Originally posted on Three Teachers Talk:
A few years back our high school was on a four by four block schedule. Students had only four classes a day for 18 weeks. Teachers had 90 minutes to balance reading and writing in the classroom. When we moved to reading and writing workshop the transition seemed seamless. …
Student Reflection on the Standards and SBG
In a previous post, I wrote about how standards based grading has changed me and my approach to teaching. It wasn’t until we had our students reflect on their growth on the standards this week and met with parents at conferences that I realized that standards based grading is changing them as well. Our message … Continue reading
How Standards Based Grading Changed Me and My Approach to Teaching
As an instructional coach only co-teaching one class period a day, I don’t deal with the daily grind of keeping up with 150 grades like others do, but I do see how the way we grade impacts students. I see how the policies we set up to create sanity in our own lives, also may … Continue reading
It’s Complicated…Easing our Freshmen into the School Year
It is a new year, new kids, new standards, . Changing to standards based grading has forced my co-teacher and I to be very intentional about what we teach and why we are teaching it. In the past, some of our English teachers have used excerpts from the amazing book, It’s Complicated, by Robin Bowman … Continue reading
Our First Week in English 1: Learning through Stations
Station Rotation Instead of lecturing to our students during the first week of school, we used stations. Our students learned about the “content”, figured out our expectations, and collaborated with one another while moving around the room. Student centered learning at its finest! Station 1: Syllabus Scavenger Hunt If there is one thing that students … Continue reading
I’m Back and Blogging About English! First Day Fun
I have always wanted to blog more, but in my quest to be the best Instructional Coach that I can be, blogging went to the bottom of my to-do list. I spent so much time helping others, that I never took the time to reflect. This 2019-2020 school year I am finally back in the … Continue reading
Taking Risks & Challenging Myself This Summer #100DOSW18
I have been following the Moving Writers blog for years now and sending posts to my colleagues on an almost daily basis. See, these educators are taking risks in their classrooms everyday and have brilliant ideas they share with us about writing workshop in a high school setting. A few weeks ago, they wrote a … Continue reading
Professional Book Review: 180 Days – Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents
For those of you who know me, you would not be surprised that I have already read, annotated, and “post-it noted” Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher’s latest professional development book on reading/writing workshop, 180 Days – Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents. If you haven’t already ordered this book, stop reading this … Continue reading
Book Review: Educated by Tara Westover
I am always in search for a good memoir and Educated is one I will be sharing with others for years to come. Summary from Goodreads: An unforgettable memoir in the tradition of The Glass Castle about a young girl who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University … Continue reading
Book Review: Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella
Sophie Kinsella has been a go-to author of mine for years now. I have read every one of her Shopaholic series books, and I have always enjoyed her quick witted humor and her way of bringing a bit of “drama” to her character’s life. Surprise Me was what I expected and the perfect “beach read” for my spring … Continue reading
For the Love of Books, Tech, Coaching, and More 