Category Archives: Uncategorized

“What does democracy mean to you?” That was the writing prompt I gave to my class. I was expecting a three-paragraph essay about the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens. Ryan asked if he could make a video. Of course, … Continue reading →

The annual convention of the largest association of English teachers in America. The president of the organization addresses the thousands in attendance. A keynote address? Not exactly. More like reading an essay at the audience. That’s not a typo. She … Continue reading →

You want students to speak to the class. Maybe students are reciting poetry or participating in a mock trial or presenting their research reports or giving a book talk or making a podcast. Every teacher has speaking activities. I’ve written … Continue reading →

We love statistics. Specifically, we love raw number statistics: number of students proficient or advanced, number of babies named Emma, number of hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes, and more. We also love percentage statistics: grades; batting averages in baseball, … Continue reading →

Inevitably, there is some new initiative, some new program being introduced. If you have taught for a while, you have seen many of these come and go. Maybe last year was the year they introduced the new spelling program that … Continue reading →

When teachers at Mission Viejo Elementary School came back from summer break, I was there. They wanted me to present on the morning of the first day. I have worked with hundreds of schools and districts across North America, and … Continue reading →

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 →

A fairly typical classroom current events discussion: Kids shouldn’t be allowed to play football.             Yes, they should! Football is fun!!             Denver won the Super Bowl!             Yes! That was a great game.             But kids get hurt playing … Continue reading →

  I had a problem with being too nice. Because I once had a job that involved phone sales, I knew how hard the job is and I had a soft spot for those trying to make it work. So … Continue reading →

By Larry Ferlazzo on March 14, 2017 12:36 PM (Larry Ferlazzo is an educator worth following. He collects, curates, and shares great ideas from educators around the world and contributes brilliant ideas of his own as well. He asked educators … Continue reading →