. Best part? These activities are very low prep and work in a variety of settings. These activities encourage students to listen, solve problems, be creative, and practice critical skills. They're designed to be easy to do with little to no prep. You can easily add one of these games to any lesson as a warm-up, closure, community building activity, or lesson extender. GAMES & ACTIVITIES ⭐How Many? Give students a category and then challenge students to see how many different things they can fit within that classification. At first students will respond with obvious ideas. However, as they brainstorm, their ideas will stretch and their creativity will grow. Students can jot their ideas down on scrap paper and earn points for each unique response when they share out. Here are some categories to get started: occupations, things that are slimy, things that roll, animal noises, articles of clothing ⭐Listen Carefully: Read a short passage out loud to students. Then, have them answer questions based on what they can remember. Make it especially fun by awarding points for every answer that students get right. You can change up this activity by reading two versions of the same story. Mix up some of the details in the second version for students to listen for. Give this activity a try with the passages in this set of FREE Brain Bursts. Add your information below and then check your inbox! ⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟ ⭐Silly Silent Spelling: Practice spelling words in a super silly way. Explain to students that you are going to be giving them a practice spelling test (definitely NOT the real thing). Just like a typical practice test, they'll listen for the word and write it down. However, here's the catch: you're only going to silently mouth the words. Students will need to read your lips to figure out what word they will need to write down. Of course, figuring out a word from a silent cue is not easy. That's what makes this fun. Students will write down some wild guesses as they spell their way through this game. ⭐One Word: Pose a fun question to the class and have them all think of a one-word answer. Then, give every student a chance to share their responses as you call on each of them. Here are some questions to get started: --- If you were a type of dessert, what would you be? --- Where do you feel happiest? --- How would a soccer ball describe its day? --- Where is somewhere that you would like to visit? --- What would be the perfect gift for you? ⭐Mystery Item: This activity is quick and easy to play. To prepare, write 5 or 6 clues about an object. Make the clues gradually increase in their specificity. Then, read the clues to students as they jot down their guesses for the mystery item until you reveal the answer. ⭐Punchline: Start telling a joke to students, and then have them guess the punchline. Find a ton of jokes for kids here. ⭐Strike a Pose: Explain to students that they are going to pretend that they are in a photograph. They will need to imagine that the photo was taken at the height of the event. All they have to do is strike a pose after you give them a situation. For instance, you might say, "haunted house," and then students would freeze in a pose that shows them frightened or terrified. Here are a few situations to try: Dentist Office, Roller Coaster, Last Day of School, Scary Movie, Food Fight, Race ⭐Timed Writing Activities: Engage students with a creative writing prompt. Then, "amp up" the fun factor by adding a timed element. Challenge students to race the clock as they write as much as they can in a fixed time period. Find my favorite prompts here. ⭐And Then...: This is a listening game for the entire class. Students will need to listen to and add to a growing story. You'll start the story with an opener like, "At the zoo, I decided to open the lion's cage, and then..." Next, you'll call on a student to explain what happened next. That student will add one line and the phrase "and then" before selecting another student to add to the story. ⭐Listen and Draw: Students love this activity! To prepare, create a simple illustration filled with shapes and designs. Then, write out the directions for students. Have students complete the activity on a piece of paper. Read each direction to students and challenge them to replicate the illustration you instructed them to draw. (These are included in the exclusive freebie below.) ⭐Class Pet: Pretend that you have a new class pet. Explain to students that they will need to guess the type of animal. Students will need to ask questions and write their guesses on a piece of paper when they think they have figured out the new class pet. ⭐Add the Ending: Engage students as they practice writing and storytelling skills with this activity. First, students will listen to the beginning of a story that you read to them. Then, they'll take over the writing and complete the story. The story starters are a fun way to motivate students to write. ⭐Alien, Tiger, and Cat: Here's an improvisational theatre game that works in the classroom. Explain to students that they can be one of three things: an alien, a cat, or a tiger. If they choose to be an alien, they need to hold their pointer fingers next to their head (like antennae) and say "bleeb, bleeb." To be a cat, they need to rub their wrist along their face (like a cat cleaning itself) and say "meow." Finally, to be a tiger they need to push their hand forward with a claw stance and roar. On your cue, every student will choose and act like an animal. The goal is to get everyone to choose the same animal (which is nearly impossible, but fun to try). ⭐Rapid Recall: Create a list of random words. Then, read the list of words to students. As you read the words, you might have students put their hands on their heads so that you know for sure that they aren't taking notes. Once you've read the words to students once or twice, wait about a minute before letting students write down every word that they remember. (Find ready-made lists in this complete resource.) ⭐Finish the Fact: Share the beginning of a fact with students. Then, challenge them to complete the fact. Have them share their guesses before revealing the complete fact. Find a collection of random facts here. Want a free set of virtual classroom activities designed to be NO PREP and NO COPIES? Just add your name and email below. ⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟ BONUS: Here's one more idea: ⭐Paper Airplanes: Help students practice following directions by challenging them to fold a paper airplane by following your directions. To get started, choose a paper airplane design to have students fold. Then, have students take out a piece of paper. They'll need to listen carefully to each of your directions to make their paper airplane. Wishing you tons of fun in your (virtual) classroom, Mary Beth P.S. Find a TON of ready-made activities HERE.

These plays include: for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf by Ntozake Shange, The Love Suicides at Amijima by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, and No Exit by Jean Paul Sartre. Teaching drama in high school English Language Arts is a great way to bring literature to life, and

Surviving as a teacher isn’t easy. There’s a lot of work load, there’s a diversity of tasks, teacher training workshops, brutal pace-setters, and seemingly conflicting initiatives pulling you in a thousand directions. Education can break even the noblest spirits. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Below are ten hacks to keep you strong […]

As someone who graduated in the very early 2000s, I’ve seen the dynamic shift in educational practices and pedagogical strategies. The high school classrooms

'As a teacher of English as a foreign language, or any subject really, you have to consider the seating arrangement in your classroom. Studies have shown that seating arrangements where the teacher can see the faces of all of the students at all times increase student engagement and are therefore beneficial for their learning. Considering this, here are the best desk arrangements for EFL students that you should try out in your classroom! Single Rows Setting up the students' desks in single rows is great for teacher demonstrations and independent table work. While this arrangement is very for'

Students often have a hard time grasping the concept of an organisms NICHE. Every organism occupies a NICHE in its ecosystem. A niche is the role a species plays in the ecosystem. In other words, a niche is an organisms “JOB” in that ecosystem. In this activity students will explore the role that different organisms play in their ecosystem. Students will: Choose an organism. Research the organism and how it interacts with its environment. Determine it’s niche in its ecosystem Create a ‘business card” the organism showing understanding of its NICHE

Lesson planning is a key skill. Develop a more efficient lesson planning system with these tips. Check out these tips in this blog post.

Parents commonly read to their young children, and teachers of early grade-levels read to their students as well, but teachers seem to drop the practice of

By Room 213 How many times have you had to hold your tongue when someone comments that it must be nice to work from nine to three and get summers off? It's a hard comment to take when you're spending

Three easy strategies to implement when your students struggle with tier 2 vocabulary and reading comprehension.

By Room 213There is no doubt about it: students will learn more when they are intrinsically motivated, when they see a purpose beyond a test and a grade, or when they get a sense of enjoyment out of t

With a new school year upon us, it’s time to re-energize your teaching practices with some new routines and resources. Here are ten teaching resources and

Helpful hints and tricks for middle and high school teachers to teach students how to write a Personal Narratives. Includes a free writing planner and narrative writing reference sheet.

Looking for a solid review for your students that is fun as well? Here you go! This activity is very versatile! It may be used as either an in-class review or as a game. Also, it is a great combination of both individual and collaborative team work. Please check out the preview to see details. Set-up information, instructions, options for use, and examples of the problems are all included in the preview. The activity includes seven rounds of 4 questions each as well as answer keys. You may use all rounds of problems or use only those you want to focus on most. Topics included: - Solving multi-step equations requiring combining like terms one side. - Solving multi-step equations requiring distributing one side. - Solving multi-step equations requiring distributing and combining like terms one side. - Solving multi-step equations involving variables on both sides. - Solving multi-step equations requiring a mix of distributing, combining like terms, and/or variables on both sides. - Solving multi-step equations involving fractional coefficients mixed with distributing and variables on both sides. - Solving multi-step equations with fractional solutions requiring a mix of distributing, combining like terms, and/or variables on both sides.

8 ideas to keep students engaged and having fun with a simple worksheet

Check out these forty strategies you can use to change the way you grade, making it less time-consuming and more effective. If you're an English teacher looking for ways to cut down on your time grading outside of school, you won't want to miss these fresh, new grading ideas.

Whether you're a new teacher or not, click through to read this valuable post on balancing your teacher life. You will find some helpful ideas for making this year less stressful, more structured, and more positive in this interview.

Thanks to Jackie at Room 213 for organizing this blog hop! It's so true, right? When I think about my own experiences as a learner, the times that I made the most profound instructional gains were when I felt that my teacher truly knew me and believed in me as a student. That's why I believe that the best learning always occurs when students feel a connection with their teacher...when they know that their teacher cares about them as a person. If you're reading this, then you already know that students don't care a bit about what they are being taught until they know that their teacher cares a bit about them. Any teacher checking out a blog about learning and instruction is one who is invested in their profession. So, the ideas that I'm about to share are probably not new...in fact, I bet you have a few ways that you build caring and compassion into your own instruction that I'd love to read about! However, I hope that these ideas remind us all about why we became teachers in the first place. We love learning. We love students. And showing them both each day is what matters. How often do you hand back a piece of student work to see them quickly scan for the grade and then toss it into a folder...or worse the garbage? That's why I love writing students fun notes on their papers. Instead of "good job," I like to write comments that show I know and care about them, like "Wow, use figurative language in your writing as well as you shoot 3-pointers!" I'm a huge fan of making positive phone calls home. They're such a wonderful way to build positive relationships with students and their families. You can read all about it HERE. I love watching my students excel in the classroom, but for many of them their true talents are on display at the band concert, or on the soccer field, or during the school play. That's why I try to reserve at least one night a month to attend students' extracurricular activities. There's nothing better than the connection between that student and I the next day in class! I've always heard that the best way to get your own children to listen is to whisper your message within their earshot to someone else. I like applying the same technique with students. When talking with colleagues I love to brag about individual students within earshot of them. Spreading the word about the great things kids are doing is super important! When the bell rings at the start of each class, I'm at the door to greet my students. I love giving them the impression that I can't wait to see them. It sets the tone for a caring classroom before the class even begins! On the first day of school I let my students know that I will be holding them to the highest behavior and academic standards. I want them to achieve beyond anything they have ever done before. That means that there are classroom management procedures in place. It also means that they might be redoing their work to meet my standards. This is the "tough love" part of showing them that I care. OK, this may be obvious, but I'll never forget when I was student teaching and my supervising teacher kept telling her students day-after-day how much she loved them. I was in awe of this. I've followed her lead and tell my students how much I care about them and my profession all the time...even when I'm stressed and tired and overwhelmed. I love creating homework and classwork with students' actual names in the assignments. I'm careful to make sure that their names are associated with positive things and connected to activities and hobbies they care about. It's not hard to do and kids love seeing their names in print. Celebrating students' learning and achievements is super important. I love to do it in little ways like hanging their work around the classroom and in big ways like planning events to celebrate their learning. As you know, teachers are human, too. One of the ways that I show students that I care about them is by trusting them with stories from my own life. I share information about my family, my life successes, and times when I have struggled. Sharing builds important connections. At the end of the (school) day, teaching is not about standardized tests, curriculum requirements, paperwork, data, and reports. I think it's about creating an environment where students want to learn because they know that their teachers care about their profession...and most importantly each of them. I love learning about my students through their own work as well. Units like this MEMOIR Writing Unit and this NARRATIVE Writing Unit are an awesome way to engage students in their learning and gain insight into their lives at the same time! Oh, and click HERE for a printable of the 'Teachers Care' poster (prints on legal-sized paper) and HERE for a printable of the 'Learning' poster (prints on standard-sized paper). Thanks for stopping by!

Sometimes the best way to improve your classroom is by stepping out of it…and walking down the hall to the library. Your school’s library has a vast number of

Student choice = student buy-in and using a workshop model is a great way to incorporate student choice. This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about implementing the workshop model in a secondary ELA classroom. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed the role of read alouds and choice reading in instruction. Teachers also shared how they connect whole class lessons to students' choice reading. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.

Teaching literary analysis in the secondary English classroom is an essential cornerstone of high school English and middle school English curriculum. When

This group research project that can be used with any novel is included in a larger novel unit: The Novel: a unit for any novel {secondary English} After reading a novel, students work collaboratively with this assignment to research different literary elements of the novel. This assignment asks collaborative groups to research a specific topic, write a short research paper, create a PowerPoint presentation, and present their findings to the class. This research assignment includes: • A teacher instruction sheet with suggested timeline • An assignment handout sheet that includes research paper and PowerPoint guidelines • Ten different research topics • A peer evaluation form • A rubric with blank point value spaces • A sample PowerPoint to help guide students Looking for writing resources for the ENTIRE year? Ultimate Writing Bundle for Secondary English Useful Resources Lessons That Might Interest You: Introduction to Writing BUNDLE Ultimate Argument Writing Bundle (Grades 7-12) Descriptive Writing Mini-Unit - CCSS Aligned - Grades 7-10 Annotating Text Made Easy - CCSS aligned Grammar Resources for Secondary English Teachers Ultimate Parts of Speech Bundle Holiday and Seasonal Grammar Bundle Helpful Tools and Resources for Secondary English Teachers: 100 Question Editable English Pre-Test/Final Exam with Study Guide Peer Editing Made Easy (Common Core - ESL - Grades 7-12) Common Core Writing Rubrics Bundle (Grades 7-12)

Mind maps are a visually appealing summarizing strategy, which can be used to enhance students' recall of information as well as to synthesize information from multiple sources. This strategy can be used with fiction or nonfiction texts and can be added to as student progress in their reading.

Socratic seminars. Fishbowl discussions. Harkness method. Jigsaw. There are many wonderful structures and strategies for facilitating classroom discussions which deepen student learning about a text or topic, while also developing vital communications abilities: a true life skill. However, I know that when I was a new teacher, I found class discussions challenging at best, and painfully awkward at worst. So, here are some questions many teachers struggle with, along with some answers I have come to through lots of trial and error, and plenty of practice. Any time! Whether studying literature or analyzing persuasive language, having students engage with each other in small groups to share and deepen their knowledge, while also developing critical communication skills, is just solid practice. Moreover, especially when working with teenagers, student-led discussions encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning, and help them to learn how to work well with others. Personally, I step back and have students run discussions almost every 2 or 3 classes. The more they do it, the better they will become. There is no one-way to do this; it will completely depend on your class size, dynamics, objective, and more. It could be the whole class sitting in a circleand all discussing. It could also be a fishbowl discussion, with an inner circle having the discussion while the outer circle observes (read more about Fishbowl discussions here). It could be multiple smaller groups each having their own discussions at the same time. You want to vary your types of discussions to keep students engaged, and on their toes. You know teenagers: do any one thing too often and they get bored! However, two key things I have learnt through practice: Stay out of the discussion as much as possible to really let students muddle through on their own; while I may interject occasionally, I really try to do so as little as possible to force students to take responsibility for their own discussions. Discourage students from raising their hands; while this can be a challenge at first, it does break away from teacher-led formats, and it teaches them to be assertive, mindful of others, and collaborative. Preparation is key. While it is great to have informal, on-the-spot discussions, this really favors the engage, confident, assertive students; it can be highly challenging for the quieter, more reluctant members of the class. If you want students to engage and lead the discussions, you must let them prepare thoroughly first. Let them pick the topic themselves. I often put students into small groups and have them decide what might be an interesting question for discussion around a text. The mere process of deciding is valuable as they explore the text/topic being studied, and assess the validity of essential questions. To scaffold this process, you can give them a list of possible questions to select from. Have students write questions. Before the class discussion, I will assign homework for students to work together to come up with a list of about 10 essential questions they will discuss. This also teaches them how to write good open-ended questions, and I stipulate that I want a range of types: clarification, analysis, comparison, opinion-based, etc. This works beautifully in Google Docs, as students work together on the same document to write, critique, refine, and agree upon their set of questions. It also allows me to see if they all truly participated! *GRAB THIS FREE WORKSHEET TO HELP STUDENTS PREPARE AND PARTICIPATE IN A FORMAL DISCUSSION* Teenagers are awkward. We get that. If you are going to hold formal discussions in the classroom, you may well encounter everything from students feeling self-conscious and barely speaking, to students dominating and oversharing. That’s ok. It is all part of the learning process. However, you need to be prepared to sit back, outside of the discussion, and let them battle through: embrace the silence. The more that they practice, the more natural and easy it becomes. *In terms of balancing out participation, see my recommendation below, for the app Equity Maps. Check out these DISCUSSION GOAL CARDS to help give students tangible goals to focus on during the discussion! Just last week I put students into groups to prepare a discussion on Shakespeare’s Othello. While I busied myself in the background, they chatted about what topic they would like to pick. My teacher heart was overflowing with pride: critical thinking was on full display as they tossed around ideas, assessed the validity of topics, listened attentively to each other, backed up their opinions with textual evidence, and thoughtfully included even the quietest of members. I was thrilled, and really excited for the ‘real thing.’ The next day, I sat back, eagerly anticipating more of their rich dialogue and collaborative sharing. Yet, that’s not what I got. Instead, I was greeted with stilted conversation, forced interest, self-conscious interjections, and little evidence of the depth of which I knew they were capable. The difference? Grading. The quickest way to make a discussion inauthentic, static, and forced, is to grade students. I am not advocating that we don’t do it - it is an important process - but we need do so many ungraded discussions formatively, that it takes away the performance anxiety and fear around the ‘formal’ discussion. I only have a graded discussion perhaps twice a term, yet we hold student-led discussions almost every week. Often for the quieter students it is not a case of not having something valuable to say, but it is often a case of not being able to find space, feeling too shy, or not knowing how to jump in. For this, I have a couple of tips: Give all students incentives: I have students sit with 5 chocolates in front of them (my favorite: Cadbury’s Mini-Eggs) and encourage them that each time they contribute, they get to eat a treat. This not only incentives participation, but it also gives them a clear goal, and a great way to monitor their interactions. Have students write alist of possible questions beforehand, and have this in front of them. This way, even if they struggle to think on their feet, or struggle to voice their opinions, they still have something with which they can enter in. Half way through the discussion, get up and “press pause” on the discussion. For a couple of minutes let students collect their thoughts and jot down some notes, then for the following few minutes let only those who have not had a chance to speak yet, do so. Use these FREE opinion signs to have students engage visibly. This way, they are forced into coming up with an opinion, indicate it to the whole group, and then other students can ask them why they agree or disagree. Remind students of all the possible ways to engage. Participation should not just be through giving opinions: it could be through asking for clarification, validating a peer’s contribution, signalling agreement or disagreement, asking for evidence to deepen someone else’s thinking etc. For more tips on how to encourage participation, check out Room 213’s great blog post on the topic. She has a wealth of experience with class discussions, and some simple, easy-to-implement ideas! Having students reflect on their growth and learning is a vital part of any educational experience (read more here). The same is true for discussions: after any class discussion, encourage students to self-reflect, and assess their own participation. Simple bell-ringers work well here. Nothing fancy: I just pick an appropriate one, write it on the board, and have students write down an answer in the last few minutes of class: In what way are you proud of your participation? Which area do you need to grow? How can you improve next time? What is one think you will focus on next time? Who do you think displayed good facilitation skills in today’s discussion, and how? As mentioned earlier, I rely heavily on Google Docs for students' collaboration and preparation. However, another app which I use regularly is Equity Maps: with this app, you can record the whole discussion, visually map the conversation, and collect all kinds of data: seeing the gender dynamics; timing students’ contributions; and seeing how balanced the discussion is. There is a feature which even assesses the group on how even the participation was (green for highly balanced and fair, blue for high levels of equality, yellow for medium etc.); my students now see this almost as a goal or game to aim for, and they are so proud of themselves when they reach Green status! If you have anymore questions about facilitating meaningful discussions in the classroom, feel free to post them below. In the meantime, check out these incredible blog posts and resources: Encouraging participation in Discussions by Room 213 Engage your students with Fishbowl Conversations by The Daring English Teacher Holding silent discussions by Presto Plans Tips for Successful Lit Circles by Addie Williams Holding Whole Class Discussion for Any Novel by The SuperHERO Teacher Discussion Activities by Presto Plans

Analyzing poetry is a skill all our students need to develop. While students are required to investigate poems often, poetry analysis is still something that many students struggle with. That's why I'm a big fan of practice! I love to give students lots of opportunities to closely read and analyze poetry. (And I've put together a FREE one-pager that students can use with any poem!) POETRY ANALYSIS TIPS When putting together a poetry analysis lesson, here are some tips I follow: ✔ TIP 1: Select a poem that is long enough for students to adequately investigate, but not too long to make the process overwhelming. ✔ TIP 2: Provide students with background information about the author of the poem. This helps to build context and connections to the poem. ✔ TIP 3: Choose a poem with at least one form of figurative language for students to identify and describe. ✔ TIP 4: Have students read the poem multiple times. You might read the poem out loud first. Then, students might read the poem in a small group or with a partner. Finally, students can read the poem independently. ✔ TIP 5: Give students tasks that become more complex with each reading. POETRY ANALYSIS TASKS Then, when I'm actually teaching an analysis lesson, here are 4 analysis tasks that work with ANY poem (Don't worry, you can download the entire lesson for FREE here.): Task 1: Reflect After students read a poem, have them reflect on what the poem made them think about and how the poem made them feel. When students share what the poem make them think about they'll be able to pull main ideas from the text. Then, when they share how they felt, they'll need to think more deeply about the poem. Task 2: Visualize When students have completed a second reading of the poem, have them select a line or lines from the poem that helped them create a mental image in their minds. Students should write the lines down. Then, have students doodle an actual illustration to portray the words in the poem. Task 3: Figurative Language Share the definition for a type of figurative language found in the poem with students. Then, have students read the poem a third time. As they read, encourage them to be on the lookout for an example of the figurate language. Once students find an example have them write it down before explaining its meaning. Task 4: Theme Once students read the poem for a final time, have them respond to a short answer question that requires them to identify the theme of the poem. As students write their analyses, encourage them to include direct quotes from the poem. These analysis tasks build in difficulty and encourage students to naturally dive deeply into the text. If you're looking for poems for students to analyze, check out my favorite poems to teach here: ⭐ 5 Favorite Poems for Middle School ⭐ Funny Poems for Kids ⭐ Poems that Teach Growth Mindset ⭐ 20 Poems and 80 Analysis Tasks Download the FREE Doodle One-Pager HERE. Thanks for stopping by! Mary Beth P.S. Check out these 5 fun ways to teach poetry!

Rubrics are meant to clarify expectations, but poor design can make the experience anything but clear. These five guidelines will help.