It’s that time of the year. You’re up to your eyeballs in test prep and your students’ enthusiasm is waning. Enough already, they’re thinking. Please, no more workbooks or practice tests, they beg with tired little eyes. When you look out at those empty stares and bobbing heads you know you need to introduce a little excitement to the test prep ... Continue Reading
3 Easy Ways to Teach Poetry
April is National Poetry Month. It’s a special time to celebrate the importance of poets and poetry in our culture. And a great opportunity to teach poetry to your class. I know this month is already pretty busy. Between spring break and test prep, you don’t have a lot of free time. And standardized tests are right around the corner. But ... Continue Reading
A Letter to Teachers as Testing Season Begins
Dear Teachers, I’ve started this letter so many times over the past week. I keep getting lost in the middle. It’s not because I can’t figure out what to say to you, but rather because there’s so much I want to say to you. I mean...this has been a year. Right? When schools closed abruptly last March, we were all caught off guard. Sure there ... Continue Reading
5 Super Easy Ways to Make Writing Fun
Writing time can sometimes be a challenge in the classroom. As much as I love writing, I know that not all students (or teachers) agree. For a lot of writers, writing workshop is hard. Some writers have a hard time deciding what to write about. Others are easily distracted. They struggle to sit still and write the whole time. And then you have ... Continue Reading
Escape Rooms Made Easy: Tips to Save Your Sanity and Your Time
For a long time, I was reluctant to try escape rooms. I loved the idea of using an escape room in my classroom, but I was overwhelmed by the process. Escape rooms have become a popular review strategy. Students are presented with a puzzle or mystery and they use academic skills to unlock clues which will ultimately help them solve the ... Continue Reading
Grab these FREE 60 writing prompts for grades 2-5.