November 26, 2019

The Importance of Word Choice…in Life

November 26, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can change your brain.” Wait a second, that’s not how I learned it! Many of us grew up reciting some version of this common idiom, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” This childhood chant means that hurtful words cannot cause any physical pain and thus will be ignored. I will speculate and say that as we grew older, we all learned that this chant is not true; words can and do hurt; they can actually change your brain!

Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone’s

November 19, 2019

How to Spell Well: Tips and tricks for spelling success

November 19, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

Would you agree that teaching spelling should be an all-day/every-day job?! We all know that opportunities to teach quick spelling lessons arise frequently throughout the day. But, all too often, we miss these teachable moments!

Research on spelling shows that for decades, the common approach to teach spelling centered on rote memorization with a heavy emphasis on visual learning. But, the research shows that spelling can be improved by

November 13, 2019

Writing Extension: Creating a Thanksgiving Thank You

November 13, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

Are you looking for an idea to motivate your students to grow an “attitude of gratitude” during this season of Thanksgiving? Why not assist them in creating their own personalized letter of thanksgiving written to someone special in their lives? Not only will you create a Thanksgiving to remember, but you will ensure that your students know about the lost art of letter writing. That’s a win-win! Here’s the plan:

November 07, 2019

Supporting Student Athletes

November 07, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

Cooler mornings, school buses on their routes, apples, pumpkins, and football—It’s that time of year again!

It’s time to give your students the opportunity to learn and practice academic skills that will allow them to be productive citizens in our society. Some subjects you teach provide your students with skills that they will use for the rest of their lives, and I believe the subject of English should be at the top of the list.