Neglecting Fiction
Neglecting Fiction

Fiction writing is neglected in English classes everywhere for many reasons. We don't have enough time. Or we know students will write pages and pages and pages and we feel too guilty about not reading all of those pages! 

Read More
Amanda WernerComment
Four Back-to-School Diagnostic Assignments for Secondary ELA
Four Back-to-School Diagnostic Assignments for Secondary ELA

Assessing individual student skills at the beginning of the school year is important for teachers to establish a baseline from which to monitor student growth.  This is especially important at the secondary level where we have an influx of students from diverse educational backgrounds all converging into one larger secondary school. 

Read More
Assessing Writing, Writing AssignmentsMeredith Dobbsdiagnostic essay, diagnosticComment
Literary Analysis Writing
Literary Analysis Writing

Within a literary analysis, students are required to think deeply about a given text, then make inferences and provide evidence to support that inference. Not only does the skill of drafting a quality literary analysis response support students in high school English classes, but will essentially define much of their English coursework in college.

Read More
Best Practices, Differentiating Writing, Modes of Writing, The Writing Process, Writing Assignments, Assessing WritingGuest Userliterary analysis, literary analysis writing, literary analysis lessons, teaching literary analysis, english lessons, ELA lessons, #iteachenglish, #iteachhighschool, Literary writingComment
9 Ways to Get Secondary Students to Enjoy Writing
9 Ways to Get Secondary Students to Enjoy Writing

How can teachers help older students enjoy writing? Negativity and reluctance is a mindset that is established early on. However, in middle and high school, certain teaching approaches and strategies can help to change the way students view themselves as writers. Create a positive writing culture and maintain it through the year. These nine approaches can help.

Read More
Assessing Writing, Best Practices, Differentiating Writing, FREEBIES, Philosophies on Writing, Writing Assignments, Editing & RevisionMelissa Krusewriting lessons, enjoy writing, writing activities, best practices, writing culture, struggling writers, reluctant writers, writing approaches, differentiation, assessing writing, back to schoolComment
Prompt Sticks Reflection Game: An Interactive Way to Reflect Back on the School Year
Prompt Sticks Reflection Game: An Interactive Way to Reflect Back on the School Year

There are lots of creative ways to facilitate reflection at the end of the school year.  Integrating novelty into any lesson makes it more interesting, and the same concept applies to reflection questions.  So I set out to create an interactive "Prompt Sticks" Reflection Question game to get students more interested in assessing their learning at the end of the school year. 

Read More
Best Practices, Assessing Writing, FREEBIES, Writing AssignmentsMeredith Dobbsend of year writing activities, end of year, end of year writing assignments, bespoke ela, Bespoke ELA, Bespoke, reflective writing, reflection activities for middle school students, reflection activities for the secondary student, reflection activities for high school students, reflecting lessons, reflection, reflective, reflection lessons, #reflectingonlearning, Semester Reflection, reflection game, gameComment
Writing Thank You Emails to Spread Kindness
Writing Thank You Emails to Spread Kindness

Engage secondary students in a meaningful real-world writing activity at the end of the school year - or any time! Writing thank you letters is an important life skill, but it's becoming overshadowed by emails and text messages. Teach middle and high school students about how to spread love and kindness by encouraging others through writing.

Read More
FREEBIES, Modes of Writing, Writing AssignmentsMelissa Krusethank you, letter, real-world writing, business writing, end of year writing activities, kindnessComment
Tone Tunes: Using Music to Teach Tone in Poetry
Tone Tunes: Using Music to Teach Tone in Poetry

Being able to decipher the tone of a piece of writing is crucial to being able to decipher the thematic message of a text.  This is absolutely true for analyzing poetry. 

Read More
Best Practices, FREEBIES, Modes of Writing, Poetry, Writing Assignments, Writing Mini-lessons, Writing WorkshopMeredith Dobbspoetry, poetry activities, April Poetry Month, writing poetry, High School Poetry, national poetry month, Poetry, Middle School Poetry, explication, poetic devices, tone, explication essay, poetry explication, musicComment
Grammar Games for the Secondary Classroom
Grammar Games for the Secondary Classroom

For years, I have been searching for ways to ‘gamify’ my classroom a bit more to increase engagement in content learning. Last month, I wrote about my argument games- five games to incorporate into your argument/persuasive writing unit. Like these games, my grammar games work to practice these challenging skills in a fun, collaborative, and even competitive manner.

Read More
Best Practices, Grammar, Writing Mini-lessonsGuest Usergrammar, games Comments
My 5 Favorite Writing Mini Lessons for Secondary Classrooms
My 5 Favorite Writing Mini Lessons for Secondary Classrooms

It may come as a surprise to you that my favorite mini lessons are nothing fancy. Rather, they are lessons I tend to come back to again and again throughout the year because students desperately need them. They are lessons that focus less on content and more on behavior and the structure of writing workshop.

Read More
Writing Mini-lessonsAmanda Wernerwriting workshop, mini-lessons, middle school, Middle school writingComment