How Teachers Can Take Charge of their Professional Development

Isolation in the classroom is a serious feeling that many teachers suffer. I was definitely one of them. I felt very isolated when I started teaching and could not relate to most of my colleagues. There was very little time for colleagues to meet in person and a lack of PD opportunities. Many of them … Continue reading How Teachers Can Take Charge of their Professional Development

How to Give Constructive Feedback to Students

This is a guest post by Ethan Miller. Ethan is a dedicated private ESL teacher. Apart from his passion for teaching, Ethan loves to write and holds a degree in creative writing. When he is not teaching or writing his book, Ethan loves to blog and is a huge fan of educational technology. You can check out his blog Essay Writing Tips … Continue reading How to Give Constructive Feedback to Students

Teaching Students to Analyze Sources of Information

As a result of the civil war in Syria, more than 4 million people have fled Syria since the conflict started. This situation, along with war and injustice in other countries such as Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan and many more, has resulted in a global refugee crisis. As refugees seek to move to safer places, … Continue reading Teaching Students to Analyze Sources of Information

My #Workflow: An Interview with @RoyanLee

My interview with Royan Lee about my Workflow. The #MyWorkflow series asks educators who are active creators on social media to share how they do their work. Today we speak to Rusul Alrubail, a renaissance educator who does just about everything. Currently dedicated to being a full time mother to her beautiful daughters, Rusul remains … Continue reading My #Workflow: An Interview with @RoyanLee

Using Poetry to Facilitate Discussions

This post was originally published on Annenberg Learner Blog. “If you present poetry as if it were castor oil, no one will be interested. Instead, teachers can approach it as something fun, and also explore poetry that connects to the students and their lives (as opposed to choosing poetry that they feel “should” be studied).” … Continue reading Using Poetry to Facilitate Discussions

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

   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

Three Easy Tips for Teachers on Twitter

It is often said that teaching is an isolated job. Sure, we might not feel this way while we’re teaching — after all, we’re surrounded by our students. The classroom noise, students’ laughter, and busy conversations often make us feel like we’re not alone. But what happens when class is over? What happens when the students leave? … Continue reading Three Easy Tips for Teachers on Twitter

9 Tips to Support English Language Learners

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