Want Students to Write Clear Essays—Fast? Most students struggle with writing for one simple reason: They don’t understand structure. Give them the right structure, however, and everything changes—quickly. That’s where the Tell Them Model comes in. It’s simple,...
If you teach in the inner-city, you have probably seen a classroom or two without a permanent teacher. The position was unfilled, or perhaps, the teacher went on some type of extended leave. Maybe the administration could not fill the position at the beginning of the...
I’ve spent most of my teaching career teaching at inner-city Title 1 (low-income) schools. As such, it was a bit of a shock for me when I took over a 5th grade G.A.T.E. class at an affluent school for the final two months of their school year. Teaching at a...
Effective middle school writing instruction begins with a clear understanding of where your students are and where you wish them to be. As Steven Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People said, “Begin with the end in mind.” One easy way to get...
Teachers and parents are searching for answers on how to teach writing. The middle school teachers and parents are the ones with a tone of desperation. Through my weblogs, I am able to see what searches brought people to this website. Here are a few interesting and...
