Take Text Annotation to a New Level with Purposeful Doodling
The Reading and Writing Haven
by Melissa Kruse
1M ago
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
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Proven Ways to Make Your Teaching Stick and Increase Learning!
The Reading and Writing Haven
by Melissa Kruse
8M ago
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
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Using Student-Created Graphic Organizers to Elevate Learning
The Reading and Writing Haven
by Melissa Kruse
9M ago
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
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How Specialized Graphic Organizers Can Encourage Critical Thinking
The Reading and Writing Haven
by Melissa Kruse
9M ago
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
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3 Ways to Inspire Students with Eye-Catching Graphic Organizers
The Reading and Writing Haven
by Melissa Kruse
10M ago
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
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Modeling with Graphic Organizers: A Surefire Way to Increase Learning
The Reading and Writing Haven
by Melissa Kruse
10M ago
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
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5 Helpful Ways to Use TED Talks in the Classroom
The Reading and Writing Haven
by Melissa Kruse
11M ago
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
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How to Create a Calm and Predictable Yet Inspiring Classroom Atmosphere
The Reading and Writing Haven
by Melissa Kruse
11M ago
Wondering how to create a calm, predictable, and inspiring classroom atmosphere? Let’s start at the beginning! What is classroom atmosphere, and why does it matter? It’s actually quite abstract! Classroom atmosphere can be thought of as the climate a teacher creates. Think of it as an author’s tone in writing. Classroom atmosphere is the “tone” an educator sets through deliberate procedures and practices as well as more subtle nuances of the classroom’s operation. Classroom atmosphere is a key to student success because it impacts attitudes and effort toward learning, student and teacher relat ..read more
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7 Good Examples of Emotional Character Development – with Mentor Texts!
The Reading and Writing Haven
by Melissa Kruse
1y ago
Looking to teach students about how character development impacts theme? First, you’ll need to model with some specific, high-interest examples. Students need to know what character development looks like from an author’s craft standpoint as well as what it feels like from a reader’s perspective. One of my favorite places to begin when it comes to character development is with picture books! There are different types of characters in a story. I like to introduce or review these with students using an anchor chart. Students fill out a graphic organizer or add notes to their reader’s notebook as ..read more
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7 Simple Secrets for Success with Discussion Based Literature Circles
The Reading and Writing Haven
by Melissa Kruse
1y ago
Getting ready to begin student-led literature circles? Literature circles are the perfect opportunity to combine reading, writing, speaking, and listening in an authentic way! But, sometimes the broad nature and endless possibilities can lead to lack of sufficient structure…or over scaffolding the experience. In this post, I’m sharing simple secrets for success with discussion based literature circles. So, if you have ever thought about Googling “how to make literature circle discussions better,” OR if you are ready to move beyond superficial classroom conversations about books, keep reading ..read more
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