Re-Energizing our Struggling Learners: Strategies for Reading & Writing

April 7, 2016April 7, 2016 ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 2 Comments

Activate — -> Read — -> Discuss — -> Respond Reading: Engaging with complex text. Understanding & Analyzing Texts Many of our struggling readers have a difficult time reading and engaging with complex text. There are several strategies that can help them to engage in actively reading the text as well as applying critical thinking skills while reading to later … Continue reading Re-Energizing our Struggling Learners: Strategies for Reading & Writing

How to Write an Argumentative Paragraph

March 10, 2016April 4, 2017 ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 2 Comments

Argumentative writing is one of the most crucial writing for students to grasp, as it provides them with the tools to be able to convey their point of view clearly to an audience. Argumentative writing also provides an opportunity for students to understand different point of views when reading news articles, opinions and essays. By … Continue reading How to Write an Argumentative Paragraph

9 Tips to Support English Language Learners

February 27, 2016February 27, 2016 ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 3 Comments

If you are teaching English Language Learners, here are some tips and strategies that you can practice in the classroom to create a safe environment and support the students throughout their learning process: 1. Speak slower, not louder: Students need to process the words separately and form an understanding, for ELL students this requires some … Continue reading 9 Tips to Support English Language Learners

Using Literature to Teach Social Justice

February 23, 2016February 24, 2016 ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 1 Comment

I came across a community post a few days ago that was inquiring about ways to teach students about social justice in english class. I feel very passionate about connecting the discussions in my english class to issues that have a social and cultural impact. As a teacher, I think this is how we can … Continue reading Using Literature to Teach Social Justice

Debunking the Myths of English Language Learners

February 18, 2016February 18, 2016 ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 1 Comment

This post was originally published on Edutopia. Myths in the education system are important to debunk in order to build a better support system for students. The future of education depends on looking at past failures, and not just learning from them to move forward, but to rise upwards. There are several myths in English … Continue reading Debunking the Myths of English Language Learners

How to Use Social Media to Strengthen Student Writing

February 17, 2016February 17, 2016 ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ Leave a comment

This post was originally published on Edutopia. When Advancement Placement and The National Writing Project surveyed teachers regarding social media use in the classroom, they found that 78% agree (26% strongly agree) that digital technologies “encourage student creativity and personal expression”. Digital tools of course give access to social media, which is a powerful outlet … Continue reading How to Use Social Media to Strengthen Student Writing

Strategies to Help Build Relationships with English Language Learners

February 13, 2016February 13, 2016 ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ Leave a comment

This post was originally published on Edutopia. rap·port a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well. My first day teaching an ELL class, I walked in and was very confident that it was going to be the best class ever. After all, … Continue reading Strategies to Help Build Relationships with English Language Learners

Building Relationships With Families of ELLs

February 5, 2016February 5, 2016 ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ Leave a comment

This post was originally published on Education Week. One of the hardest thing to go through as a parent is to watch your child struggle to learn a new language, as well as try to fit in socially at school. Building a relationship with parents and guardians of English language learners can help to alleviate … Continue reading Building Relationships With Families of ELLs

Steps to Writing a Research Paper

January 17, 2016January 17, 2016 ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ Leave a comment

When it comes to writing a research paper in English class, the most difficult part that students often struggle with is the research aspect. This stage is often overwhelming for many students, as many of them often wonder where they should start and what they should look for when it comes to choosing a topic … Continue reading Steps to Writing a Research Paper

Critical Thinking & Textual Analysis: an example

January 1, 2016January 25, 2016 ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 2 Comments

This is an example that accompanies my Edutopia blog post, Teaching Literary Analysis. Remember that the questions posed and the answers provided should be worked out as part of a process. Students can have many different answers, but the teacher should facilitate questions throughout the process that encourage critical thinking. Choose a topic: Character: … Continue reading Critical Thinking & Textual Analysis: an example