Welcome to the Middle School Cafe! Why have I called my site a cafe? Well, if you know me as well as my students do, you'll understand one very important thing about me - I LOVE coffee! I call it froo-froo coffee (mocha's, latte's, skinny, nonfat, extra shot, well you get the picture), the fancier the better. Unlike many who visit the coffee house, I don't have just one specialty drink I ...
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Latest from the Cafe
Get to Know your Students as Readers
We often assume that because we teach secondary ELA that students come to us with a rich history of reading. After all, don’t they require reading in elementary school?
I know this is what I believed when I started teaching all those many years ago! What I discovered, however, was ...
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5 Important things to Remember when Launching Reader’s Workshop
Are you looking to start Reader’s Workshop with your secondary ELA students? Whether you are starting at the beginning of the year or somewhere in the middle, I encourage you to take the time needed to purposefully launch each part of the reading strategy.
While there is no one ...
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Getting Students to Fall in Love with Reading
What if your students came to class everyday asking, “Do we get to read today?” I promise you, this can and does happen all the time. What’s the key to having students beg for more reading time? Simple – student choice! When students read the books they want to read, they fall in love ...
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Students Need a Voice In Elections
While it is true, your students can’t vote in elections yet, they can still be part of the election process by encouraging others to vote. Students often express how no one listens to them or that they are not old enough to do anything, but they are wrong. Empower your students to make ...
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Change is the Name of the Game
Well, we are officially one month into the school year and to say that it's been a crazy roller coaster ride is putting it mildly. It seems like every time I turn on my computer, or get an email from admin, something is changing or they are apologizing for not knowing the answer. I know many of you ...
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Teaching Elections without Bias
In the political climate of America today, you may find it hard to teach about elections without bias getting in the way, but teaching today’s students the importance of voting is critical to making our Democracy work – it is vital to the success of our government (both local and national) and our ...
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