[UPDATED: This post has been updated to reflect additional graphic novel titles and the importance of representation of authors and illustrators within graphic novels and the characters they create.] The classroom library. For some it is magical, others it can be a nightmare. For a long time it was a pit of doom in my classroom. I didn't know what to do. I thought I had great books (and I’d tell you they were great) but students did not read them. So I started over. About a year-and-a-half ago I made the decision that I was going to completely change my classroom library. I scrapped 75% of the books that were in my room and I started introducing (almost strictly) graphic novels and comics. I made the decision that reading fluency and word read correctly per minute were NOT what my students needed. They needed to WANT to read. On their own. Without a teacher breathing down their neck. Graphic novels were what my students needed. A little backstory: I grew up on Calvin an...
Teachers spend a lot of time thinking about how to bring lessons into the "real world."  Creating engagement and interest by connecting math to everyday life is a great way to help kids dig into complex concepts that might not come easily.  But guess what?  Sunny skies and long, warm days are in store for the next several months, and that means opportunities to bring math into the real world in a more literal sense... by going outside! Choosing to teach math outside the classroom's four walls is a great way to generate some enthusiasm about a lesson (especially if fluorescent lighting is making things a little bleak indoors :). Taking lessons outside isn't just a good idea because of the fun factor.  There's actually reason to believe that activity can help kids learn math better, too.  One recent study of 4th and 5th graders in South Carolina demonstrated that math scores were notably higher for children who were given 10 or 20 minutes to exercise ...
Inspirational quotes are, well, inspirational! We teachers love displaying our favorite quotes in our classrooms. A good quote packs a big punch of meaning in a nice little (hangable) package. Using quotes is also a great way to get students thinking critically, and there's a lot we can do with one of these bite-size pieces of text, like: Vocabulary (What words within the quote should we look at more closely to understand the quote?) Literal Meaning (What's the author of the quote saying?) Deeper Meaning (What's the author really trying to say? Is there symbolism? metaphor? analogy?) Language (Does the author use word play? Is there an certain economy of words that adds clarity to the quote?) Context (What are the circumstances surrounding the time in which the quote was said? What is the historical background? What is the author of the quote famous for?) Transcendence (To whom does the quote apply? Does it transcend age? gender? culture? time period?) ...
When I attended classes to earn my ESL endorsement, one of the first ELL-friendly strategies I learned was to employ graphic organizers. However, teachers who use graphic organizers with their students will attest to the fact that graphic organizers are beneficial tools to use with ALL students, not just English language learners and students with disabilities.  Why are they such powerful tools? Graphic organizers provide visual representations of cognitive processes. These visual cues help students organize concepts in a way that will aid in retention. Students can actually SEE relationships and connections between facts and concepts. Graphic organizers improve comprehension. Students are able to break down bigger concepts into smaller, more understandable chunks of information.  Graphic organizers increase student engagement. When filling out a graphic organizer, students are actively participating and contributing to the learning process. Because of these benefits, I lik...