Category: Uncategorized
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My Favorite End of the Year Writing Assignment
The end of the school year is not only on the horizon, it—like a sunset in full glory—has become the horizon. And if you are like me, these waning days where all eyes fix upon the horizon can be a challenge. Suddenly, issues with work completion and engagement sprout where there were no issues before;…
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Two Exciting Summer Opportunities!
Happy Tuesday, everyone! I have a new post coming at the end of the week, but today I wanted to share what I’m up to this summer, in case you want to join me. Along with the newsletter, I have two big projects I’ll be doing: Camp Rewrite Summer 2024 After a wonderful first summer,…
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Questions from Readers: Should I Encourage Students to Get AI Feedback?
Generative AI is the tool that launched a million thought-pieces in the education world and beyond. This makes sense, as despite its current limitations and endless cliches and somewhat unsettling voice, it is still a remarkable, society-altering new invention that our students will encounter, use, and have to contend with throughout their lives. In the…
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One of the Most Powerful, Least-Covered Grammar and Language Topics
In 2007 writing-instruction legends Steve Graham and Dolores Perin did a meta-analysis on a massive scale to get to the bottom of what works when it comes to writing instruction. The result, a report called Writing Next, offered eleven recommendations for better writing instruction that is still considered the gold standard by many. Most of…
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Where My Grammar and Language Lessons Begin: Tools for Emphasis
In my last post I discussed the first of five lessons I’m sharing this spring from my new book Good Grammar: Joyful and Affirming Language Lessons That Work for More Students (due out this summer). The concept I shared, while simple, has been powerful in my classes: I’ve found students learn language lessons (encompassing grammar,…
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Five Lessons I Learned While Writing a Book on Grammar, Language, Mechanics, and Writing Instruction: Part 1
Happy Belated New Year! I’m delighted to announce that I’m properly back to the newsletter, and for those wondering where I’ve been, I spent the fall and early winter finishing up my now-completed manuscript for my third book: Good Grammar: Joyful and Affirming Language Lessons That Work for More Students (due out in July). I…
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Smile Before Winter Break (and Thanksgiving and Halloween)
As a young teacher I was advised by multiple veteran teachers not to smile before Winter Break. The notion was that because I was new (and in my case looked fifteen), I needed to show that I meant business. That my class was business. This advice was nearly universal for new teachers when I came…
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My ChatGPT and Generative AI Policy This Year
Like many teachers, I spent a lot of time this summer thinking about how I would handle AI in my classes. That journey was often an all-seasons-in-a-day experience. I would go from excitement over its possibilities to existential fear concerning AI’s potential implications to concerns about whether allowing students to farm out planning or proofreading…
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Going Gradeless Five Years In — Part 3
Last week I discussed the second most impactful change I’ve made in my five year journey of revising my grading practices, which was when I opened up discussions about grades—the type that normally just happen among teachers—to students too. Today I want to talk about the most impactful change I’ve ever implemented to help reframe…
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Going Gradeless Five Years In – Part 2
Last Friday, I recounted the negatives that often come with grades. It wasn’t the most uplifting Friday post, but its ultimate goal—that of minimizing any grade harm even while teaching in a graded world—is one of the most positive changes we can make in our classes. Also, as we put the machinery of our classes…