Teach Students How to Effectively Conduct Research
Let’s face it: research papers are hard enough as is, let alone writing one that Includes proper research and flows well. Research websites for students
How to Boost Reading Engagement with Book Clubs
Students and reading aren’t always a match made in heaven. (That’s an understatement.) Sure, some are avid readers, but some are more I’d-rather-do-anything-else-ers. Of course,
4 Station Ideas for Middle School ELA Skills
After you’ve wrapped up a novel or a short story, there is a lot to cover: main idea, theme, plot, and so on. But you
How to Plan Your Narrative Writing Unit
Your narrative writing unit is approaching. *gulp* You want students to walk away with a successful narrative essay in the end, but your last narrative
Free First Week of School Lessons for ELA
Is there a bigger stress than planning the first week of school? You don’t know your students. It’s hard to judge how long activities will
Mentor Sentences: The Secret to Teaching Grammar
As a middle school ELA teacher, you have a jam-packed daily schedule. From making time for independent reading to getting students to actually write, it
3 Independent Reading Strategies for Middle School
Independent reading can be a struggle. You have a ton of ground to cover each school year, which means your class time is stuffed to
How to Explicitly Teach Elements of Narrative Writing
When I ask teachers about their biggest struggle with narrative writing, they always say the narrative elements. And I totally understand why. Trying to get
4 Tips to Keep Student Reading Notebooks Organized
If you’ve used student notebooks in your middle school classroom before, you know just how chaotic they can get. Students write things in random places.
Independent Reading Activities for Middle School ELA
Independent reading in the classroom has a ton of benefits for students, but when your schedule is already jam-packed, it can feel impossible to find
Reading Conferences: The Golden Gate Bridge Method
If reading conferences leave you with a headache and vowing to never do that again, you’re in good company. I’d wager to bet that most
11 Best PD Books for English Teachers
I’ve read my fair share of PD books, and some are much better than others. When I was in the classroom, I used these books
