When thinking about ideas for teaching research skills, teachers can easily become overwhelmed. That’s mainly because our standards list so many requirements for students to master! If your school requires a major research paper, you might need to start off with some smaller practice pieces. Do your students know how to paraphrase? Can they judge if a website is credible? Do they know how to compose an open-ended question? How…
Read More
5 “Musts” to Motivate Student Writers
Do your students get excited about writing? I’m thinking that, generally, the answer is not a resounding YES! And who would blame them, with all the emphasis on that scripted writing for state tests. While teaching the formulaic essay is unavoidable, hopefully, we are allowing our kids practice with many types of writing. Journal entries, scripts/written conversations, business, friendly, and thank-you letters, and all types of poems are great options…
Read More
10 Quick Assessment Ideas for Literature
I love literature, especially sharing stories aloud in class. On some occasions, I just want students to enjoy the read, without being saddled with a deep analysis, essay assignment, and the like. Quick assessments get students thinking and discussing the literature without a heavy workload, yet teachers get valuable snapshots of their learning. How to Use the 10 Quick Assessment Ideas You can assign one or two quick assessment ideas…
Read More
