Holiday Lessons/Resources
The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday is the perfect time to help your students show appreciation for someone special in their lives by creating a special, handmade memento. I’ve got a great activity that will take your students through the entire writing process to create a heartwarming essay to share with
shurley english
As a certified elementary teacher, I came to realize the tremendous amount of power and influence I had on my students very early in my career. It was clear that my energy and delivery during certain lessons (either high or low) made an impression and greatly affected the outcome of
tips
So, what’s happening “testing-wise” in your school and in your classroom? Let’s continue the conversation about real or authentic assessments. (If you missed part one, click here.) In my opinion, it is vital to add these authentic assessments to your “testing bag-o-tricks.” Just look at some of the
tips
When you think of testing, do any of these statements come to mind? “I want to see what my students have learned at the end of each chapter.” “I want to make sure I’m teaching effective lessons.” “My administrator says I have to have a certain number of scores
Back-to-School
SPOILER ALERT: I’m going to get personal and invite you to ask yourself some tough questions. Stay with me. I promise you'll be glad you did! At an educator’s convention in 2019, I interacted with a parent and teacher who was searching for a Grammar and
Writing
Poetry is a special form of writing that allows a student to express ideas, emotions, or experiences directly through words in verse. It is probably the most artistic of all genres of writing because of the delicate juggling act of (a) rhythms, (b) sound devices, and (c) subject matter. The
Writing
I believe that one of the greatest gifts of all is the gift of imagination. A person’s ability to imagine is limitless and definitely has no bounds! AND, the really cool part about it is that anyone can tap into their personal imagination-station at any place and time. Almost
Holiday Lessons/Resources
As a classroom teacher, returning from holiday break was always bittersweet. On one hand, I knew the pressure for “test prep” would be more intense, but on the other hand, the satisfaction of witnessing my students grow into wiser beings put a validating smile on my face. I imagine my
Holiday Lessons/Resources
Coloring sheets, word puzzles, tinsel, glitter, and glue are just some of the items you’ll find scattered around many classrooms during the holidays. There are so many wonderful craft ideas and activities people have used to make the season a memorable one at school. Here’s a fun way
shurley english
If you’ve ever found yourself in the middle of a tumultuous situation like a rip-roaring, indoor recess due to inclement weather, or a rigorous test preparation right before a holiday, you know how it feels when you need a break! …You need it, and you need it NOW! Now
Writing
The ideal scenario for the first couple months of a new school year would be a classroom running smoothly. You want to be comfortable with your daily schedule and know that you can meet the needs of all of your diverse students. Realistically, some of you may already feel like
ELAsuccess
The rules for writing numbers in a sentence or paragraph haven’t changed over the years, but for some reason, I still feel the need to double-check them. I’m not sure why numbers are such a stumbling block, but any time I need to communicate a quantity, dollar amount,