I have tried in vain for the last couple of years to organize portfolios for my students. Despite my intentions I consistently failed to maintain students’ papers throughout the year. The problem was I was doing all of the work, when I really didn’t have time for more busy work. Students weren’t spending enough time reflecting and the whole point… Read More
After years of teaching Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet I finally broke down and bought Shakespeare Set Free. I have wanted this book for several years but then again I always want new books for my classroom and often indulge myself. One has to draw the line somewhere when it comes to spending money on my classroom. I don’t like to think… Read More
I recently attended a conference and was shown the video “How Youth Learn: Ned’s Gr8 8”. This video is based on researched backed findings on how the teenage brains functions. I found this video to be a great reminder of all the great things we as teachers are doing in our classroom. It is also a reminder of the things… Read More
My students loved my lesson over “The Life and Death of a Pumpkin”. They were totally engaged and loved listening and viewing the clip. I finished the lesson by having my students write letters from the viewpoint a pumpkin. They tried to convince me not to carve them. My students LOVED this activity and shared their writing with the class…. Read More
In conjunction with my upcoming lesson over the short film “The Life and Death of a Pumpkin” I plan to show the clip below. The clip below titled “You Don’t Know Jack-O’-Laterns” is from NPR and is a fun addition to Halloween. I thought it shared some fun insights and I definitely learned about pumpkins! Check out the video below. Video:… Read More
Halloween is fast approaching. To get in the spirit this year I have decided to dedicate one English lesson to the study of the film, “The Life and Death of a Pumpkin.” This five minute video sets a creepy tone and is reminiscent of Edger Allan Poe’s work. Check out the video below: I have also found a great resource… Read More
