March is packed with fun themes that make it easy to bring fresh energy into your ELA lesson plans. From the excitement of St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness to the ominous Ides of March, this month offers plenty of creative ways to hook middle …
St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that even my “cool” middle school students love to participate in. As teachers, this gives us a chance to boost engagement by adding a little green to our ELA classroom instruction. A few years ago, I published my St. …
Reader’s Theater is an amazing tool to utilize with students at so many levels. I first discovered it through my daughter’s kindergarten teacher, and it quickly became a staple of my upper elementary reading lessons. At first, I had no idea how to implement it …
As classroom teachers, reading specialists, and tutors, it is essential to recognize the importance of making the most of instructional time with students. Whether you follow a set curriculum in your district or are just looking for new ways to enhance instructional reading time, I …
How does your classroom support student engagement? While we’d all like to think that our lesson plans keep students interested throughout the entire class period, the truth is there are many factors that influence student engagement. I like to think of my classroom almost as …
2026 UPDATE: I originally published this post on changing grade levels a few years ago, but the tips and lessons are still applicable today. This post discusses my transition to teaching 7th grade ELA at a new school district. My first 7 years here have …
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