Here’s another writing contest for you to try with your students. The Outdoor Writers Association, based in Missoula, Montana, is an organization of writers, editors, broadcasters, photographers, film makers, and other communicators who are, according to OWAA’s website, “dedicated to sharing the outdoor experience.” The organization is involved in many outreach activities, including the NormContinue reading “Contest #5: Outdoor Writers Association’s Norm Strung Writing Awards”
Tag Archives: Middle School
We have a winner!
Student’s essay places second in national contest Congratulations to Elijah D., whose essay placed second in the Outdoor Writers Association of America’s Norm Strung Youth Writing Awards. Eli’s essay entitled “Natural Nostalgia” placed second in the nation in the junior prose category. He also received a check for $100. Eli graduated from Kirbyville Middle SchoolContinue reading “We have a winner!”
Let Students Talk, Think, and Think Some More
Here’s what else I do to help students find writing topics they care about and then start writing part 2 of 4 I know from teaching middle school (6-8) ELA for a few years that, in order for students to be passionate about their writing, they must first have a topic that they care about. WhenContinue reading “Let Students Talk, Think, and Think Some More”
2017 Branson Tech Institute: My Takeaways
I attended Branson Tech Institute, an educational technology conference, July 17-18 at Branson High School. The Branson School District extended invitations to attend the conference to area schools, including my district, Kirbyville R-VI. (Thanks to my district for paying my registration fee!) About a dozen different classes were offered during each of nine sessions. Classes were categorized intoContinue reading “2017 Branson Tech Institute: My Takeaways”
How I Start My School Year
What really happens in your classroom before the students get there I drove the twenty minutes to my classroom today to . . . start. There’s always a day or two (or three) before the big day when we’re required to return to school for in-service training. On days like today, when I’m often working alone, IContinue reading “How I Start My School Year”
Heads up! Student poetry contest deadline August 18
If you’re planning to incorporate contests into your ELA classes and/or writers workshops, you can get started as early as Friday, August 18! That’s the deadline for the summer poetry hardcover anthology to be printed and published by Creative Communication. The books will ship in December. Teachers who have five or more students acceptedContinue reading “Heads up! Student poetry contest deadline August 18”
Dear English teachers who have stumbled upon Medium during your summer break,
Originally published here July 19, 2017 on Medium.com in From a Teacher. Congratulations! You found Medium. You should stick around and see what this site offers English Language Arts teachers. Wander aimlessly throughout this platform and its writers and publications. It won’t take long before you’ll unearth some very cool stories (btw, everything is called aContinue reading “Dear English teachers who have stumbled upon Medium during your summer break,”
Because bored students care about commas… and little else
Here’s what I do to spark passion in my students for writing part 1 of 4 And let’s get this straight right from the start: I am no expert. I repeat, I am no expert. I have a meager six years of teaching under my belt. However, I am more excited than everContinue reading “Because bored students care about commas… and little else”
Contest #3: Creative Communication Poetry Anthologies
Originally published June 26, 2017 ©Edutopia | The George Lucas Educational Foundation Three times a year, Creative Communication (CC) of Logan, Utah publishes hardcover anthologies full of K-9 poetry. I know what you’re thinking. Must be a pay-to-play anthology, right? The company judges the poems received and publishes the best ones, without regard to whether the student purchasesContinue reading “Contest #3: Creative Communication Poetry Anthologies”
Don’t Let Spellcheck Ruin the Writing
“Mrs. Yung, why is this wrong?” Emily asks me during class, staring at her laptop screen. A wavy green line floats below a phrase, again interrupting the first draft of her slice-of-life essay. “We’ll figure it out later. Stay in the zone,” I respond, hoping she can quickly return to her mind’s creativeContinue reading “Don’t Let Spellcheck Ruin the Writing”