Assessments, Best Practices, Reflections on Pedagogy, Teacher Tips, Technology Tips
Meredith Dobbs
Beyond the Test: 10 Innovative Ways to Assess ...

Are your students moaning and groaning over taking another test or writing another essay? While these are tried and true methods for assessing many skills, I have been on a mission to find more innovative, unique ways of assessing student growth and learning.

Beyond the Test: 10 Innovative Ways to Assess Secondary Students
Best Practices, Close Reading, Essay Writing, Lists, Writer's Notebook
Meredith Dobbs
20 Great Quotes to use as Mentor Sentences in ...

One of the best ways to teach students how to integrate literary and rhetorical devices into their writing is to imitate the style of great writers. Here are 20 Great Literary Quotes to use as Mentor Sentences in Secondary ELA...

20 Great Quotes to use as Mentor Sentences in Secondary ELA
Best Practices, Essay Writing, Literature Articles, Reflections on Pedagogy, Writer's Notebook, Freebies
Meredith Dobbs
The Writer's Notebook in Secondary ELA: ...

The Writer’s Notebook is the heart of the English classroom. It is the place that holds a student’s reflections on literature and life...

The Writer's Notebook in Secondary ELA: Introduction & FREE Guide
Bundles & Units, Close Reading, Lesson Planning, Literature Articles, Poetry, Writer's Notebook
Meredith Dobbs
The Romantics vs. the Imagists: A Comparison ...

Contrasting literary movements as a pedagogical approach to teaching literature is a debatable method, but I have found that juxtaposing literary movements...

The Romantics vs. the Imagists: A Comparison of Two Different Styles
Lesson Planning, Writer's Notebook, Holidays, Close Reading, Poetry, Bundles & Units, Best Practices
Meredith Dobbs
The Complex Themes of Winter Poetry: Creating ...

This winter season, I found myself missing the snow for the first time in my life because we made a big move from a cold climate where we have lived for the past six years to a warm climate where there is no snow.  I never fully realized... 

The Complex Themes of Winter Poetry: Creating a Winter Poetry Unit for Secondary ELA
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Choosing a Writer's Notebook Philosophy for Your Classes: The Purists vs. the Hybridists

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Choosing a Writer's Notebook Philosophy for Your Classes: The Purists vs. the Hybridists

The Writer's Notebook has become a cornerstone of the English classroom over the past decade and has been touted by NCTE, The College Board, The National Writing Project, The Young Writer's Project, and others as a necessary component in the writing process...  

Teaching Students How to Write Commentary for the Literary Analysis Essay

Teaching Students How to Write Commentary for the Literary Analysis Essay

Writing commentary is undoubtedly the most difficult part of writing any essay.  All other parts of the essay are more formulaic in nature.  But when it comes to commenting on evidence...

Monkey See, Monkey Do: How Group Thinking Affects Learning in Educational Environments

Monkey See, Monkey Do: How Group Thinking Affects Learning in Educational Environments

As I was driving home today, I listened to an interview with Jonah Berger on WNYC about his new book entitled Invisible Influence:  The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior.  It fascinated me, and...

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Three Things NOT TO WORRY About at the End of the School Year

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Three Things NOT TO WORRY About at the End of the School Year

It's finally almost here!  SUMMER!!!  You're grades are turned in, you've said goodbye to your students, and all that remains is a war-torn classroom with the remnants of the life that was once there...

THREE Questions to Consider When Creating a NEW TpT Product

THREE Questions to Consider When Creating a NEW TpT Product

Whether you are new to Teachers Pay Teachers or consider yourself a veteran, there are some standard questions to consider before creating new products and posting them...