October 29, 2020

Writing Activity: How to Write a Comparison-Contrast Essay

October 29, 2020/ Contributing Blogger

When was the last time you had your students write a Comparison-Contrast Essay? Personally, it is one of my favorite forms of writing. With this type of essay, you must use factual details to analyze the similarities and differences between two or more subjects. I think the wanna-be researcher in me LOVES this! I get to scour sources for facts and data. I get to learn new information. That’s my jam, and you may be surprised by how many of your students will love this type of writing too!

How to Write a Comparison-Contrast Essay:

October 21, 2020

FREE Language Arts Tools from Shurley English

October 21, 2020/ Kim Shurley

At Shurley English, we are committed to helping you and your students experience language arts success. Whether you use the Shurley English curriculum or not, we want your language arts experience to be the best that it can be. Today, we are excited to share several FREE resources to help you in your quest for excellence:

October 19, 2020

How to use a Semicolon

October 19, 2020/ Shurley English

Semicolons don't have to be mysterious! There are only two reasons to use a semicolon in a sentence. Take a look at this Shurley English Two-Minute Tip to learn more!

October 16, 2020

How to Develop Sentence Fluency

October 16, 2020/ Shurley English

Some people are born with a natural ability to put their thoughts into words, but the ability to effectively put those words on paper requires a lot of hard work and practice. Good writing is a skill that develops over time; therefore, consistent instruction to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to write well is imperative.

October 09, 2020

The Importance of Teaching with Enthusiasm

October 09, 2020/ Contributing Blogger

As a certified elementary teacher, I came to realize the tremendous amount of power and influence I had on my students very early in my career. It was clear that my energy and delivery during certain lessons (either high or low) made an impression and greatly affected the outcome of “how” and “what” my students learned. Since my goal was to be an effective teacher, I purposefully taught every subject with enthusiasm in an attempt to influence my students in the most positive, productive ways possible to increase learning.

Teaching with enthusiasm became

October 05, 2020

What is multi-sensory learning?

October 05, 2020/ Contributing Blogger

I have been dabbling with curriculum since I was a baby teacher and could barely crawl. If you’re a teacher, too, you probably have a similar story. I cut my teacher teeth on theories and practices from many different models, but the one that makes my brain do a happy dance is Multi-Sensory Learning.

The system of our senses is fascinating in and of itself, but what is extraordinary is that teachers can learn how to maximize a student’s awareness of how their senses work together to help them learn and retain knowledge. I also enjoy studying up on the latest neuro-research, and once again, multi-sensory education rises to the top of my favorites list. Here’s why…