By now we are all checking and double-checking to make certain we have "covered" at least half (if not more) of the Common Core standards for our disciplines, with a high-stakes standardized test looming in the not-too-distant future. Winter break is almost over, and we all know that after break, what used to be the … Continue reading Common Core: An “I Can” Statement
To Diagram or Not to Diagram?
I have been teaching English for 22 years. For the first 12 years of my career, I didn't even think about teaching students how to diagram sentences. Then, fate intervened to change my perspective permanently: I was hired in a prestigious, high-achieving school district where I was required to teach diagramming. I got this information … Continue reading To Diagram or Not to Diagram?
An Ounce of Organization Is Worth a Pound of Revision (Or, with a Good Organizer, an Essay Virtually Writes Itself)
I don't know about you, but around 10 years into my career as an English teacher, I got sick and tired of dragging students through essays one paragraph at a time. This was true despite the fact that I was actually quite good at it. I could get my teenage students to write strong introductions … Continue reading An Ounce of Organization Is Worth a Pound of Revision (Or, with a Good Organizer, an Essay Virtually Writes Itself)
Teacher's Pen, House of Corrections 