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Using Tech in School

by Roneet

Sep 4, 2013

I think this blog can be useful to us as teachers. [link removed] :)

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Writing Prompts for October 13 - 19

by Jim Wayne in Teachers.Net Gazette

Oct 14, 2013

Writing prompts that will generate the interest of students and adults!

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Objectives / Learning Targets on Board

by Elizabeth

Nov 3, 2013

Do you post learning targets on the board? Do you find them effective? Or do they kill the discovery aspect and love of learning?

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Jim As a Science teacher, some lessons are inquiry, so it WOULD destroy that "AH HA!" moment if I posted on the board "Demonstrate how adding additional wire loops around a nail increases the power of an electromagnet." So in that case, I keep the objective rather vague: "Demonstrate two ways to increase the pick-up power of an electromagnet." Or just...See More

Nov 4, 2013

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marjryt I established a set routine and try my best to follow it: Verbal hello to anyone in the classroom first. On the white board in a funky color (lime green right now) WELCOME! Immediately under this TODAY'S MENU I'll list the items we must cover. Pretty frequently, students will ask me to add items. I've come into the classroom and found the list buil...See More

Nov 17, 2013

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How long should research papers be-8th grade?

by Jim

Nov 4, 2013

Students are writing research papers for a science topic to present to the class. How long a paper is a reasonable expectation for 8th grade? How long should research papers be- 8th grade?

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wouldn't it depend on the level of the students? nfm I have worked with accelerated sixth grade students who could easily write a multiple page paper, and I have worked with behind-grade-level high school students who would need a lot of support to even write a one-page, five-paragraph essay. Does you district's curriculum guide give you any guidance on what your school expects?

On 11/04/13...See More

Nov 4, 2013

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11th grade novels common core

by Ms. B

Nov 4, 2013

What are people teaching novel-wise in light of the more complex text requirements of the common core state standards? I'm curious about all high school grades but most specifically 11th grade.

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Kathleen Morlan I am teaching "The Crucible" (this is American Lit). I also teach Richard Wright's Black Boy.

We teach many of the texts which are found in most of the American Lit text books

Nov 5, 2013

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Debbi Rosenblum On 11/04/13, Ms. B wrote: > What are people teaching novel-wise in light of the more > complex text requirements of the common core state > standards? I'm curious about all high school grades but > most specifically 11th grade.

I teach The Crucible and tie it into informational text with the witch trials and McCarthy. I also te...See More

Nov 5, 2013

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call for papers to HS English teachers

by crosspol

Nov 17, 2013

Hello all!

Crosspol is a new academic journal for BOTH high school English and college writing teachers.

The goal of this journal is to think about the transition between high school English classrooms and college writing classrooms.

Our very first call for papers (CFP) is available on our website: [link removed]. ...See More

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First time teaching English SAT Prep course

by Modern Everyman

Nov 23, 2013

Good morning! I'm teaching the SAT prep course for the first time at my high school and I definitely need some ideas. Each class is 3 hours once a week for 6 weeks, so I'm trying to figure out what the heck to do. I want to make it valuable...don't want them to feel they could've just bought a review book and done it at home. How do any of you folk...See More

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BJ - can help I have been teaching SAT prep for 3+ years. I've written my own guide taken from several books on the exam. Unfortunately, it only covers the Verbal section.

On 11/29/13, Steve wrote: > On 11/23/13, Modern Everyman wrote: >> Good morning! I'm teaching the SAT prep course for the first >> time at my high school and I definit...See MoreI have been teaching SAT prep for 3+ years. I've written my own guide taken from several books on the exam. Unfortunately, it only covers the Verbal section.

On 11/29/13, Steve wrote: > On 11/23/13, Modern Everyman wrote: >> Good morning! I'm teaching the SAT prep course for the first >> time at my high school and I definitely need some ideas. >> Each class is 3 hours once a week for 6 weeks, so I'm trying >> to figure out what the heck to do. I want to make it >> valuable...don't want them to feel they could've just bought >> a review book and done it at home. How do any of you folks >> "approach" the SAT prep course? Thanks so much! > > Tell them you're there to help them beat the test. Be > sympathetic. They cannot get sympathy and personal > encouragement from a website. If they thought they could get > what they need from a website, they would have gone that > route. > > Start with basics like - I'm sure this test makes you nervous. > Let's try not to be. You will all get into college!! > (Literally some kids believe they will not get into college) > > Tell them this test is thought to be important but don't let > the fear of the test rule you. That does not help you or your > scores. > > So our first lesson here today is to look at the first page of > an SAT to familiarize yourselves - to reduce the "unknown > factor" of the test and to save you some time on test day. > Kids who haven't taken the class will be going "uh, where do I > put my name" and you guys will have already written yours." > > Take them over the first page and then tell them all the > subsections and tell them we're going to look at them one at > a time. Then Pick the easiest subsection to teach first. > > Give easier not harder examples. Build confidence. Not > cockiness but confidence. Don't give them a sense that the > test might be horribly difficult - that won't improve > anyone's scores. > > In six weeks you cannot do much more than introduce them to > the subsections and give them sample questions from each. > > Give them the basic strategies - when to guess and when not to > guess. > > You're the difference between them thinking they should have > just signed up online and being happy they took the class. > ... Give guidance, be positive, have the class be upbeat > filed with positive energy. No website can do that. > > And in answer to your unspoken question of well, doesn't any > SAT instructor do that? No, they don't. Some treat the test > as sacrosanct and the students as unworthy candidates for it. > Some emphasize the difficulty of the test to protect > themselves if the kids get low scores as in "well, I warned > you". > > And here's a tip the kids Love to hear- tell them the test is > under increasing scrutiny and studies consistently show there > is NO correlation between test scores and student's grades in > college. Tell them there is a lengthening list at > [link removed].

Nov 29, 2013

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Modern Everyman Thanks for your long response. I agree with your recommendation to stay positive. I'm looking forward to teaching to a very specific goal, even though I only have 6 weeks.

Nov 29, 2013

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Teacher Course Loads

by Miss B.

Feb 17, 2014

What is the maximum prep for a secondary English teacher? Can you be assigned 5 different classes/subjects in a 7 period day? Where can I find policy on this? With all these: Eng 1 and 2, Reading, Academic Lit, and Writing courses, are you aloud 2 planning periods per day?

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Me This is 7th grade, one hour periods except Per.7, which is 40 minutes. Period 1: Advanced Math Period 2: Social Studies Period 3,4,5: Language Arts Period 6: Lunch Period 7: Remedial Math (not certified in math) I miss the days where I only taught Language Arts oriented classes.

Mar 22, 2014

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pixie, shouldn't it depend on... In an ideal world (with ideal principals) the number of preps each teacher is assigned would take into account the experience of the teacher. If you have taught particular courses before you are more likely to have some lesson plans and materials already done that you can build on. If you were a rookie teacher just hired in mid-August, it would sta...See More

Apr 3, 2014

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