All Posts

Earth Day presents a powerful opportunity to help students explore real-world issues while strengthening essential literacy skills.  Instead of relying on simple crafts or worksheets, teachers can use Earth Day lessons that engage students with reading, writing, and critical thinking  skills that matter long after April 22nd.  When students connect environmental topics with deep thinking and purposeful reading and writing, learning becomes memorable and meaningful. Curriculu

Centres are meant to be the most productive part of the day, with students working independently while you provide targeted instruction in small groups. But for many teachers, centre time quickly turns into noise, off-task behaviour, and constant interruptions. If you’re dealing with students wandering the room, calling your name every two minutes, or arguing about where they’re supposed to be, you’re not failing as a teacher.  In most cases, behaviour issues during centres a

Discover how Small Group Rotation Slides can transform your classroom transitions. These Small Group Rotation Slides are a game-changer for teachers!

Discover 3 Reasons Your Students Miss the Meaning and how to fix it with a structured Weekly Reading to Writing Cycle. Enhance comprehension now!

Teaching students to make inferences is one of the most important and sometimes most challenging aspects of reading comprehension instruction in upper elementary classrooms.  In grades 4–6, students are expected to move beyond literal understanding and begin drawing conclusions, analyzing characters, and interpreting information that is not directly stated in the text. One of the most effective ways to teach this skill is by using mentor texts .  Carefully chosen mentor texts

Teaching students to make inferences is one of the most important, and sometimes most challenging, reading comprehension skills in upper elementary.  Many students struggle because inference answers are not directly stated in the text. Instead, students must combine text clues with what they already know, which requires explicit instruction and guided practice. One of the most effective ways to teach making inferences in grades 4–6 is by using the gradual release of responsib

Explore Black History Month writing projects that celebrate Canadian voices. Engage students in meaningful learning and reflection with these projects.

Explore Ontario Black History Month lesson plans for engaging, curriculum-aligned teaching. Discover how these lesson plans enrich Canadian classrooms.

Explore Canadian Black History Month lesson plans that go beyond Rosa Parks. Engage students with Canadian-focused content and critical thinking.

Discover No-Prep Canadian Black History Month Resources for busy teachers. Engage students easily with no-prep Canadian Black History Month Resources.

Making an inference is one of the most important reading comprehension skills teachers can help students develop.  It allows students to read between the lines, using clues from the text combined with their prior knowledge to draw logical conclusions.  Unlike directly stated facts, inferences require critical thinking, making this skill essential for understanding stories, informational texts, and test passages.  In this post, I’ll explain what it means to make an inference,

Middle-grade writers often struggle with sentence fragments, short choppy sentences, or run-ons. Even students who understand grammar in theory may produce writing that feels disjointed, simplistic, or hard to read.  This is especially true for EAL learners, who are simultaneously building language skills while learning how to write fluent, coherent sentences. The good news? Sentence combining and daily micro-writing tasks can transform even hesitant writers into confident, f

If you’ve ever taught a reading comprehension skill in September only to have students forget it by October, you’re not alone. As teachers, especially those working with English language learners, we know that mastery doesn’t come from a single lesson. It grows through consistent, repeated exposure. That’s where spiral review  becomes a game-changer. Today, I’m breaking down why spiral review works best for reading comprehension  and exactly how to use spiral review in readin

A Practical Guide to Step-by-Step Reading to Writing Instruction When teachers talk about literacy instruction, reading and writing often get separated into different lessons, different blocks, and different skill sets. But the truth is this: students learn best when reading and writing work together . For many learners, especially EAL/ELL students, the jump from understanding a text to writing about it is enormous.  They can answer comprehension questions orally, but when as

The winter months are tough, aren't they? Post-holiday fatigue sets in, the days are short, and student engagement can feel like trying to pull a wool sweater over a grumpy cat. As ELA and EAL teachers, we face a big challenge: how do we keep the academic rigor high—pushing for deep comprehension and evidence-based writing—when student energy is running on fumes? The answer isn’t more flashy activities; it’s creating a  weekly reading to writing cycle   . Unstructured ELA tim

If you’re like most teachers, the thought of running STEM activities in the classroom can feel overwhelming—especially during the busy winter months. Between report cards, holiday programs, and keeping students engaged during chilly afternoons, planning hands-on challenges can feel like just one more thing on your to-do list.  But here’s the truth: STEM doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. In fact, with just a few essential materials , you can run engaging, meaningful

If you’re like most teachers, winter can feel overwhelming. Between holiday concerts, report cards, and trying to keep students engaged during those chilly months, planning STEM activities can easily fall to the bottom of your to-do list.  But here’s the good news: hands-on STEM learning doesn’t have to take hours of prep. With the right structure, you can turn winter-themed challenges into low-prep STEM centers  that engage your students, teach problem solving, and even give

We all know our students learn best when they can do  instead of just listen.  Hands-on learning allows students to explore concepts, test ideas, and actually see  how things work. When I first introduced STEM challenges in my classroom, I was amazed at how much more my students remembered compared to a traditional lesson. The moment they built something — whether it stood tall or toppled over — it stuck in their minds. Here’s why: Hands-on learning engages multiple senses,

If you’ve ever watched your students light up while building something, you already know the magic of STEM. There’s something about letting kids plan, create, test, and improve that pulls out their best thinking — even from the quietest learners. When I first started thinking about running STEM challenges , I’ll be honest — I wasn’t sure it was worth it!  I pictured tape everywhere, lopsided towers, and students asking, “What do we do next?”  But after years of trial, error,

It’s Sunday evening. You’re sitting at your desk surrounded by papers, coffee in hand, and your laptop open to a blank lesson plan template. You glance at the clock — time is slipping away — and you haven’t planned a single thing for the week. Sound familiar? Lesson planning can feel like it takes forever . Teachers spend hours writing detailed plans that may not even match the flow of real classroom life.  The truth is, most of us don’t have hours to spare. Between grading,