Using Fables to Introduce Literature Circles
As the school year progresses, we start digging deeper into our learning and attempting more complex classroom concepts and tasks. One of the most important standards we set in the middle school classroom is establishing clear expectations in literature circles to ensure this time is
3 Reasons Students Don't Hate Book Projects
I never had the opportunity to do creative book projects as a middle school student, so I did a whole lot of fake reading. I would sit at my desk during silent reading time and look like I was completely absorbed in a book, but
Class Meetings for BIG KIDS
When I had the good fortune of teaching 75 fourth graders every day, we started every day with a class meeting. It is an excellent strategy when you have minimal class transitions, but it is not something I can utilize with my current 7th graders
ELA Sub Plans (Made Easy!) for Middle School
Emergency sub plans are one of those must-have resources for your ELA teacher toolbox. This is especially true if you are also a parent, because, as teachers, we know better than anyone how quickly unexpected events can unfold! Here are the emergency substitute strategies and
The Digital Daily 5 in the ELA Classroom
With Common Core standards and with so many of our assessments moving to an online format, it is essential that students are able to navigate technology resources successfully and effectively. If you incorporate the Daily 5 framework into your ELA classroom, the Chromebook is one
5-Ways to Prepare for your Classroom Observation
Now that the first weeks of school are in the books, principals will begin scheduling classroom observations. On a full-cycle evaluation year, I am observed three times throughout the school year. This includes two scheduled observations and one that is not scheduled in advance. Despite





