Looking to amplify your vocabulary instruction? Just add coloring! Coloring vocabulary has a myriad of benefits for learners, both academically and social emotionally. It was one of those weird assembly... The post 5 Reasons to Add a Splash of Color to Vocabulary appeared first on Reading and Writing Haven ..read more

The way teachers talk about other subjects and about education in general matters. Words carry both direct and indirect meanings, and students often pick up on both of them. Being... The post The Danger of Saying, “I Don’t Do Math” appeared first on Reading and Writing Haven ..read more

State testing season is upon us…or maybe not? Perhaps you’re one of those teachers who plans ahead and incorporates best practice test prep activities all year long. Either way, test prep is best when it doesn’t feel so…preppy. You know what I mean. The multiple choice, drill and kill type of monotony that makes everyone’s eyelids heavy. Test prep can be MORE than what we stereotypically picture. “Bueller? Bueller?” For those who haven’t seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, this quote refers to a scene during which the teacher takes attendance in the most monotone voice one could muster, and the st ..read more

Ever feel like you’d like your students to dig deeper into a text instead of just glossing over it with a superficial read? One of the most powerful strategies we can teach students to get them to delve further in the meaning-making process is annotating. However, it can be done in so many different ways! And let’s be honest…sometimes it’s just plain boring. I’m a big fan of layers. Meaning, I like to teach students basic ways to do something and then gradually add more choices that allow for creativity and critical thinking. When I teach text annotation, I focus on helping students to put the ..read more

Inside this Post:  Tired of students forgetting what they’ve learned? Research emphasizes the value of previewing and reviewing. Keep reading for practical, manageable ways to build spacing into your classroom. Travel with me for a second to your classroom. Think of your old filing cabinet – you know the one in the corner?!  (Gen Z-ers, perhaps you have an unorganized Google Drive abyss!)  Honestly, you probably don’t even know what gems are hidden in there.  As for myself, I’m pretty sure I have a folder of legit ditto papers from the retired teacher whose classroom I ..read more

Inside this Post: Need to deepen student investment in graphic organizers? Try differentiating. One of the highest levels of choice we can offer is student-created graphic organizers. Find the details in this post! So, you’ve created graphic organizers with high-quality visuals and embedded scaffolds, you’ve shown students exactly how you expect them to be completed, and you’ve put in place multiple opportunities for elevated thinking, but it feels like something is still missing. Which scenario below feels more like your experience? Scenario 1: You confidently hand out a graphic organize ..read more

Inside this Post:  Are your graphic organizers getting stale? Unlock the power of specialized graphic organizers, and watch critical thinking soar. I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite things about education is coming up with new and creative ways to teach the standards. I feel reinvigorated when I know that an upcoming lesson includes a fresh activity. And I KNOW that students feel the same way! When they are asked to do the same thing over and over, we start to see unwanted behaviors and lackluster products.  Bland graphic organizers–think KWL charts, Venn diagrams, and t ..read more

Inside this Post: How to maximize student engagement with a simple secret…eye-catching graphic organizers. We live in an increasingly visual world. When we are scrolling through TikTok, engaging on Instagram, cozying up with a graphic novel, or watching a YouTube video, visuals are influencing us. And this is no different for our students! Students are drawn to visually appealing things, and graphic organizers are not an exception! In order to engage this generation, we need to find ways to leverage the visual power of design elements. Graphic organizers capture students’ attention and entice ..read more

If your experience with graphic organizers has been less than enchanting, stick around. This post has simple, specific suggestions for modeling with graphic organizers to increase learning! Picture this: You step into your classroom filled with eager middle or high school students, ready for today’s lesson on a challenging topic. You are determined to help your students truly understand and engage with the material. You hand out the graphic organizer you thoughtfully crafted the night before, expecting a breakthrough in comprehension and critical thinking!  But as the bell rings to signal ..read more

TED Talks are videos that present engaging ideas in 18 minutes or less. Their compact, visual format makes them a great vessel for the middle and high school classroom! Truly, the sky is the limit for their implementation. If you’re intrigued by TED Talks and are interested in maximizing their potential for your students, this post outlines five helpful ways to use TED Talks in the classroom. When I think about TED Talks, one of my teacher friends comes to mind right away. Kim, the founder of OCBeachTeacher, is a high school English teacher with 25 years of experience and her National Board Ce ..read more