I read this second book by Lynne Kelly several years after reading Song for a Whale  (you can read my review here ) and I was pleasantly sur...

I wish I had known about one-pagers when I did this project with my students.   Don't get me wrong, it was fun for them! It was just a p...

   Everyone has their own opinions about Project-based learning.  I loved it, but I had many respected colleagues who wouldn't touch it ...

"What's the purpose of the author writing this book?" "I know! Oh, wait.  Is that, like, entertain, persuade, or inform?&...

"Can we sit around the room?" was a frequently asked question in my class.  My rule was simple: if I saw that they couldn't ha...

 In January, I blogged about ways to make the study of ancient civilizations fun.  I included some things I did in my classroom, and a few t...

This is the time of year when many ELA teachers are looking to get students into books.  Do you run a Literature Circle?  Or a Book Club?   ...

  Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day in your classroom?  Have your students read about  the man  and have them separate fact from myth. ...

There are lots of good reasons to get your students involved in a March Madness Reading Challenge.  I'm giving you three because I want ...

True confessions: this time of year was the hardest for me as a teacher.  I was tired of grey, cloudy days, it felt like spring would never ...