Starting off the school year with teaching short stories is a great way to engage the learners in your classroom as soon as you are ready to start instruction

This general characterization can be used to help students gather information about both direct and indirect characterization. It requires students to synthesize descriptions of characters and their actions to create a full picture of the character. It can be used with any novel, short story, memoi...

One of the first lessons I teach every single year, regardless of the grade-level I am teaching, is how to closely read and annotate a text. Because I feel

Hey guys! It's Erin from I'm Lovin' Lit and I'm so happy to be a part of this wonderful new blog! Today I'm going to talk about my feelings about the first day of middle school. Whether you're a new teacher, new to middle school, or just pressing the reset button for the year, I hope you find some new and different things to think about because, well, I'm somewhat opinionated! :) What to Do (and What Not to Do) on the First Day of Middle School Let's start with what NOT to do, shall we? Do NOT: 1. Spend the entire 50 minute period discussing your rules, expectations, and telling kids about what they'll be doing this year. *YAWN* 2. Do that "elementary thang" and have your class (community of learners) collaboratively come up with a list of rules and expectations and discuss the meaning and need for rules, blah blah blah. DON'T. You really don't need to do that. Third grade? SURE! Middle school? NOT. 3. Spend over half of your time doing some really complicated and/or awkward ICE BREAKER type activity where the students are forced to completely leave their comfort zone by speaking in front of the entire class or even making a fool of themselves in front of a hand full of not-familiar classmates. Seriously. Have you NOT been a middle schooler before?! 4. Ask students GENERICALLY to a) write a paragraph about or b) tell the class (EVEN WORSE) about "what they did" or "where they went" on summer vacation. RESIST THE TEMPTATION. DON'T DO IT. Now that you're not doing those things above (you're not still thinking about it, are you?) here are *MY* suggestions on what to do the first day of school. These numbers will coordinate with and complement the numbers above. DO: 1. Spend a reasonable portion (definitely half) of the class time introducing yourself (briefly, you can tell more later) and laying out the expectations that are most important to you. Keep it simple for the first day. The students need to know especially these things: a) How to enter and leave my room. (Wait at the door/line up in hall until invited in; leave only after *I* dismiss, not the bell.)b) What to do when you walk in the door every day. (bell ringer, DOL, sponge, daily, whatever you like to call it - you should have SOMETHING but keep it SIMPLE and SHORT)c) What supplies you'll need to buy (if a list was not provided) or which supplies should be labeled for your class and any instructions on using supplies or storing any of them in locker for later use.As far as I am concerned, most of the other stuff can wait. These kids are being bombarded today by 7 or 8 different teachers. Take it easy. Give them the most important information ONLY. 2.TELL THEM your expectations. They don't need to formulate them with you. These kids know why there are rules, and they don't need to come up with 8 different "community" rules for each class. Can that stuff and just tell the kids what you want/expect from them. Consequences/rewards/etc. You know, just the most important stuff for now. 3. Do something ACADEMIC. Teach a little bitty mini lesson. Give students a PREVIEW of how you teach. Isn't that better than just telling them about it? Just a little tiny lesson. Ten minute quickie. This is important because it SETS THE TONE for the rest of the year. You know I'm all about hidden messages, right? Doing something academic on that first day carries the message "We are here to learn about literature (insert your subject) and we are not wasting any time getting there!" And save those group activities for another day. These middle schoolers are overly-concerned about whether or not their hair is still "just right" or how their shirt looks from the back or WHATEVER. Give them a break and save the "in front of the class" stuff for later. Those ice breakers are totally lame. Yes, even that one you found on Pinterest. If you can SOMEHOW mesh that icebreaker with something academic, I *might* approve. But be careful. Pointless ice breakers are.. well.. pointless. 4. OK - Let's review. Now that you've outlined your most important procedures and expectations and done something ACADEMIC, you really, really want to do something summer related? OK. Fine. You can - just be careful how you word this. Some of your students toured Europe over the summer. Some of your students spent the entire summer walking two miles a day in the heat to participate in the free lunch summer program. Some of your students didn't leave the neighborhood. Some of your students went to Disney World AND Schlitterbahn. Get my drift? Let's not outline these differences on the first day. If you want to do something about SUMMER, word it in a better way. Here are some suggestions: Who did you enjoy spending time with the most over the summer? or What did you do on the FIRST day of summer (or the LAST day) - {more likely to NOT be one of the things mentioned above} or If you had one extra week of summer, what would be the perfect way to spend it? All of these are, of course, my own opinions, and we all know what opinions are like.. everyone has one, right? I honestly hope I've at least given you some things to consider before you start your year, whether it's your first or your tenth. Some of my opinions might not mesh with your style, and that's okay. Some of yours might not mesh with mine. Thanks for reading, and get to planning that PERFECT first day!

Filler Activities for ELA (blog post) What can you do with five extra minutes in secondary ELA? Here are a few ideas to engage students until the bell.

The burning question that most new, and even experienced, teachers have is what types of writing to teach and how to structure it all within a school year. Most of us are beholden to meet state standards and this can leave us feeling like we are teaching to the test rather than helping students produce […]

Maybe you’ve been asked to lead a grade level team. Maybe you’re on a grade level team that has no appointed leadership and you’re ready to take the reins. No matter how you arrived at this moment and this blog post, you’re probably wondering where to start and what exactly your role should be. As y

Why you should be using stations in your middle school classroom. For middle school math, ELA, and all other core classes.

Filler Activities for ELA (blog post) What can you do with five extra minutes in secondary ELA? Here are a few ideas to engage students until the bell.

Here’s a few classroom procedures that have worked well for me – and a couple awesome ideas I’ve run across since I’ve stepped out of the classroom...

Love podcasts? Check out this post in the form of a podcast episode on The Classroom Commute

If you're like me, you hate dealing with the distraction of cell phones in your classroom. You'd rather be spending your energy on your lessons and activities than worrying if students are misusing them in your classroom. Still, whether we like it or not, the reality is that cell phones are in schools, and they

Teaching procedures effectively those first few weeks of school is so important. This post shares tips and activities to help you teach procedures.

Use one of these systems to help get your middle school students engaged!

Be a great social studies teacher with these use-tomorrow, science-backed teaching strategies.

While there are dozens of educational websites geared towards 5th graders, many require login information and paid membership. I have compiled a list of free websites that do not require the student to use a username or password to access. I have included a free download of all the links, in Google Slides format.

The pencils are sharpened, your classroom is clean and the bell rings…gulp…here they come! My feelings on the first week of school are conflicted. On one hand, it’s one of the most important weeks. Explaining and practicing the class procedures and expectations sets the tone for the rest of the school year. Success is vital. On the other hand, I’m so excited to start teaching my historical content that waiting until all the expectations are explained requires a lot of patience! Every teacher has their own plan of action for that pivotal time. Here are 5 things I can’t live without during the first week of school: One: An Icebreaker. I aim to try and make kids feel comfortable in my classroom on day one. One of my favorite little activities is Fact or Fiction. Each student receives a small slip of paper and they’re instructed to write one fact and two fictions. Then each person (including myself!) introduces themselves and we all try to guess which statement is the fact! It’s a great way to quickly learn about each other. Two: Classroom Information and Expectations. This is every teacher’s staple, I know, but it had to go on the list because it’s a must-have! When you’re making your own, spell everything out – from the obvious grading procedures and late work policy to how to pass back papers and when to sharpen pencils and go to the bathroom. Trust me, leave no stone unturned. Your classroom will function much better if you set the tone from day one. (Oh, and don’t forget a seating chart!) Three: Fun and Games. On the second day of school, I love to start class with a little game. It’s a great way for the kids to start practicing our classroom procedures and expectations while getting familiar with their teacher and classmates. Here are some of my favorite games that I use during the first week of school: (P.S. Some of these activities can be found in my Back to School Activities resources! Click the grade level you’re teaching to check them out: Sixth, Seventh, Eighth) InstaFriend: This activity gets students moving around the room and interviewing fellow classmates! Their InstaFriend paper has a series of descriptions and characteristics. When they find a student who matches the description, they write their name in the box. Each name can only be used once! Right or Wrong: I love skits. LOVE THEM. I like to introduce students to the idea of skits during the first week by allowing them to create their own based on our class expectations. I first divide students into small groups of 2-3. Each group then randomly receives one of our class procedures or expectations. As a group, they have to work together to create two mini skits – one showing the RIGHT way to follow the expectation, the other showing the WRONG way. They get to be silly and I get to reinforce my class expectations. After each skit I happily point out all the positive behaviors as well as each time a class policy was violated. It’s a light-hearted way to grab their attention and create a positive atmosphere all while practicing the laws of the land. Classmate Bingo: I love to play this game at the end of the first week. I give each student a blank bingo board with a large selection of personal characteristics, hobbies, etc. at the bottom. The students choose 16 off the list and create their customized board. Then, I randomly select characteristics from the list. If a student has that characteristic on their board, they have to write down a student’s name that matches the characteristic – but no cheating! They have to use what they’ve learned about others during their first week of school to try and win the game. Four: A Pre Test. After a few days of class information and fun, it’s time to start getting down to business. Each year, I make a short pre-test on the information they’ll learn about that year. It gives me a chance to see what the kids already know and gives them a feel for what subject matter they’ll be learning about in the coming weeks. FYI: Your pre-test probably won’t take the whole class period. Make sure to have plans for other activities, too, on the day you give your pre-test! Five: A Writing Activity. True fact: when I tell kids they’re going to do a writing activity, they groan every time. It’s a signal that the “real work” is about to begin. Luckily, they’re always relieved when I assure them that this activity will require very little research because it’s about a subject they’re experts in – themselves! I have a few different activities to choose from each year. Here are some suggestions: Student Survey: What are your strengths? Weaknesses? What do you hope to learn in this class? These are just some of the questions I ask students in the survey. The more I know about my students, the better I can help them achieve success in my class. Write Away: A staple of many: write a letter to a future you! I ask students to write goals for the year, dreams they wish to see realized, and questions they want to ask their “End of the Year” self. I tuck these letters away and revisit them during the last week of school. I’m Ready: Like every middle school history class, we do a lot of writing and students always have to back up their reasons, statements, etc. with evidence to support their claim. In this writing activity, students have to identify which class rule or expectation they believe is most important and provide evidence to support their claim. This activity both reinforces my classroom policies and secretly gives me a preview of their writing proficiency. Have I left anything out? If you have any fun plans for the first week of school, share them in the comments. I’m always looking for new ideas for my classroom!

This summer, after attending a reading workshop, I've made it my goal to amp up and improve my guided reading and shared reading instruction. With this in

Hey there, fellow English teacher! I want to share what my secondary English curriculum for the first six weeks of school looks like.

I really dislike icebreakers. They make me cringe. When I became a teacher, I swore I would spare my students the torture of icebreakers. That being said, I also realize how important it is to buil…

As the school year comes to a close, you might be looking at your calendar thinking, what on earth am I going to do with these random extra days? Or maybe you have room on your calendar for a final unit, but no idea what to do with your students. I’ve got your solution right he

A flipped classroom ensures that your students have content before you get "hands-on" with it in the classroom...and it works!

Here are six essential back to school lessons I’ll be using in my classroom this back-to-school season.

1, 2, 3, ¡SALTA! (1,2,3 Jump! 1 2 3 Salta) a game to get any class moving. A great game for Spanish class or a brain break for any class.

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I've attended a lot of meetings during my career, many of which I would have benefited from a from a more graphic version of the bell curve.

This blog post was so popular that I turned it into a book: 102 Little Drawings That Will Help You Remember English Rules FOREVER (Probably). It's available as an eBook and paperback. Click here to

These English teacher supplies are must haves for quick ELA lesson plans. Pair your back to school wish list with ideas for English teachers!

Flu season is upon us, so I wanted to compile some of my favorite free resources for last-minute sub plans. Everything I've chosen is 100% free and ready to print. These resources don't take a lot

EDITABLE ELA Word Wall for Middle School As teachers, we are constantly referring to various terms in our content areas that we want students to know. I designed this word wall resource as a tool to display common ELA terminology in my middle school classroom. I am always looking for ways to make classroom décor mix with thoughtful teaching practices. Resource Features: Printable PDF files for 131 language arts and literature terms (full list below.) Many of the word cards feature relevant and engaging clip art to reinforce and visualize the concepts. Blank word wall cards (PDF and PowerPoint files) are included, so you can add your own word wall terms. Printable PDF file of matching bulletin board letters. The files are formatted to fit 2 words per 8.5 x 11 paper. This can be adjusted in your PDF view and print settings. Word cards can be printed in color or black and white. You could also print them as task cards by adjusting your print settings. Product Updates: This resource has had multiple updates and term additions since Version 1. Because of this, the 131 words are contained in 2 separate PDF files. Additional blank word wall cards and templates in both PDF and Powerpoint formats are included. Words are NOT sorted alphabetically, but they are loosely grouped that way. The best way to sort them alphabetically would be to print and laminate the individual cards and sort them manually. Follow these steps to make the most of these ELA Word Wall Cards: • Print and cut out the letters in the Word Wall Letters file or utilize your own pre-made letters. • Print out the Word Wall Cards. You can print in black and white or color. I chose to laminate my word wall cards because I am displaying them in a space where I want students to have access to them, but laminating is not necessary. • Display your word wall in a space where it is visible to students. I have eye-level cabinets that I utilize to display my ELA Word Wall. A complete list of vocabulary terms: VOCABULARY WORDS (PDF 1) alliteration, allusion, analysis, annotating, argumentative, bias, writing, biography, character trait, central idea, characterization, cite, claim, conflict, conventions, climax, dynamic character, credibility, drafting, drama, edit, evaluate, evidence, external conflict, fable, first person narrator, figurative language, foreshadowing, flashback, generalization, genre, hyperbole, idiom, imagery, implicit, indirect characterization, internal conflict, inference, informational text, informative writing, literary elements, irony, key details, metaphor, main idea, moral, motivation, mood, narrative writing, narrator, nuance, nonfiction, opinion, paraphrase, persuasive writing, plot, point of view, poetry, pun, primary sources, premise, publish, prewrite, resolution, purpose, revise, rhetoric, second person narrator, sentence types, setting, simile, speaker, stanza, standard citation, story elements, style, summarize, supporting details, synthesize, temporal words, text features, textual evidence, theme, transitions, third person, tone, validity, visualize, voice, writing genres ADDED VOCABULARY WORDS (PDF 2) onomatopoeia, personification, fiction, science fiction, realistic fiction, biography, autobiography, fantasy, graphic novel, fairy tale, folk tale, mystery, character, compare/contrast, chronological, cause and effect, connections, prediction, context clues, author's purpose, fact, narrative, memoir, rising action, falling action, exposition, counterclaim, rebuttal, explanation, hook, comedy, tragedy, novel, dialogue, monologue, oxymoron, repetition, rhyme, rhythm, synonyms, antonyms ************************************************************************************ This evergreen ELA tool is a resource you can use in dozens of different ways. It has become a classroom essential of mine, and with the editable templates, you can use it for years to come. You can find some examples of how I utilize this ELA word wall on my blog. I would love your feedback on this word wall resource. Did you know that by providing feedback you have the chance to earn points that will discount future Tpt purchases? Also, be sure to follow me so you are aware of new ELA products as soon as they are posted. Happy Teaching! Erin

I recently just finished my first set of Middle School Mentor Sentences to teach grammar. As I’ve started talking about and posting about Mentor Sentences, I’ve realized that most teachers fall into the following categories when it comes to implementing mentor sentences: I have no idea what mentor sentences are, but I am intrigued now. I ... Read more

Discover famous short stories with surprise endings. This list includes links to read some of the stories online.

Here are 15 engaging and creative TV episodes to use in ELA to teach genre, narrative techniques, characterization, and more. (Blog post)

These five scary short stories are home runs with my middle schoolers year after year. See what made the list and get inspired to teach them this year!

In today’s society, it is important that students can use their critical thinking skills in their everyday lives. The perfect place for students to learn how and to practice critical reading, writing, arguing, and even listening is the high school English classroom. Here are 10 critical high school English lessons and skills that teachers should be teaching their students!

How to Create Audio QR Kids using Seesaw

Romeo and Juliet: Cartoon Summaries and Activities

Build It is a cooperative, team building activity that encourages students to work together, communicate, and think logically as they construct a geometric

In a self-paced classroom, each student is given an appropriate level of challenge and grows at a steady pace throughout the school year. Here's how it works.

The end of the year is almost here! However, as spring fever begins to set in, teaching becomes much more difficult. Students and teachers alike reflect on the year gone by, but mostly dream of