What is First Chapter Friday? About two months ago, I published a post about my success with First Chapter Friday. I began using the hashtag #FirstChapterFriday on Instagram. Teachers asked…
Posts Written ByLauralee
Grammar Must Be Taught, Differently
Grammar must be taught. How we teachers cover grammar, that is the difference. If you are an ELA teacher on social media, you’ve likely seen the meme that quotes this…
How to Build a Grammar Lesson: A Teacher Shares Her Secrets
How to Build a Grammar Lesson: This post aims to help you from start to finish. My first book, The English Grammar Workbook, was published in 2018. While writing it, I figured…
Independent Reading and Class Novels
Teachers are currently experimenting with independent reading and class novels for high schoolers. I do both. I define independent reading as a student choosing a book and reading that book.…
Creating a Classroom Community
Creating a classroom community takes time, patience, and conscious effort. Always looking to grow, I brainstormed methods and approaches with five of my blogging friends. Through our brainstorming, we realized…
Activities for Literature Lessons
Extension or review ideas for literature lessons? Sometimes, we teachers need a list to get ideas flowing, a starting point. I am currently brainstorming ways to make literature come alive…
Beating the Winter Blues as a Teacher
Sure, the winter blues might be a cliche, but as a teacher, I need help. I live in Illinois and last weekend, we had over ten inches of snow. I…
Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plans: Free Teaching Ideas
Looking for Romeo and Juliet lesson plans? I have taught Romeo and Juliet… dozens of times? I’ve created lessons that have bombed and directed less than enthusiastic students through lines. I’ve scored…
Grammar Is More Than Writing
“Grammar” is more than a key to better writing. So often, teachers will tell me that grammar does not help student writing. I think in a certain way, that yes,…
Teaching Ideas for How I Resist
How I Resist is nonfiction book that provides multiple opportunities for use in a secondary classroom. This book is political and will inspire classroom discussions. It contains three dozen opinions…