Practical, research-based teaching methods that help ELA teachers boost engagement, deepen understanding, and build student independence. Includes routines, tools, and examples you can use right away.
You can teach a full lesson, hit every slide, model the strategy, and still end the period staring at exit tickets that look like plot twists you didn’t see coming. Teachers always ask the same question: “Why don’t students understand the lesson?” Most of the time, the answer isn’t effort. It isn’t behavior.It’s clarity. Teachers…
We’ve all seen students randomly highlighting sentences, hoping they’ve found “evidence.” After starting RI.1 with my recent gallery walk activity, I realized students needed explicit modeling, clear examples, and structured scaffolding to understand and apply the standard effectively. Explicit vs. Implicit: Understanding Strong Textual Evidence RI.1 isn’t just about finding evidence—it’s about differentiating between explicit…
Try the BACK Protocol for Purposeful Planning So you want to use a video in class—but you don’t want it to feel like filler. Maybe you’ve found a powerful clip, a mini-documentary, or a short segment from YouTube or PBS, and you’re thinking, “This would be perfect for my lesson.” But here’s the thing: showing…
Learn how to use gallery walks across subjects to build engagement and student accountability. Includes structured peer review tools and a free teacher checklist.
