In my school district, November is affectionately known as “No School November.” Between election day, a teacher workday, and three recognized holidays, we end up with only one
With only a few weeks to go before Winter Break begins, student engagement often starts to wane. Rather than lament their lack of focus, try shaking things up
Groups of students pass sample essays around their table, referring to a rubric as they work. Occasionally a debate ensues: “This one earns the thesis point. “No it
One of the favorite buzz-words in education is “collaboration.” Teacher certification programs teach future educators about the value of collaboration. Teaching interviews often inquire about an applicants’ view
We’ve had a busy month here at Alexandrite Publishing. From teaching, to blogging, to shopping, here are some of our favorite highlights from October: 10. Beginning our month
This week marked the first “Celebration Day” – a quarterly Writing Expo – of the school year. Across all of my classes, students came together in their Writing
Even before Writing Wednesdays, I incorporated creative writing into my Language Arts instruction. But one of the biggest challenges I faced, particularly when integrating creative writing early in
Teach long enough and you’ll have those students. The ones who are naturally gifted in Language Arts. The ones for whom writing seems to come easily. The ones
Like many educators, I am becoming increasingly disheartened by the growing number of calls from parents and lawmakers around the country to exclude certain books from education. Tennessee
Dedicating every Wednesday to creative writing instruction takes commitment. Rearranging the schedule in order to maintain weekly writing when unexpected events chip away at instructional time takes commitment. Taking