We all want to find ways to improve our students’ writing, but sometimes it’s hard to know just where to begin. When we get our eyes on that first batch of assignments, we see weaknesses everywhere! Fortunately, we don’t have to go back to square one and re-teach all the basics in order to see writing growth. Have you tried using mentor sentences in your instruction? These models, excerpted…
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How to Conquer Your Teacher Observation Fears
You’re opening morning email at school and there it is: your teacher observation has been scheduled. Instantly, an uneasy feeling takes over. With all you have to do to keep classes running smoothly day to day, a formal observation is the last thing you want to deal with. Sometimes, that allotted date is anything but optimal! And it’s hard to think about what the perfect lesson should look like when…
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5 BEST Videos for Teaching Figurative Language
We all want our students to be able to identify, understand, and use figurative language. Lucky for us, YouTube offers an array of videos for teaching figurative language that students will appreciate! I love incorporating video clips into mini-lessons, especially when I can pause the videos to have discussion. A teaching video with fun visuals can work well to reinforce terms and definitions. Music videos and movie shorts always…
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