Opinion writing can be a struggle when students don’t even know what they think. Before they can craft a strong argument, they need to form one. Here are five engaging strategies to help students develop opinions—and back them up with solid reasoning. 1. Would You Rather…? Debate in Motion Pose a fun, thought-provoking question: Would […]
Writers' Workshop
Shared Writing: Bringing the Magic of Collaboration Back to the Classroom
Shared writing is a fantastic, collaborative approach that brings students into the writing process. Imagine sharing the cognitive load (and sometimes the literal pen) with your class – it’s a powerful way to model writing skills, strategies, and even the mechanics of encoding. It’s one of those teaching techniques that packs a serious punch. In […]
Lesson Plan: A Close Read of The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
A lesson plan outline to teach close reading of The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin.
A Close Reading Lesson for Stronger Reading Comprehension
Starting the school year with a focus on kindness and the power of words sets the stage for a compassionate and thoughtful classroom environment. In my recent lesson with a fifth-grade class, we delved into the story “Feathers” through a close reading, weaving in lessons on vocabulary, comprehension, and the profound impact of our words. […]
Embracing the Future: ChatGPT is Here to Stay
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly developing technology that has the potential to revolutionize the way we learn and work. However, as with any new technology, it can also create some conflicts in schools. While AI has been around for a while, it has never been fantastic – until now with ChatGPT. It is scary […]
Retain New Information Longer
Teaching for Understanding “If I had a nickel …” is the overused phrase I fight the temptation to say out loud when teachers tell me that they just taught something and their students don’t remember. What actually comes out is usually along the lines of “don’t take it personally. Your students are not out to […]
How to Use Mentor Texts in Writing
Simply put, mentor texts are texts that serve as mentors, or guides, for reading and writing instructions. In writing, these texts will serve as an example of a strategy, craft, or convention that students can study in order to emulate in their own writing. In reading, these texts can be reread multiple times to discuss […]
Prepping for Workshop Model: Classroom Design
For me, the weeks leading up to an in-service week are the most exciting and the most overwhelming. I am eager to meet my students and make my classroom come alive, but I also know there’s a lot of “boring” work I should be creating as well. For a Workshop Model classroom, there is quite […]