Monthly Archives: July 2019

Four Ways to Prepare Students for the Future

Posted on July 23, 2019 by Erik Palmer

To make students’ futures better, we need to consider what skills they will need—and teach them. If we really want to prepare students for life beyond school, we could begin by asking ourselves what pieces of our own education we are using now as … Continue reading →

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Mind the Gap: How We Make Kids Hate Speaking

Posted on July 11, 2019 by Erik Palmer

“How do you teach speaking?” I ask that questions when I do workshops about the #1 language art. Inevitably, teachers respond by telling me about an assignment they give. We do biography presentations. Students spend three weeks reading about some … Continue reading →

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Don’t Follow Your Dreams

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Erik Palmer

Almost time for the new school year. We’ll all go back to our classrooms and tell students to follow their dreams. Never quit! You can be anything you dream of being!!! Except… A dream is a regular idea with a … Continue reading →

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Teaching Speaking, the Forgotten Language Art

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Erik Palmer

Nobody exactly knows. This is what I find out when I ask teachers, “What are the skills involved in effective oral communication?” I mean, we all have some ideas, but no one knows for sure what is really involved. It’s an … Continue reading →

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