I can't even begin to express how much I miss my students and classroom (and all things school) due the Coronavirus. Our last day of school was March 13, 2020 and since then we have been instructed to transition to this "distance learning" to continue providing educational experiences for the hundreds of students that we … Continue reading Coronavirus + Distance Learning = YouTube Live Experiment đź‘Ťđź‘Ť
With almost a decade of teaching experience in middle and high school classrooms, I've spent a fair amount of time trying to improve my classroom management techniques. But one thing I know for sure is that it IS a work in progress that doesn't happen overnight! One of the most important aspects of classroom management is … Continue reading Ding-Dong! My Classroom Management Game-Changer: A Wireless Doorbell
Over the past years, I’ve increased my “classroom website” presence… and USE! My classroom is currently a 1:1 classroom, which means I have a laptop for every student. This has been a blessing in many ways… but has also provided it’s fair share of teacher AND student frustrations! Anyhoo… This summer I decided to make … Continue reading Classroom Website: ONE TWEAK that CHANGED My Year…
If you haven't heard... content-related task cards are "all the rage" in education right now, all the way from Kinder to Upper Secondary. I was skeptical of their function and effectiveness a few years ago (when I first stumbled upon a set on a respected teacher's blog), but since then, I've created, tested and improved … Continue reading Increase Rigor and Engagement: Top 2 Task Card Strategies for the Middle School Classroom
I've spent a few days creating a handful of "Christmas" activities that I'm going to incorporate into my . curriculum as we approach Winter Break. Check them out and let me know what you think: Christmas Activity: Creative Writing Journal Prompts Freebie: Digital Christmas Activity: Personal Experiences & Real-World ConnectionsChristmas Writing Prompts_
Since I'm not teaching my usual Dystopian Literature unit this year (in my 8th grade English Language Arts class), I thought I would take a few moments to share all the things that I've created and found throughout the years of developing my all-time favorite unit of the year!! Introduction to Dystopia I was skeptical … Continue reading Dystopian Resource Round Up: Lessons, Texts and Other Resources for the classroom!
As teachers, we're reminded every day that "testing season" is upon us - whether we want to be believe it, embrace it or deny it 🙂 Last year, teachers provided feedback on a few of my favorite test-prep activities for middle school and here is what they had to say: 1. ELA Common Core Task … Continue reading SBAC State Testing: Test Prep for my 8th Graders
I am fortunate to have created many resources that have helped teachers much like myself in their classrooms. I've done this by uploading my original lesson plans and activities to my TPT store for other educators to purchase or download for free! I would have NEVER imagined that I could sell many of my best … Continue reading What do teachers want to see? | Creating TPT Product Covers
The time has come..... IT'S TIME TO SAVE $$$ on my best-selling classroom resources! It's the Back-to-School TPT sell - which is the BEST time to load up on all the lesson plans and classroom resources you need to make this next school year the best one yet!!! By far, the best-valued resource available in … Continue reading Save 28% on ALL Middle and High School Classroom Resources | TPT SALE
I am so excited that I am returning to middle school and have the opportunity to teach 8th grade English (and History!) again! One of the most memorable lessons I have taught throughout my career was my pre-reading activity that introduced the novel "The Giver" to my 8th grade students. It happened to be a … Continue reading 8th Grade Pre-Reading Activities | The Giver | The Monkey’s Paw | FUN
Livin'... Lovin'... Teachin'.... and BLOGGIN'! 