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Is Teaching Writing An Art or Science?
(And how that debate has helped me to be a better writing teacher) My friend group in college had a running joke about whether any given thing qualified as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS).… Continue reading
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We Need to Make Clear to Students That Their Voices Matter
Many of you might recall the commencements last spring where graduates booed their speakers for mentioning AI. In the pieces I read about this trend, the general thought seemed to be that the boos originated from the graduates’ anger at… Continue reading
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My New First Day Lesson
I was asked the other day about how I was feeling about the upcoming year, and my response surprised even me, though it also captured a notion that has been growing in my mind for some time: I am the… Continue reading
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Years That Answer
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” –Zora Neale Hurston in Their Eyes Were Watching God Dear wonderful readers, You may have noticed that over the past couple years I’ve been up and down with the consistency… Continue reading
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Why May Matters More Than You Think (And How to Make the Most of It)
I’ve been trying to start this column for weeks, but each time I do, I remember something in my yard that needs doing. The serviceberry tree I just planted needs watering. I need to prep the garden beds so I… Continue reading
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My Favorite Time-Saving Valentine: Student Self-Assessment
Given the recent Valentine’s Day holiday, I wanted to share a quick post on a feedback tool that I truly love: Student self-assessment To understand my love of student self-assessment, think about the final draft of a major paper or… Continue reading
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The Core of My Approach to Better, Faster Feedback: The New Pyramid of Response
When I speak to teachers about feedback, I often open by asking my audience the following question: How many of you meaningfully discussed how to give feedback while training to become a teacher? Generally few, if any, hands go into… Continue reading
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My Favorite Pre-Break Lesson
Yesterday I got the question for the first time: We aren’t going to do anything today, are we? The question gave me a good laugh. It was Tuesday morning and the break the student referenced as a reason to kick… Continue reading
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Better, Faster Feedback Part 1: Feedback Literacy Revisited
One of the funny things about writing educational books is that, once published, each book stays a snapshot in time. The same is not true for the author though; the author continues to experiment and evolve, to try new things… Continue reading
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Let’s Talk About How to Give Better, Faster Feedback
I was at the National Council of Teachers of English conference* a couple weeks ago, and as I walked through the showroom I heard the pitch from edu-AI companies, over and over and over again: “Save time by providing instant… Continue reading
Matthew Johnson is a writer, speaker, and teacher who wants to help you teach writing in a better, faster, and more inclusive way.