It is rare that I write a lesson plan and stick to it. Lesson plans are written days in advance of my actual lessons, and by the time I go to teach my original intentions, the classroom climate is different or the kids have taken me in a different direction or school interruptions have occured or I have learned something new that makes me take an abrupt turn. That last one happened today. The Birdville Independent School District in North Texas is putting on a professional development event called 12 Days of Innovation Summit (disclaimer: I work in this district). Each day, a video of ..read more

I need to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth: I took the easy way out on an assignment. I needed my students to write poetry, and I was in a time crunch. Some of my students were finished with a previous writing assignment, and I needed to help others without holding my finishers up. I could not see how I was going to teach a poetry writing assignment like I wanted. So I didn't! And I have to admit that sometimes the laziest lesson planning creates the most amazing results. "Miss, what's a syllable?" In order to continue addressing the previous writing assignm ..read more

Texas teachers: I am a member of TALE and the advice at committee. We truly wish to recognize literacy leaders on our communities. We work hard, and recognitions like this honor that work. Please consider nominating someone for these awards and sharing this post for others. ? ***** The TALE Advocacy Committee is looking for outstanding literacy leaders for the TALE Leadership in Literacy Awards! The first award recognizes an outstanding PK-12 literacy educator. The other award highlights the literacy leadership of someone who does not work in the PK-12 setting but advocates for literacy within ..read more

One word I do not often use to describe myself is spontaneous. I am a creature of habit and home. Last May, upon receiving a text asking if anyone was looking for a job in a neighboring school district, I spontaneously responded, "Why not me?" Not only did I shock my friend who sent the inquiry, but I shocked myself, as I never looked back. Within a week and a half, I had applied, interviewed, and resigned from my school home of 16 years. The decision was definitely a good one, but I did not anticipate some of the issues I would encounter, issues related to my own thinking. Once I made the de ..read more

If you haven't seen Exit Through the Gift Shop, a documentary about Banksy's work as a street artist, I highly recommend it. This film was my introduction to his work. Bansky is phenomenal at what he does, how he sees a landscape and transforms it with creativity and insight, commentary and satire. The images he creates speak to me, each telling a story. As an English teacher, I believe that I have a responsibility to teach kids to read all types of text, and that includes images. My current seventh grade students do not know a world without technology, without an influx of images. My concern ..read more

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For the #Ellchat_bkclub, we have been reading The 6 principles for exemplary teaching of English learners. Chapter 4 mentions that English language teachers "come to the profession by many different pathways" (67), making me wonder how we all got here, contributing to this book club that has grown exponentially in the past year and a half since I joined. Evelyn is the reason I am here. Evelyn and a district decision back in 2010. Evelyn was one of my seventh-grade English students. She and I bonded quickly. School was not the biggest priority for her, as it is not for many junior high st ..read more

I was recently out of the classroom for two back-to-back conferences. My reading students had to survive without me for four days of school. Certainly not an easy feat for my seventh-grade students. So prior to leaving, we made a deal: if they could behave and complete the work I left with no more than one off day, we would take a break from class to visit the library and explore the new makerspace activities. I teach struggling readers, and I truly believe students who struggle in any way need rewards to build motivation. Makerspace time may not have anything to do with reading in and of its ..read more

This year, I am teaching seventh grade reading intervention classes. Not every student in my class is a developing reader (a.k.a., struggling). Some are developing test takers. Others are developing stay-awakers. Some knew they would be promoted regardless of the test outcome. Others experienced morning events that affected their performance. Regardless of the situation, we have a year to spend together, and my goal is to help these students find enjoyment in reading via independent reading. Cullinan (2000) writes that independent reading comes in a variety of categories: voluntary, pleasure ..read more

This week, I have returned to school to assist with our third annual incoming seventh-grade student orientation camp. I volunteer my services for this camp every year for numerous reasons: it gives me a chance to start building relationships with students I may or may not teach later on; the sample of students who participate usually reveal what we can expect from our new student population (so far, so great), and I get the opportunity to try out lessons on a smaller scale before the school year begins.  As part of the Twitter ELL book club, I  read The ELL Teacher's Toolbox by Larr ..read more