To celebrate a bumper year for Japanese cinema at the BFI London Film Festival, we look out some of the best movies to come out of Japan since the turn of this century.

No, it's not something we're lying about.

I have never done this before, and I'm quite bad at digital, but here??? I know some things are in weird places, but you can adjust them using the arrows and such. Also, this is a work in progress so please don't vore me-

INFPs are described as being reserved, imaginative, passionate, creative, and quirky. These are some of the many qualities that make us unique.

teach traditional literature - fairytales, fables, legends, myths, and tall tales easily learning the different types and standards

Did he seriously just say that? How often has one of our students with Autism, ADHD, or other difficulties said something completely inappropriate to a peer or adult, but not even realize that what they said was inappropriate!? This activity provides a way for students to learn that some thoughts should be kept to themselves! Students ...

Timing in the Tarot is a tricky topic. In this post, I make it simple and give you some free resources to download and print out.

"I don't want to love her. I don't like what that means for me." "What do you think it means?" "It means I have something to lose again, and I'm not strong enough for that anymore."

Want to add some French idiomatic expressions into your vocabulary? Check out this list of 14 idioms with videos that you could practice today!

Download This Worksheet (PDF) Interesting character quirks are responsible for some of the most memorable characters in fiction, but I think new writers sometimes forget that a quirk doesn’t make a character. It’s a good place to start though! The first page of this worksheet gives you some questions to develop character from quirk. If your…

Who knew the Peanuts gang could perfectly recite every Smith lyric in the book?

Making a Book of Shadows can be hard and even daunting. Here's an article to show how to get started and actually enjoy making it.

Download This Worksheet (PDF) Your antagonist* is tired of being compared to your protagonist. Give him / her some love with this worksheet. While this worksheet has been designed for antagonists who are characters, remember that this needn’t always be the case! Also works for your real-life antagonists… More Ways to Understand Your Antagonist Protagonists…

Celebrating Think-Pair-Share, the Little Strategy That Could, and sharing some best practices for making it work for you.

Looking for some tips to improve German pronunciation? Right here, my friend. Check this post for some ideas to get your speaking perfekt Deutsch.

Hilarious. Sarcastic. Oddballishly Nutty. Get a load of this kooky dump of some funny fresh memes. Also a plethora of weird random pics. You deserve a good laugh today. You've been great. Almost on your best behavior. So treat yourself.

This is a collection of 73 spiritual documentaries that explore the spiritual realm. You can watch most of these spiritual documentaries online.

It seems like every day there is an endless stream of students reporting behaviors or incidents that happen in the classroom. On one hand, we want to help our students feel heard and validated so they know we are a safe person for them to talk to. On the other hand, we certainly don't want to feed into the tattle machine. It's a fine line to walk. So how do we handle tattling in our classrooms?

Writing Worksheet – Who Knows What When (PDF) I’ve covered plot holes before, but this worksheet is to help you specifically with the type of chronological lacuna that I fall into most often: mistakes arising from remembering which characters know what when. These errors are difficult to spot and can have some profound effects on the plot, so…

Are you experiencing signs of menopause or perimenopause, such as hot flashes, weight gain or mood swings? It turns out that many symptoms you might be experiencing are caused by the hormonal changes of menopause

Teaching symbolism for literary analysis: symbolism is throughout literature and once students understand the concept, they appreciate reading more.

Learning about the Renaissance? This Renaissance worksheet lends extra help remembering important people, places, and things of this important time in history.

Learn how to teach silent e words through explicit phonics instruction. Use orthographic mapping, connecting sound to symbol. Learn about the many jobs of the silent e!

Teamwork in the classroom is essential in order to have a high functioning and welcoming environment for students. Check out three easy ways to build teamwork with your students.

Fancy a cup of tea or fish and chips as we learn about England for Kids? Learn about Windsor Castle & Big Ben with these England Printables.

Looking for top things to do in Heldelberg, Germany? We explored the city - from Heidelberg Castle to the famous Old Bridge - to bring you a great guide!

While looking at Pinterest one day, I came across this: I loved it so much that I created an art journaling page and noted some of my...

TweetPin8EmailShare Writing about a character waking up can be a challenge, especially since waking up is something we do in a semiconscious state. It can be tough to pinpoint exactly... Read more »

"Important for students to begin to self-assess learning and needs--while roaming the room during these times, teachers can use these as quick and fast checks for understanding where he/she is most needed at that time".

Teaching young students about MLK Day is very important, yet it can be difficult to explain to students how things used to be long ago when there was segregation. Here is a great video made by young students that explains the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. in a very simplified way in which kids will understand. One of my favorite MLK books to read to students is "Martin's Big Words; The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." by Doreen Rappaport. This picture book brings to life Martin's powerful message in some of his own words. It tells the story of his life and it shows how he was a gifted speaker and influential leader. After reading this book, I love to show the video of it and have students be thinking about Martin's big words. We make a web on the board and students copy all those powerful words. Students can make their own "I Have A Dream" mini hand print booklets. It is important to have students be thinking about ways to make the world a better place for mankind and not about what they wish for themselves. After we are done making these mini books, I let the students read and share their thoughts with their classmates. During MLK week, Here is another great follow up activity that I enjoy doing with the students. Begin by teaching the students the song "With My Own Two Hands" lyrics by Ben Harper. This video version is sung by Jack Johnson. Students brainstorm ways that they can make the world a better place with their own two hands and share their ideas with a thinking partner. They can practice reading the song lyrics on this worksheet and color in their hands using flesh tone crayons. Students will then write a sentence about how they can use their hands to make the world a better place.Students who want to share their writing piece with the whole class may do so when they are done. If you like these MLK activities, you can grab get them here. What is your favorite MLK book or video that you enjoy introducing to your student? Please comment below. I'd love to hear any suggestions. .

Children will practice using context clues as they identify the correct homophone in this grammar and spelling worksheet.

Got a talkative class? Check out these 5 ways to quiet the chatter!

From history and the arts to travel and fashion, we take a broad look at culture in the context of sustainability.

The wedding procession, or entrance of the bridal party, occurs in a certain order that culminates with the bride. The bridal procession begins after all guests

TweetPin2EmailShare Introducing a new character to your story can be difficult. There’s a lot that goes into it, and to make matters worse, you only have one chance to give... Read more »

Download our classroom icebreakers printable and "go fishing" with your students as they ask and answer questions of one another.

When I was a brand new teacher, I thought the quality of my teaching was ultimately tied to the quality of my resources, so I spent hours searching for great materials. I believed that if I had quality resources, ones that my students enjoyed and were engaged with, then that would make me a good teacher. Well, I still believe that having quality resources is extremely important, but over the years I've also come to realize that being a good teacher is SO much more than the tools in my toolbox. Everyday has a million moving parts that need our constant attention, focus, knowledge and skills of best practice. So even though I now believe that being a good teacher is more than the quality of my teaching materials, knowing that I have a good variety of kid tested and teacher approved resources at my fingertips allows me the time and energy to focus on other aspects of my teaching day. So today, as a follow-up to my original "favorite resources" post, I want to share with you MORE of my "go-to" resources that I consistently use in my classroom with my students! Build a Sentence I love this resource, and so do my students! This resource gets beginning and intermediate ELs speaking and writing! First, a photograph is posted. Then students generate a word bank by telling what they see in the picture. I ask for one word at a time. No matter the level of my ELs, everyone can come up with at least a word or two. I get additional details by asking about colors and quantities of items they see. Once our word bank is sufficient, they use those words to create varying lengths of sentences. They are asked to create a 3 word sentence, then a four word sentence, then a five word sentence, and so on. I'll ask, "Who thinks they can come up with a 4 word sentence?" My students all start thinking and counting on their fingers, then quickly a hand shoots up, then another. They love it! This activity is heavily scaffolded for beginners. Students orally create the word bank and sentences, but I write the words and sentences on the board using correct spelling and grammar. Then they copy. I am a big believer in modeling for beginners, and I model a LOT! This activity is a definite favorite among my students. They practice their oral language skills as well as their writing skills. I do this with my small groups at least once a month. Writing with English Learners I created this resource to prep my students for the writing portion of the annual language proficiency assessment. In Virginia, where I'm from, ESL students take the WIDA ACCESS each winter. Being that writing is the literacy skill that usually takes the longest to develop, I wanted to explicitly teach the skills students needed to be most successful on this assessment. In my lesson plans, I incorporate a listening, reading, speaking and writing focus each week. For the writing focus, I usually pull from these two resources. Whether I am teaching how to stretch out words, write a story, explain a process or analyze information, this resource allows me to choose the skills my particular groups need to work on. For my intermediate and advanced ELs in grades 3-6, I focus on "language formats" found in writing. Whether they are asked to describe, provide an opinion, analyze or compare and contrast, understanding and applying the language with that format is key. 5 Ws and H - A Writing Resource for Adding Details This resource is a new favorite! It teaches students to add meaningful details to their sentences. I often ask students to "tell me more." This writing activity gets them in the habit of giving more information in their sentences by adding thoughtful details. This resource is designed for gradual release. The first set of activities can be done in a whole group setting. A photograph is projected and students are asked to answer the 5W & H questions about the picture. This information is then used to write two thoughtful sentences. As students become more proficient with adding details to their sentences, the next set of activities can be done in either a small group setting or as an independent activity. The last set of activities are writing prompts that students can independently respond to in their notebooks. Posters are included which add a great visual reference for a classroom display. Restate the Question This is a simple, yet effective, activity that teaches students to restate the question or prompt in their answers, both orally and in writing. As a writing activity, either project a prompt on the whiteboard and have students write their responses in their notebooks, or print out the question and have them glue it into their notebook. This takes modeling the first several times, but afterwards should be a quick independent activity. For a speaking activity, pull out a card and ask the question. Students take turns answering several of the questions. This works great in a small group setting. My students often ask if we can keep on "playing." VIDEOS! VIDEOS! VIDEOS! Incorporating videos into my lessons is a MUST! When I plan a new unit, one of the first things I do is to scour the internet looking for fun and meaningful videos. My go to place is YouTube. There are some real gems out there, but it does take some looking. When I find a goody, it goes into my collection and I use it again and again. Here is a blog post that I wrote about using short films to teach reading comprehension skills. I continue to add to the list as I find new films. Click on the image to see the list! Check out my Short Film Bundle here. Monthly Themed Vocabulary This is an great resource to use with primary learners and beginning ELs. Each month contains 20 vocabulary words. I love this because it's relevant to what's happening around students at the given time of year. Along with the terms, which I use as a monthly word wall, matching cards, writing activities, a vocabulary booklet and BINGO games are included. In closing... As I create my weekly lesson plans, these "tried and true" resources are many of the activities that my students use throughout the school year. Having a collection of reliable and engaging materials available frees up the time I'd otherwise spend searching. I'm sure you have your go-to resources too. Happy teaching!! (Affiliate Link)