Professional development requirements for teachers are the specific number of hours or credits you must complete to renew your teaching license. Each state sets its own rules about how many hours you need, what activities count toward your total, and when you need to complete them. These requirements typically range from zero hours in some…
Run-on sentences are one of those grammar issues that sneak into student writing when ideas are flowing faster than punctuation. Students often know what they want to say, but their sentences forget to stop. The result? Writing that feels rushed, confusing, or overwhelming to read. The good news: run-on sentences are easy to fix once…
I like to start by telling students that today is about meaning, not marks. We’re stepping back from chapters and assignments and asking what this novel actually did to us as readers. I usually frame it like this: “You won’t remember every character or event, but some books leave something behind. Today we’re figuring out…
You stare at 25 blank comment boxes with a Friday deadline looming. Each student deserves meaningful feedback. Each family expects insights into their child’s progress. You want to write something personal and helpful. But crafting unique comments for every student in every subject drains hours you simply don’t have. Copy and paste feels impersonal. Starting…
I begin today’s lesson by reframing confusion as a strength. I tell students that strong novels want readers to feel unsettled at times. When authors leave questions unanswered or introduce surprising moments, they’re inviting readers to think, predict, and interpret—not just follow the plot. I explain that today’s focus is noticing moments that feel strange,…
This lesson is designed to help students move beyond what happens in a story and start thinking about what it means. Symbolism and imagery are powerful tools for helping students uncover deeper themes, character motivations, and author intent—no matter what novel they’re reading. I like this lesson because it’s flexible. You can drop it into…
You know your curriculum inside and out. But can you see how it all connects? When students move from one grade to the next, are they building on what they learned or starting from scratch? Most teachers struggle to answer these questions because they only see their own classroom. The result is gaps in learning,…
Political cartoons are one of my favourite teaching tools because they force students to do real thinking—no skimming, no guessing, no shortcuts. Students have to interpret symbolism, understand context, and infer meaning, all while engaging with humour and exaggeration. This lesson connects political cartoons directly to our novel study, helping students move from analysis to…
Today’s lesson is all about anticipation. By this point in the novel, students can usually feel that something big is coming—even if they can’t quite articulate it yet. This is the perfect moment to slow things down and ask students to think like authors and careful readers. I introduce the idea that most stories build…
You spent 15 minutes this morning asking students to take their seats. Another 10 minutes redirecting chatty groups. Five more reminding everyone where to turn in homework. By lunch, you’ve burned nearly an hour on management alone, and that’s just one class. When you multiply that across your teaching day and week, you’re losing serious…