Good Chicken Resources

I am proud to say that I read banned books! Every year in September, the American Library Association (ALA) has banned book week to bring awareness to censorship.  Censorship is bad. I know that is a shocking statement, but very few things get me as upset as someone else trying to control what other people read.  As I explain to my students, there is nothing wrong with a parent making decisions about what their child reads, but when they try to regulate what other people's children read that becomes a problem.  As a parent myself, I don't want anyone else telling my child what they can and cannot read.  Whenever possible, I like to spend a day with my students during this week talking about censorship, and why it is dangerous. I pull in historical examples such as Nazi Germany book burnings and communist countries attempts to limit information.  In the U.S. each year hundreds of books are challenged.  This attempt to censor is fundamental against American v...

One of the things I tell my students is that you can trick people into thinking your smart than you really are if you have a good vocabulary. While this is true, there are a lot of reasons why building a robust and diverse vocabulary is important for students.  Not only does it increase reading comprehension, but it allows students to be more precise and descriptive in their writing.  For students to truly internalize and learn vocabulary, they must use it in ways that are meaningful for them.  Just giving students definitions to memorize or flashcards to practice with does not solidify learning. They need to use the words in context.  Here are four strategies for having students work with vocabulary: Writing - The most basic of the activities is to have students use their vocabulary words in their writing.   A lot of teachers do this by having them create sentences for each vocabulary word. While you certainly can do this, I think it is better to give stud...

Manging all of the responsibilities of a teacher can be overwhelming and time-consuming. So as teachers we are always looking for ways to save time and make our classrooms flow smoother.  Here are three of my favorite classroom hacks.  No Name Parking - Since the dawn of time, students have forgotten to put their names on papers to the frustration of teachers across the globe. I created a poster in my room that I call "No Name Parking". When I get an assignment without a name on it I write the class period (if I know it) and tape it to the poster.  Students are responsible for checking the board to see if they recognize their work. When the poster begins to get full or when I pass out progress reports, I remind students to check the board. At the end of the grading period, I will throw away the papers on the board. I recommend not putting grades on these papers before you hang them up. I had some sneaky 8th graders try to claim papers that were clearly not theirs because...

This year, I started at a new school teaching a new grade.  I have always taught Middle/High School English and now I am teaching 4th & 5th English and Reading.  I never thought I would teach that young! Going into this new assignment (and my ninth year teaching), I decided that it was time for me to update my classroom decor.  For the first eight, I have maintained them the same decor with a few additions every couple of years.  I decorated my room with movie posters of book adaptations.  Most of these titles were more directed towards Middle School and High School readers and not appropriate for my new audience. I decide to go with a neutral and farmhouse decor for my new classroom. Here is a quick tour.  This is my teacher's area.  I have an old library catalog that I have repurposed as a supply cabinet.  I also use a hanging file folder, that I use to organize the week's copies by day. I have a circle table and not a desk.  My teacher...

Confession Time - I hate reading professional development books. It isn't because I don't like to learn or I don't think I need to improve. I love to sit through a well developed professional development course. I seek out educational articles, blogs, and YouTube videos. I like learning from my colleagues.  I just don't like to read books about teaching.  I have picked up many books that have been recommended to me and I have gotten through very few of them.  I might browse the activities, but I just can't bring myself to sit down and read them cover-to-cover. I often find them too dry and clinical to keep my attention. (I am not a huge nonfiction reader in general.) Recently, I accepted a new position in a new district. I was handed a copy of Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess.  The campus used this as a book study last year, and I was told that it was a big part of their campus culture. So, I sat down to try to get it read with about as much excitement as I suspe...