English Education Articles for Teachers - Page 7

I don’t know what the weather was like where you live this winter, but we sure had a lot of snow days! I have a sort of love/hate relationship with snow days. I love the time off, but feel pressured for time when we come back. I found myself in this situation last month. We had just completed an ...

There is an increasing amount of attention being given to homework by school districts, students, teachers and parents. The quality and quantity is being called into question. Some people wonder whether the work is truly reinforcing instruction or if it is only glorified busywork. For those teach...

"The Polar Express" has become a holiday classic. The book, written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, became a Caldecott Medal Winner soon after it was published. After the movie version came out, this beautiful tale achieved even higher status in our culture. The book is a feast for the eye...

I begin each year with a media unit to introduce students to the power of words. They love looking at ads, analyzing them, and creating one of their own. Following our media unit, we do a autobiography/biography unit. My eighth graders take their writing SOL (Standards of Learning) test in March,...

I remember when I was trying to decide whether to become a teacher or not that I signed on at the local public school to be a substitute teacher. I thought I should see what it was like in the classroom firsthand before I put in so many hours of education. My first sub job was at a middle school;...

The purpose of a English worksheet should be to reinforce instruction and provide meaningful practice. For some teachers, worksheets offer 40 minutes of individual work time. For students, worksheets are viewed as “busy work” that has no relevance; students are generally concerned only with how t...

Grammar is probably one of the most difficult concepts for English teachers to teach, not because the information is complex, but because grammar can sometimes be just plain boring. As an English teacher, my job is to make grammar fun and effective. There are a few things you should keep in mind ...

Nowadays, when teachers say they are going to start a poetry unit, they might be met with moans and groans. While poetry used to be a popular form of expression, it's not something that students in the 21st century are particularly comfortable with. Some students immediately think that it will be...

Times have changed, and the role of teachers in the classroom has too. No longer can teachers be effective without incorporating technology into their lessons. For some, the thought of using computers, WebQuests, or Promethean Boards is a daunting proposition.  However, there are some easy ways t...

I usually don't dive deep into poetry until the spring.  Halloween season, however, sets the perfect stage to recognize America's love for the spooky with Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven". My eighth graders might act "all grown up", but they still celebrate our traditional holidays with enthusiasm, ...

In my classroom, I observe Banned Book Week by having lively, open discussions centered around the idea of banning literature. Usually, I don't have students do any particular assignment other than writing a journal entry during the last few minutes of class. A good deal of learning is taking pla...

It’s not often that students buy into a lesson right from the start. Sometimes we are able to grab their attention in the beginning, but then their enthusiasm fades. Or sometimes we find we can hold their interests just up until the time where they must stand up in front of the class and speak pe...

Normally on 9/11, I begin my lesson by creating a journal prompt for my eleventh grade English students for their bell work. It helps to begin a good pre-discussion thought process. The entry is something like: “List the first 8 things that come into your mind when you hear or see the numbers ‘9/...

My students seem to be most excited when they are able to share with the class something funny or exciting that a friend or family member did. I like to bring this excitement into my introductory lesson on direct and indirect characterization. About two weeks before winter break begins, I begin a...

When I first began teaching, I was startled to notice how many students seemed to become uncomfortable when put in a position of having to “imagine” something.  I guess I thought that all the game playing and TV watching would spur the imagination.  Apparently, this is not the case.  I have disco...