Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! I remember sending my son to his first day of school with his new glasses. My anxiety was high, worrying about what the other students would say to him and how their comments would make him feel. Would they […]
Literacy
Posted inClassroom Management, Elementary School, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Coach Files, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Mathematics, Middle School, Pedagogy
They’re Not Lazy: A Closer Look at Students Who Refuse to Try
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! As teachers, we’ve all seen it before. You’ve taught a lesson, modeled the practice together, and then all the students get started. Or, at least most of them do. Sitting there quietly, hoping not to get noticed, is a […]
Posted inOpinion
Mythical, Fictional, Make-Believe…as Long as They Ain’t Black
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! As a Black teacher who advocates for the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the heated debate about a Black Mermaid has piqued my interest on many levels. I recently discussed the issue with members of my African American Student Union […]
Posted inOpinion
Banned Books Week is a Time for Educators to Fight Censorship
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism Banned Books Week is an annual effort to fight for intellectual freedom. This year the theme is “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us” and the fight could not feel more urgent. Banned Books By the Numbers This Friday, the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Yes, You Can Use Movies as a Teaching Tool
How to Use Visual Texts in the ELA Classroom Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! I’m sure they’re out there, but I have yet to meet the student who insists on reading the book rather than watching the movie version of a story. That said, […]
Posted inPedagogy
6 Reasons to Use Read-Alouds Daily
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! The purpose of a read-aloud can be both entertainment and academic. From the academic perspective, read-alouds help build important foundational skills. Read-alouds provide a model of fluent and expressive reading, as well as an introduction to new and content-specific vocabulary. […]
Posted inPedagogy
How Background Knowledge Supports Reading Comprehension
Essential Components In part 1 of my series on effective literacy, I discussed the Science of Reading, the role of the brain when learning to read, and the importance of explicit phonics instruction when teaching reading. Explicit phonics instruction is critical when learning to read, but word recognition is not the only component that creates […]
Posted inPedagogy
Why I Stopped Using Writing Rubrics
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! In my English and writing courses, I always love to share the following Anne Lamott quote with students: “…writing needs to breathe and move.” To further expand on this quote, I explain that writing cannot be constricted in a […]