I know.  You're hanging on as best you can.  Doors are being decorated, kids are decorating themselves, and you don't want to be *...

   You can read picture books to sixth graders.  For fun.  To teach a lesson.  To expand their horizons.   The Carpenter's Gift  by Davi...

Welcome to December, that exciting time filled with fun interruptions, and such high student energy that you're paddling as fast as you ...

A little back story here.   Some years ago, I taught a group of students who identified themselves as struggling readers.  And I noticed som...

  You've moved beyond Halloween but kids know there's another break coming up!  Here are 3 fun and creative Thanksgiving activities ...

  Teaching figurative language is funny.  We want kids to recognize the different types, and so we show them poems and song lyrics and they ...

Here are four novels that I think are worth considering for your upper elementary and middle school students.  I read them a few years ago a...

Here are two phrases I don't like:  "It is what it is" and "That's just how I am."  Why don't I like them?  ...

  "Are we writing today?"   "No, not today.  We write on Fridays, remember? {Insert sad face} How many times do your students...

Hi, my name is Mikey and I'm going to tell you my story.... Does that make your hair stand on end?  I cringe inside when I see upper ...

I could see it in their eyes.  Yeah, Johannes Gutenberg created the movable type printing press.   So what?   Don't you know we have int...

Raise your hand if you've brought your teacher bag home for the weekend loaded with papers to grade, and it lived in your car all weeken...

"I don't know what that word meant so I just skipped over it." "Can you pronounce it?   Nope?   Okay, how about any hints...

It looks like there's a horrible storm.  Maybe a hurricane knocked down that house.  I can't figure out what that man is carrying on...

This is such a good book that you can blend it with Science or Social Studies and Reading!  It's perfect if you do any studies on outer ...

If you haven't introduced your students to Pony by R. J. Palacio yet, you really need to!  It's one of the best novel studies for 5t...