
What to Teach After Testing: ELA Activities Students Love!
April 19, 2025
State testing is stressful for teachers and overwhelming for students, and the moment it is completed, there is a sense of relief and joy in every school building. There’s so much buildup to testing that it’s easy to forget we have to keep students learning

10-Things Middle School Readers Want You to Know
April 14, 2025
I LOVE being a middle school language arts teacher! I can also tell you that my enthusiasm for teaching middle school is often a cause for debate. “Middle School?! Really??” My response is always, “When you love to teach, you can teach any grade, especially

A Few Novel Study Activities for Bud, Not Buddy
April 8, 2025
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis is a realistic historical fiction novel your students will love reading. This is one of the first books I created my own novel study unit for, and it has been a staple of my classroom ever since. Here

Student Recognition Made Easy
April 6, 2025
As a veteran teacher, I can tell you that adding a little personalization to student recognition goes a long way with my students. While whole-class compliments are appreciated, my kiddos want to know that their individual actions are being noticed. Even those students who challenge us the