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Author Archives: msdickson
Culminating Activities For Use With “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe
Culminating projects are a good way to engage students in digging deeper into a text. “The Raven” is a good text for engaging reluctant readers, with the dark tone and descent into madness. Here are some culminating projects for “The … Continue reading
Posted in Teaching, Teaching Ideas
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The Best Part of Back to School
I’ve always looked forward to back to school. From those early school days– including the first day at Kindergarten when I jumped off the bus steps in my joy– to, well, this year. The classrooms have changed. The students are … Continue reading
Posted in Secondary Education, Teaching
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How to Waste Students’ Time with Binders and Notebooks
Binders, notebooks, interactive notebooks, portfolios and other tools can provide a method to showcase student learning, collect reference materials and teach organization. Or they can be a time-consuming process that fails to do more than provide a sporadic grade. Here’s … Continue reading
Posted in Smooth Classroom, Teaching, Teaching Ideas
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How to Plan for Back to School… When You Don’t Know What You’re Teaching
Summer is a great opportunity for teachers to rest, relax… and prepare for next year. The more that can be prepared ahead of time, the more likely class will run smoothly. There will be less last-minute lesson planning– and more … Continue reading
Posted in Secondary Education, Teaching
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Useful End of the Year Activities
The end of the year can bring special challenges. Students are wearing down, distracted by summer, or pulled away by testing or other special events. Seniors may get out early, which can disrupt any class with a senior. It may … Continue reading
Engaging Activities for Practicing Literary Analysis
Literary analysis is an important activity, requiring students to dig into the text in a thoughtful way, finding support in the very words and phrases and ideas of the text. It’s different from research writing or opinion-based papers. Students, at … Continue reading
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Reasons to (Still) Use the Five Paragraph Essay in High School and Beyond (Even for Advanced Learners)
The five-paragraph essay is a formulaic, bland, rigid model. But it is also an incredibly structured, challenging guide. It is a tool that can either stifle a writer or push them towards growth. I have something of a love-hate relationship … Continue reading
Posted in Assessment, Secondary Education, Secondary Writing, Testing
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Texts and Activities for Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month. The month may also include the end of a marking period (or trimester), state testing, and/ or spring break. While it may not be possible to dedicate time to a whole unit related to texts … Continue reading
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Skip the Book Report! Analyze and Create Instead!
After finishing a novel reading, whether whole group or individual, it’s great to have an activity to wrap up. While book reports and other retelling projects, are a common choice, especially when dealing with multiple or student selected books, they … Continue reading