Teaching Tip Tuesdays

I love when I get great teaching ideas from whatever is I am reading in my spare time. This one comes courtesy of Alan Gelb from his book, The Seven Steps to Confident Writing. I think I will make this a daily homework assignment next year. I very [Keep Reading]

We are Teachers is a Twitter account that “offer ideas, inspiration, and information for your best days—and double that for your hard ones. Supporting kids means supporting educators, always.” A few days ago, they posed a question to [Keep Reading]

“The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.” ― Niels Bohr Neil Postman helps break down this thought. He writes, “It is better to have access to more [Keep Reading]

Psychologist Kevin Dutton has coined a term for something I am sure you have seen at some point in your career as educator. Have you ever had a student, or group of students, actively resist your attempts to teach them? Do they seem to completely [Keep Reading]

“I annoy my students on a number of levels. I don’t praise them enough: I’m always being critical, finding fault in their work. I make them commit to a writing project—choose the subject of their essays—almost immediately. I don’t [Keep Reading]

I was supply teaching in a classroom a few weeks back that had a brilliant display on the wall about the English language. It was chopped full of useful information for students. I found myself wondering how often this display gets used. I know that [Keep Reading]

For some of us, it is difficult to truly be alone with our thoughts. We are constantly bombarded with all sorts of stimuli. If we have a spare moment, we often fill it by turning to our smart phones. It has gotten to the point that many of us simply [Keep Reading]

There are countless books on the market aimed at teachers. However, some of the best teaching advice comes from books aimed at business professionals, coaches, and even hostage negotiators. In his book, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if [Keep Reading]

As a supply teacher, I get to see a lot of different classrooms. Here are some of the best displays I have come across is the past few weeks. I like the use of colour here. It guides students on how to do a literary analysis. This poster on [Keep Reading]

“If I just ask for a volunteer, my students sit on their hands and look away. You’ve been there. You can almost feel your back muscles tense as you think, Oh please, don’t call on me. So I don’t ask. Instead, I say, ‘In [Keep Reading]