So much has happened since my last post, and I’m not sure where to start to catch up. I ended up having to take a break from teaching back in January 2020 due to medical complications after a wreck. Then when I returned to teaching, I had been moved to 6th and 7th grade. I’m …
Writing, the struggle is real
When it comes to writing, the challenge in the classroom can be a real struggle. This year I think that I have by far the lowest group of writers that I have ever had. These students have not had a normal school year since they were in the 3rd grade due to Covid-19, and it …
Using Classcraft to appeal to your students’ need for competition
I can remember sitting in on a Professional Development session back in 2014 on “Gamifying Your Classroom,” and I walked out of there thinking, “That’ll never work!” The ugly truth is that I tuned out during the session on Classcraft because I thought that it was complicated. I was wrong! I ran across Classcraft by …
Making ELA Relevant
The phrase I often hear from my students is that ELA is boring. They speak English, so why should they have to learn English. The key to changing this attitude is in making ELA lessons relevant to them. Textbook vs. World: Is it relevant to them? When we teach strictly from the textbook, we lose …
When Engagement Happens
Engagement. It is the one thing that all teachers long for in the classroom. Engagement means that your students are actively involved in what is happening in class. It means that the lesson is relevant and effective. For the last two days, I have stressed about today’s activity. We were putting a character on trial, …