ELA The Miss M Way

While it’s true that teachers of all disciplines are responsible for instilling and enhancing reading skills, literature teachers are tasked with taking on the majority of this task.  Independent reading books are the perfect complementary resource to the curriculum to accomplish this goal in literature classes.  Here’s how:   You will want to start by administering a benchmark assessment to your students to determine each one’s Lexile reading level.  For further details about benchmarks, be sure to either ask your department supervisor or consult reputable sources on the internet, such as https://www.readinga-z.com/ and https://lexile.com/ .     After your students’ reading levels have been determined, they will choose ability-appropriate books (fiction or nonfiction) that are of interest to them.  These texts will work in combination with the reading taking place as a whole class on a regular basis.    You may consider having a class libra...

The myth that journal entries are only for English Language Arts classes is about to be debunked!   As an educator, regardless of the subject you teach, you have a responsibility to aid your students in developing reading, writing, and communication skills.   Writing journal entries is an effective way to do just that.   Plus, they assess a variety of objectives in Bloom’s Taxonomy – score!   First, some general info about journals.   Then, ways to use journals in your classes, no matter what the subject.     General Info The journal itself can be either a physical notebook (I recommend a marble notebook since the pages are nearly impossible to rip out, hence, deterring students from doing so!) or a digital notebook using Google Docs on Google Classroom.   It’s beneficial to have consistency regarding the frequency of writing journal entries, whether it is every day at the start of class or every Wednesday at the end of class. ...

Learning stations.   Have you heard of this method of exploration but are unsure what it entails?   Are you intrigued but unclear about how to get started?   The beauty of learning stations is that they can be used for all subjects and all grade levels.   Learning stations are locations in the classroom where students are tasked with completing activities related to relevant content.     This post will focus on applying learning stations in an English Language Arts course.   Regardless of what subject(s) you teach, you can adapt these concepts to fit your area of study.     I incorporated learning stations for the first time several months ago in an eighth grade Language Arts course.   My only regret – that I had not used this method sooner!   Here’s how it played out:   My students and I were at the mid-way point of reading a historical fiction novel.   I decided that having reached this point in the novel...

No matter if you are an English teacher who’s an expert on the Gothic genre, or a math teacher with a tried and true method of explaining fractions, your lessons run the risk of minimal to no student-engagement for several reasons.   The reason we’ll focus on here is the teacher-learner connection.   When a student sees that the teacher knows and cares about him/her as an individual, this learner is likely to put attention and effort into the class.     On my first day of class (which, as a leave replacement teacher, has been on various dates during the school year), I always distribute a “Getting To Know You” questionnaire.   It’s a simple activity that provides students with the opportunity to reveal information and fun facts about themselves.   The questions range from asking what the student would like to learn in this class, to favorite subject, to favorite movie, and a variety of topics in between.   Filling out this survey provides stude...

Whether you’re a new teacher or an established educator who is new to a district, it takes time to feel comfortable working in a new school.   Whether your first day is in September, December, or April, adjusting to a new school is challenging.   Whether you are 22 or 46, feeling relaxed in a new school takes effort.   You have to learn the inner workings and the various procedures, the building’s layout (including evacuation routes!), and who’s who, amongst a myriad of other odds and ends.     My previous post, Eight Questions All New Teachers Must Ask , covers the school’s inner workings.  This post will focus on learning the building’s layout and who’s who.    Prior to your first day, it is necessary to visit your new school to set up your classroom and take an inventory of any supplies you may need (that was probably obvious, but it was just a friendly reminder!).  Also, rehearse locking and unlocking your classroom door from the inside...

When I began teaching in 2018, I had no clue what I was doing.   Not only was I a first-time educator, but I was an alternate route teacher.   My pedagogical knowledge was limited, plus I knew zilch about that school’s inner workings and policies.     During my first teaching gig, a three-month stint as a leave replacement teacher, I was severely lacking direction and answers.   Ironically, my desperation for direction and answers left me feeling overwhelmed to the point of being unsure what questions to ask my mentor and my supervisor because there was so much that I needed to know – crazy, right?!        If you’re a new teacher, or even an established educator who is new to a district, you probably have a list of questions a mile long – this is great!   In addition to questions specific to the courses you’ll be teaching, here is a list of eight questions to ask in order to ease your adjustment into a new school’s operations and c...