While there has been a lot of emphasis on using spoken word poetry in the ELA classroom with this spoken word poetry series, it is important to know that this is also a poetry form with cross-curricular connections.  In this article, I will review the cross-curricular connections of spoken word poetry and highlight some videos for grades 6-8 that perfectly accompany your teaching of spoken word poetry.  Cross-curricular connections involving spoken word poetry can be rich and varied, offering opportunities to explore multiple subjects and disciplines simultaneously. Let’s explore so ..read more

Teachers, we have something special to share. We know not every day feels like rainbows and butterflies. To say thank you for all you do, a group of educators and I have gathered an incredible selection of products and marked them down to ONE DOLLAR DEALS on TPT for two days. On Monday, April 8th + Tuesday, April 9th, search #overtherainbow on TPT to find hundreds of products marked down to only $1. I have selected two great resources to share in this dollar sale an Earth Day Digital Escape Room and a Mockumentary Unit. These two resources are sure to keep your students engaged during this ti ..read more

Preparing for an exam, whether a big final exam on a tough unit or a smaller test meant to check where students are at when learning a certain outcome, requires some test prep strategies.  But before we talk about the test prep strategies, here are some tips for students to use during the preparation process:  Encourage students to start studying well before the date of their test or exam – cramming at the last minute might work for some people, but it’s not something that should be relied on.  Help students create a study schedule that breaks down the topics they need to revi ..read more

Poetry comes in many forms, many of which students are familiar with – even though they might not know it. Spoken word poetry covers many different types of poetry – slam, jazz, comedy, poetry readings, rap, etc. It’s a broad term for poetry performed in one way or another.  And you should teach spoken word poetry in your middle school ELA classroom! The History of Spoken Word Poetry Before diving into why you should teach spoken word poetry, let’s look at the history of this art form. Spoken word poetry dates back centuries. It originated from oral traditions in some cultures, where sto ..read more

When studying education, you may have had to write a teaching philosophy statement – a document of several pages to include what you stood for and how you would incorporate what you had learned into best practices, particularly about assessment and evaluation.  But then, once you were in the classroom, you realized that the teaching philosophy statement was a good guide, but it had little to do with many practical teaching elements.  Does this sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone!  Once in the classroom, the realities of teaching become exactly that reality! So, the focus sh ..read more

Social emotional learning can be a natural and essential component of our teaching; this blog post will discuss how you can incorporate it seamlessly into your middle school lessons. The pandemic took a significant toll on our students’ social and emotional learning development as many students had to be participating in online learning for significant parts of their day.  What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)? Social emotional learning (SEL) is a process that equips students with the skills and understanding to manage emotions, build positive relationships, and make responsible decisi ..read more

It can be difficult to develop an engaging reading response activity that your students will enjoy working on. However, the right reading response activity can keep classroom engagement high and foster a genuine connection with class novels.   This month, I’ve teamed up with Melissa from Straight Outta Class to share 10 reading response activity ideas you can use in your classroom next time your students read. These activities go beyond your traditional book summary or comprehension questions. They require students to think critically about the texts they’ve read and demonstrate the ..read more

The traditional book report has its place in the Language Arts classroom, but it doesn’t have to be the only way students are expected to share or talk about their reading. Some more creative ways – such as a Book Flatlay Project, also known as a Book Bento – can help students share their reading creatively and thoughtfully.  This blog post will review what a book flatlay is and explain how to use this type of project in your middle school classroom.  What is a “book flatlay”? A book flatlay is a popular photography style often used on social media platforms to showcase books in an ..read more

Using Google For Education tools, it is easier than ever to create graphs with your students. But you might wonder if it is necessary to learn this skill and how it might be used in the real world. In this blog post, you will learn how to create a scatter plot in Google Sheets.  What are scatter plots?  Scatter plots are similar to line graphs in plotting points on a graph. The difference is that with a line graph, the data for each point is directly related, whereas on a scatter plot, instead of seeing how points connect, you are looking for trends within the charted data. So, rath ..read more

Transitional periods can often lead to distractions and decreased focus in students. That’s why it’s important to have student engagement strategies that keep students engaged, focused, and learning – even when they might be excited about an upcoming school holiday or the return to school from a school holiday.  Whenever a school break approaches, Lesa from SmithTeaches9to12 makes sure she has some activities in her back pocket that can capture and keep students’ attention as well as have them practicing skills new and old. Kristy from 2 Peas and a Dog has a similar approach to planning l ..read more