We need the bigger, better deal Every English teacher I know is looking for the bigger, better deal when it comes to assessing novels. We’ve moved WAY beyond the simple book report (I hope), and into the realm of critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis. In recent years I’ve tried the mandala (which you can read… Continue reading The Character Study One Pager- An Assessment for Any Novel

Here is a silly drawing games that is a lot of fun for kids to play. In this drawing game, you use dice to decide what parts of the drawing you will draw. We have included a face drawing game and a landscape drawing game. This is a lot of fun and it helps children who might not be able to draw freely and creatively...this will help them draw more freely and creatively. This will also increase silliness.

While teaching can often be an incredibly challenging profession, I really do love teaching, especially at the middle school level. I enjo...

Are your students disinterested and tired of the traditional ways of learning characterization? Have you been searching for a really fun, student-centered, interactive way to eliminate their boredom? Well, look no further! I present to you a wonderful student-collaboration activity that will get your students involved and excited for a character analysis for any novel, […]

Bell ringer journal for the entire school year including 275 journal prompts for middle and high school students. Looking for back to school activities? This bell ringer journal is a great way to create and establish routine while also strengthening skills! You'll never have to come up with another bell ringer prompt again! ✅ This product provides teachers with an entire school year of journal prompts in an organized and focused way. The journal is organized by month with 25 entries per section. Students will strengthen their writing and critical thinking skills with these unique, higher-level thinking bell ringers. NOTE: This bell ringer journal has completely different prompts and content from volume one. This bundle includes 3 formats: Printable bell ringer journal Digital bell ringer journal (compatible with Google Slides) Presentation bell ringers to be displayed on a smart board or white board This resource covers: 275 unique bell ringer prompts Open-ended response questions Vocabulary: 55 unique vocabulary terms that every middle and high school student should know before graduating. Answer key included. Creative Writing Prompts: 55 creative writing prompts that encourage students to think outside the box. Famous Inspiration: Quotes from 55 historically famous individuals. Students will read, analyze, and apply the quote. Critical Thinking Prompts: 55 prompts designed to help students think critically about their actions and choices in life. Literary Elements & Figurative Language: Students will define, analyze, and apply as different term each Friday. Timely events based on month Black & white AND color options available Teacher directions Cover pages for each of the months Tabs to keep students organized throughout the year Zero prep. Simply print and distribute. Check out what other teachers, just like you, are saying about this resource: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I have used this resource for both distance and in person learning. Students complete this during morning work time as it is a great way to get their brains going in the morning in a low stakes environment. Students enjoy learning about new people, words, and ideas. Parents have also shown interest in getting a coy for themselves." -Dahlia M. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This is perfect! My students are aware of the expectation when they enter class to get out their journals and complete the daily prompt as bellwork, which allows me the opportunity to get class started in a calm way!" Allison B. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This is a great resource and is one of my favorite purchases this school year! I like the variety of people and quotes selected. I also like that it comes with more than enough quotes, so I can keep the ones that I like and discard the ones I don't. The Monday activities really require my students to explain their thinking. The colors are beautiful, but I am glad that it also comes in black and white. Awesome job! I am looking forward to purchasing more in the future!" -Lola B. For the DIGITAL version of this product, click here: DIGITAL Bell Ringer Journal for the School Year VOLUME 2 If you liked this product, you might also like: Bell Ringer Journal for Grades 3-5 Growth Mindset Bell Ringer Journal Please download the preview for more information. The preview provides images of the bell ringer journal pages in action. Connect with Me SuperHERO Teacher Blog Find me on Facebook Find me on Instagram Find me on Pinterest If you like this product, please leave feedback!

5 Back to School Units for High School English that you really can use at any point during the year. Units that can help you recreate...

It's time to go back to school! With the back-to-school season upon us, it is time to start planning back-to-school activities for the first week of school.

Help the learning process with these simple strategies for making studennt thinking visible. Perfect for middle and high school English classes.

This easy general knowledge quiz has the perfect quiz questions for 5 year olds, 6 year olds and 7 year olds. Test your know-how with our easy quiz for kids. Just how easy are they? There's only one way to find out!

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

One of the most effecitve parts of a lesson plan is the anticipatory set. It can set the mood for interest, enagement, and wonder. But how?

Movement in the classroom is beneficial for many reasons. First and foremost, getting up to move in the classroom might help anxious students relieve stress.

Too many classroom icebreakers require students to take big social risks with people they barely know. Or they don't really help students get to know each other. Or they are just plain cheesy.

This is one of my favorite activities for beginning the school year! However, it can be used at any time to reinforce the importance of giving clear, precise instructions and following them carefully. Here's how it works: You will need some geometrical diagrams, paper, and pencils. You can make your own diagrams or purchase the activity here. My version includes 20 diagram cards to allow you to tailor the activity or use it multiple times throughout the year. Idea #1 • Pair students up and place a few diagrams in an envelope or lay them face down between each pair of students. It is very important that they do not sneak a look at the diagrams! • One student will randomly choose a card, look at it while hiding the diagram from his/her partner, then give their partner instructions as he/she attempts to draw the figure. This should only take a few minutes. • When finished, the partners compare the resulting drawing to the original diagram. Encourage them to discuss what was clear and unclear about the instructions they were given. • Repeat the process with the students reversing roles. Idea #2 • Select a diagram. You, the teacher, give directions to the class for drawing the figure, then check the results. Idea #3 • Choose a diagram card and have students take turns giving instructions to the class. This activity is easily adaptable to many grade levels. Encourage older students to use appropriate geometry terms as they describe the figures. Younger students may use everyday language. I'd love to hear how you use this in your class!

We've tried to come up with some interesting ways for you to study the countries of the world with your children, and create a record of study that the kids will be proud of! Whether you have a look at your own country in more detail, or pick a far flung country, we are sure that the children will enjoy compiling the facts they need to complete our "my country study" printable book. Or perhaps they can make their own passport and fill it with stamps or flags when they "visit" a country to learn all about it.

Starting a new semester— whether at the beginning of the school year or calendar year— is a time of tough transition as we begin to restart our minds and work habits. Here are SEVEN engaging activities for the first week back to school in middle school and high school English Language Arts.

As students head back to school, ELA teachers everywhere are considering how they are going to begin the school year, so I wanted to walk you through one of my favorite lesson plans entitled, “Why do we read?” As an educator, there are few things as exciting and rewarding as introducing a young person to […]

Full year lesson plans provide huge time savings to busy teachers. It is important to have lesson structures and assignments in your classroom that can be used all year.

Effective communication is essential in our daily lives, and punctuation plays a significant role in making it possible. Punctuation marks l...

Teach the scientific method to your students through these engaging science experiments! Check out this blog post to learn more!

Today I'm sharing one of my favourite tasks for building community in the classroom. Students are able to share an important aspect of themselves (the story of their name) with the class and with me, their teacher. Through this task we are also working on important skills, like reading comprehension, writing, and reflection. Day 1 To begin, I asked my students to write any name they wish they had on a sticky note. They then placed it in a mason jar. I read my class the story "The Name Jar" by Yansook Choi. We stopped at several points in the story to predict, make connections, infer, and ask questions. At one point, we paused in the story so that students could journal about the name they wrote down on the sticky note earlier: - Did they choose their own name? Or another? - Why? - If you chose another name, where did you hear that name before? Day 2 At the end of Day 1, students were given homework. (Stick around to the bottom of this post for a chance to get your own copy of this sheet.) I make it very clear, that while names all have meanings, your family may not have chosen your name for that reason. They might not know the meaning, and you can choose to look it up with your family if you wish. I also focus a lot on nicknames and your own feelings about your name. While I've never taught a student in foster care, or one who was adopted, I do think it's important to mention that this could be a touchy task in those situations, so be sure to know your students first, and modify as needed. Students use the homework task, and the journal write from the previous day, to write "The Story of their Name". Some possible options to include are: - who you are named after - the meaning of your name - a name you'd rather have - your feelings toward your name - nicknames you may have - the person (or people) who chose your name - how your name was chosen This piece of writing is then self, peer, and teacher edited, and a "good" copy is made. Day 3 I found this excellent step-by-step self-portrait from "Art Projects for Kids". I modified the task so that instead of drawing the left or right side of their face, they would draw the top half. Students find that folding their page into quadrants as she suggests is very helpful. Under the document camera I demonstrate each step, and students copy, adapting to their own facial features. Each student gets a mirror to look in to help them personalize. The final pieces are put on a bulletin board for display. Students also coloured in a bubble letter version of their names to complete the display. (I used the font KG Red Hands Outline for this.) Day 4 Once we've completed the task, the last job is to reflect on our work. I pulled some elements from our Arts Education curriculum (very relevant regardless of where you teach) for students to self-assess on. I've used the proficiency scale language our school has moved to for all reporting. A few students found it helpful to complete their reflection while looking at the finished product on their bulletin board, but most didn't need this. Want a copy of both my homework and reflection pages? Follow the image or button below to grab your copy. Take Me to the Free Download Pin this post.

Reading Response Activities for Wonder

So today I bring you an English Paper Piecing Tutorial! One of my long term projects right now is an English Paper Piecing (EPP) project.

It's so important to have students practice solving unknown word meanings every day. Grab some ideas to implement word analysis strategies instruction in your upper elementary classroom right away!

Help the learning process with these simple strategies for making studennt thinking visible. Perfect for middle and high school English classes.

Use this worksheet to help set a goal to improve your grades! ***This download is a fillable worksheet that allows the option to type or click directly into the document using an electronic device. A PDF Reader (Adobe, Foxit, etc.) is required in order to use fillable features. The worksheet can be saved on the device or sent electronically without the need to print. Learn more about fillable worksheets here! The worksheet can also be printed for in-person use with clients.

Get organized with a daily and weekly ELA plan so that you feel confident and prepared. Planning the structure of a class period varies by unit. Start here!

Groans. That’s how grammar lessons taught in the traditional way are usually greeted. And we can’t blame our kids for dreading grammar. It can be dry and tedious. Skipping it isn’t a good option, however. Grammar is important because it comprises a significant part of college entrance exams. It also determines how our kids will be viewed …

Looking for first day ELA ideas? Try these fun get to know you activities in your middle school or high school English class!

The first day of school doesn't have to be boring! This blog post explains what to do for the best first day of school!

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

5 engaging ELA projects and mini-units for the end of the year. End of year activities for secondary ELA: slideshow project, interview challenge, resume writing, photo journal, and independent reading.

Transform your 6th grade classroom into a hub of creativity and critical thinking! Our 6th grade journal prompts cover a wide range of topics.

Motivate students with independent reading by adding engaging reading sprints...turn the traditional reading log upside down!

Wondering how to sequence grammar instruction? You'll want this list that scaffolds grammar lessons so that one skill builds upon the next.

Independent reading is a great way to help students build a love of reading! These 5 strategies help hold students accountable!

"Roll a story" ist eine Methode um die Kreativität der Schüler anzuregen und ihnen das Schreiben "schmackhafter" zu machen.