Writing tip: keep a list of "wasteful words" #blogchat

clutter (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

Write compelling words that promote action. If you're writing online, it probably isn't just because you want to read it. Study impactful bloggers. See how they use words. Learn from them.

Here's a trick that has helped me craft better blog posts. I keep a list of wasteful words. They are enemies of clarity.

What is a wasteful word?

This is my list of wasteful words.
What are yours?

A word that clouds meaning or takes up space. Word clutter makes you hard to read.

My list of wasteful words

• There are / There is
• It is
• very * extremely * really * actual
• Given the fact * in fact * the fact is that
• had a * have a * had an * have an * have on * had on
• on how to
• of the
• say that * think that
• successfully
• along 
• has 
• ones 
• specifically 
• again * available
• with regard to * with respect to * in reference to * in connection with * for the purpose of
• advance * together * basic * close * end * free * past
• you need to
• a lot

Find and eliminate

If you press Ctrl + F (on a PC) or Command + F (Mac) you can find and remove these words. Most offending words take up space, clouding your point. 

Create a Word clutter collection

Add your own crutch words to your list. (Mine is "a lot.") If you put them in your computer, save time by copying and pasting the words in the find box.

Teach powerful writing and blogging

If you teach writing, keep a word list or add to the list throughout the year. Teach students (especially bloggers) to search for and remove these words as part of writing.

4 Times I always clear word clutter

1. Before I turn anything in to my editor. All chapters or articles get searched for every word. For frequent words, save time and turn on the advanced search feature and check "match exact word."
2. "Epic Blog posts" - If it takes longer than 30 minutes to write, I'm going to check it. If a post starts going viral, I'll recheck it for clutter words.
3. When I'm trying to communicate simply. Less clutter words, more meaning. I've used this in important emails and letters.
4. This post. I am afraid of using these words and harming my thesis here. I've already searched three times! ;-)

Clutter words are a problem for me. I have to intentionally take them out.

What are your offensive words? Please share in the comments.

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The joy of writing

Books are beautiful gifts... but you can write words to improve other's lives too.

"No man is an island..."

These words were penned by John Donne as he thought he lay dying from the plague. Masterful words as he pondered the meaning of life and death 'for whom the bell tolls."

Truly, some of the most heart wrenching, agonizing circumstances, squeeze from the pen of great authors words full of meaning that distill rich drops of life onto the pages of history.

"Never, never, never give up."

said Winston Churchill to a people who were pondering just that. The words meant so much because the nights were, quite literally, so black, punctuated by fiery death dropped from the sky and sirens that kept sleep at bay. Who could understand a sleep deprived people with tear encrusted eyes working through the day to live to face another unfaced foe again that night?

Yet, the words became immortal when uttered at the darkest moment. They gave hope and stay written because they are repeated - this one is even on the magnet on my fridge as I teach my children to face the giants of their lives with pitiful stones and slings and a God who sees.

But as I ponder the words of so many great authors. The things written that we remember... and I wonder if all such words must be penned in some sort of prison - a prison of circumstance or solitude. If one hopes to write well, are we also wishing upon ourselves such a prison? Are the walls we erect around ourselves in order to observe the world, also separating us from the mankind upon which we ponder and reflect.

Writing is a gift and yet, there are times when I am deprived of her sweet release - stuck checking email or grading papers - I feel like my love of writing is a curse just because I can't do it. There are other times that things are so personal, that they are only suitable for journal -- indeed, that is what John Donne was writing.

Yet, his words and conclusions as he traveled through the darkest days of his life have taught me so much. He eventually concluded that one must either fear God or everything else. Such a conclusion, perhaps, could only happen from days of torment, although as one who aspires to write, I wish it wasn't so.

My own mortality raises her head at me as my body ages and small things happen... the little pop in my knee. The need to get progressive lenses and write everything down are reminders that I am at least changing in some way.

Yet, the passion I feel for my students as they walk in my room is stronger than ever. The thing is, I am also a writer too. And I feel passion for anyone who chooses to read my meager words upon the cybersphere. I am not a John Donne lifting my head to write upon a creased page as I sweat and am bled of my life's marrow by physicians ill informed and even unable to properly diagnose my malady. No GK Chesterton writing tomes of ponderings for newspapers and ready to debate and captivate audiences or Winston Churchill laying out words late into the night to secretaries who will type and return the first draft the next day as he travels to state events and insults Lady Astor. I'm no Emily Browning writing her words alone or one of the Bronte geniuses writing of love and insanity. I'm no Hemingway, getting up at 3 am to write until heading out to fish around noon - although I have to admit that his existence is one that makes me most envious. I love to fish...and write.

And yet, I realize, that the new form of writing - one which allows me to write and ponder in near real-time allows certain opportunities. While not truly a journal - surely my inner thoughts are not worthy of anyone but me and my Maker -- it is still somewhat a pondering of the current state of my life.

I write as I am living through a turmoil and lava hot level of stress that no one could truly understand as I seek to be and remain a teacher. I type as I try to balance and keep those Baskerville Hounds that seek to voraciously gobble up my positive attitude so that the marrow of my being is consumed. I scribble down thoughts I attempt to stave off the pendulum that sometimes swings overhead as I alone detect its subtle lowering of the blade upon my ability to thrive amidst the chaos.

As these struggles surround me - the network of cables tentacling through the campus like the demon beast in 20,000 leagues under the sea - or the extra curricular activities that scream into my brain like the locked up bride of Heathcliff when I'm trying to sleep. Or the precious children that I ponder daily as I plan lessons, teach, and assess and try to provide feedback that not only teaches my subject but will shape their lives.

As I work to parent the three beautiful children in my care and feed them good, healthy food. As I climb Mt. Laundry feeling as lost as the passengers in "Alive" -a book that I read as a child and made me afraid to fly over snow capped mountains. As I work to juggle an online life that would easily choke me like the tentacles of the sea that wrapped around Jonah's throat when he was thrown overboard by a crew anxious to stave off an angry God.

I watch for the threats to my peace of mind like the family in Swiss Family Robinson watched for the pirates they knew would come, and invariably, like them, those pirates come when I'm not looking.

So, while I'm not all those other masterful authors - those men and women I admire. It is easy to forget that they were flesh and blood, just like me and you, writing admist the struggles and pressures of life. They didn't always want to write, but like the prophet Jeremiah perhaps the words were "shut up like fire in my bones, I tried to hold them back but I could not." I think of Peter Marshall, the amazing Irish pastor who settled in DC, perfectly formatting sermons that would live long after him, and his grieving young widow, Catherine, who would first write "A Man Called Peter" but proceed to have a career of her own writing such novels as "Christy." I think of Philip Yancey's long struggle with God and pain and penning the book "Soul Survivor" about how he reconciled his faith in God amidst a church that falls short that has helped me with my own heartache over my childhood church's departing from the Truth.

As I ponder these great authors who have punctuated my own life with their beautiful words and prose. These people who reach through time and space like Dale Carnegie did for me as a child reading his book in the bathtub trying to figure out how to win that student government election in high school.

These authors were great because they wrote from experience and had a somewhat creative genius of seeing the world. Indeed some of them got along better with the characters in their writing than with the humans in their lives (i.e. Tolstoy).

Truthfully, my heroes have most often been speakers and authors - with a focus on the latter. From the author and finisher of my faith to the great authors of the ages - I just don't think there's enough time to read all of them. I'm so thankful that so many of the great works of the ages are converted and put on the amazon store for free so I can absorb their words as I absorb my hot bubble bath every night. Oh such mastery! Oh such beauty and such heartwrenching sadness.

This has truly been a meandering piece and one I'm not sure I'll ever publish but one I write as I grapple with my small tiny place in this scene. For writers can write, but they truly become alive when readers read. While I write nonfiction, I'm no less tenacious about the words I choose and the stories I tell. I read the manuscripts I draft for publishers and when I tire, I mark red through the page and write "boring" in the margin and rework the page.

I dream of writing and yet I write now. Even this, these are words. They are here for you to read or for you to ignore. For me, writing is a joy. As I sit here and type on my ipad and watch these letters appear upon my Blogsy app, I'm spellbound and captivated by the joy of expressing something to another person in the hopes that one person will read it.

It makes it worth it to endure the criticism of the typos and run on sentences and fragments that I intentionally allow in blog posts. This blog is a conversation of types - albeit somewhat onesided, until I get the kind comment or email - or sometimes the irate comment or email -- who do I think I am, after all - a normal, average teacher in a very small town in a very tiny school on a very large globe? Really, who am I?

It matters not who I am, but rather, what I do with what I have. My words are a love affair with other teachers who need encouragement and perhaps this post is a love affair with other writers -- anyone who writes a paragraph online in the hope that another will like, retweet, comment, or be inspired by. As for me, I live for those who send me messages that their lives are changed.

A while back a woman wrote me a note that it had been since 2011 that she had been to school without being kicked or hit or bit by her special needs students. Struggling with an unsupportive admin, she came across a blog post that I wrote one day and saw the words "All you have is enough." She wrote it in sharpie and put it on her desk -- then soon replaced it with a paraphrase of "the Lord is my shepherd..." that related to the same thought. She said it got her through November and December.

I want people to write things to help me get through February, March, April, and May this year. So, if that is what I want, that is what I'll try to be for you. You might need that encouragement too. You might need that glimmer of hope.

Writing is such a powerful medium. The pen may be mightier than the sword but enough keyboards can defeat an army. We now have the ability to escalate and elevate the great writing among us faster than ever in the history of mankind. It is a dream that we will escalate good writing, I'm not sure that it is the case, but we can dream such a dream. And right now, with the embattled educators whose hearts and minds are cast aside by a society that has lost the art of respecting educators, we need keyboards to write the encouraging words that can transform this generation.

Writing is a beautiful thing, but good writing is surreal. It lifts us from our struggles and helps us rise above the trials of life. I'm so grateful to live in an age when books are so accessible and little people like me can write and share with the world our thoughts, until, eventually, perhaps, we can become better writers worthy of a larger audience. Yet, just one improved and helped person is enough of an audience for any person. The first three months of my blog I had 7 readers, I loved those readers - they meant so much to me. I still think of them and wonder who they were.

While the authors mentioned here are truly some of the greats, it is great to be an author of any kind in any place.

Remember your noble calling, writer. I'm glad to be among you. Your words are very important and make a difference. Be the writer you want to see in the world, you live in a day where you can do that.

 

Written by Vicki Davis, author - Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds - Posted with Blogsy from my iPad

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62 Ideas, Lessons and Humor for English Teachers #engchat

Mrs. Caldwell won another STAR award in 2012.

I start back to school today for my eleventh year of teaching next door to my own high school English teacher. Mrs. Caldwell taught me to write and love literature.

She's a fantastic teacher who is always innovating. Just yesterday, she showed me something new she'd created for her class. She never settles and has won STAR teacher over 20 times.

There is no wonder I admire and want to be more like her. I dedicate this list of 62 ideas in her honor on this first day of school 2012. Here's to one of the best English teachers on the planet- Betsy Caldwell.

• Common Core English Language Arts Index via @sharemylesson #engchat
  An indexed list of Common Core English Language Arts standards and lessons aligned with those standards. A must-share for grades 6-12 English/ Language Arts teachers using Common Core.
  tags: education sharemylesson commoncore collaborativewriting book edu_news teaching english_teacher
  
  
• Lesson Planning and the Common Core: A Unit Based on TED.com | Edutopia
  Using a TED.com video in a Common Core aligned writing assignment as students learn about speech patterns with the purpose of driving a TED-like conference at the school.
  tags: education ted commoncore engchat english_teacher teaching bestpractices
  
  
• Curriculum Exemplars | EngageNY
  Engage NH has some examples of lessons that they consider exemplars for English Language arts grades 6-12 and math grades 1,2,7, and high school. IF you're looking to see what this looks like in practice, here are some that you'll want to review.
  tags: commoncore teaching education engchat mathchat english_teacher math_teacher math curriculum bestpractices professionaldevelopment
  
  
• A Guide to Writing Well :: Fire and Knowledge
  Excellent material compiling information from On Writing Well and the elements of Style. This is an excellent piece for writing teachers.
  tags: collaborativewriting writing engchat english_teacher
  
  
• 10+ ways to reduce wordiness in your writing | TechRepublic
  For writers, this excellent article points out great ways to reduce wordiness.
  tags: engchat writing collaborativewriting english_teacher
  
  
• 10 Twitter Lists Every Author Should Follow #writing
  An excellent list of authors and interesting people that would interest authors (and many teachers.) Each list is curated and updated by the person who creates the list, so follow those you'd like to use.
  tags: education twitter collaborativewriting writing engchat english_teacher
  
  
• National Writing Project: National Community open to anyone #engchat
  The National Writing Project (NWP) has a community open to anyone who is interested in writing. If you teach writing, you should consider joining this community. They also have a "Twibe" (for sharing tweets) that you can use to disseminate tweets on the topic of writing. They've always been on the forefront of writing and research. Great organization and some great conversations about common core as well.
  tags: education blogger commoncore ccchat engchat collaborativewriting english_teacher
  
  
• My StoryMaker : Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
  Storymaker is a website that lets young students make stories with graphics and more. It will create a pdf for you that you can save. The pdf can be put on an ipad and tablet, but storymaker itself requires flash.
  tags: education eduapps writing engchat english_teacher
  
  
• Collaborative Writing In Elementary Classrooms | Mr. Walker's Technology Blog
  "A wiki is a forum in which students can collaborate, share and contribute content, and peer review each others work. For example, the students in Mrs. Daly’s (White Rock), Mrs. Young’s, (Stanlick) and Mrs. McLoughlin’s (Stanlick) grade 5 classes have been working with grade 5 classes in Buckingham County, Virginia on a shared wiki. Each student was paired with a student in Virginia who is at or near their writing level. We created a wiki for the project and a page within that wiki for each student. The goal of this collaborative project was to provide an authentic opportunity for students to develop their writing skills. Each student was responsible for authoring a writing piece based on a common writing prompt. After the students added their written work to their page they were responsible for peer editing the work of their partner. The students followed a common template for peer review that was shared with all six teachers involved. The students provided the feedback to their partners in Virginia through the discussion feature that is available on each of their pages. This project has been a success. The students were provided with the opportunity to write for an audience. They enjoyed learning about their partners in Virginia. It was a great opportunity to experience writing from their peers in other states. The opportunity to send and receive feedback provided an opportunity for reflection regarding their writing. The student’s in Mrs. Young’s class and their partner class in Virginia will be continuing this project. They are in the process of organizing a wiki in which each pairing of students will co-author a single story." This is a great example of collaborative writing in the elementary classroom. These teachers are using peer review to cover first drafts.
  tags: education collaborativewriting flatclass teaching engchat english_teacher
  
  
• Reviews of Resource Books for Teachers - Resources - SML
  I think that #engchat and reading teachers would be interested in downloading this list from Linda. She has shared a spreadsheet of reviews by graduate students of teacher books for teaching reading in the content areas. This is an example of how college professors can understand and share resources to help K12 teachers. 
  tags: reading_teacher engchat teaching books reviews english_teacher
  
  
• Roberts On Writing
  My friend Jennifer Roberts is a digital lead teacher in San Diego. She copresented with us at ISTE on Common Core in the Cloud and rocked it. Here's the website she built about Writing Response groups and what she does in the classroom. She's very knowledgeable and I love what she's doing with her students.
  tags: engchat writing commoncore news english_teacher
  
  
• NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program
  national Novel Writing month is in November but this website is so much more. I heard Jennifer Roberts share this with our Panel on Writing with Common Core at ISTE 2012 and this website is a phenomenal way to meet the 3rd standard W.X.3 about Writing narratives. Students collaboratively work together. You can do this any time but November is the big emphasis. I think every school should participate in Nanowrimo -- just love it.
  tags: education news teaching writing engchat commoncore english_teacher
  
  
• Quick vocab maker - Resources - SML
  This cool excel spreadsheet lets you put in vocabulary and quick fits the spreadsheet so you can print them out and share them easily (for those still using paper this is a great download.)
  tags: teaching engchat vocabulary vocabulary_teacher english_teacher literature_teacher
  
  
• Reading Standards for Informational Text (Grades 3-5)
  As you work to integrate Common Core standards into your classroom, it may help to look at sample lessons. In this set, you can see lessons, presentations, and assessments working with informational text (grades 3-5). Remember that you can search the site by grade level and common core standard and that other subject areas besides Common Core are included on the site.
  tags: education teaching engchat literature elemchat elementary_teacher literature_teacher english_teacher
  
  
• Student Journals for Literature Circles - Resources - SML
  This webpage has eight activities to use in literature circles and instructions for you to use as well.
  tags: news literature literatre circles engchat writing english_teacher
  
  
• 9 Amazing Word Cloud Generators For The Classroom …Word Clouds in Education Series: Part 3
  9 Amazing Word Cloud Generators For The Classroom http://t.co/g1b6jPlL #flatclass #edtech #engchat
  tags: flatclass edtech engchat twitter english_teacher
  
  
• 9 Amazing Word Cloud Generators For The Classroom …Word Clouds in Education Series: Part 3 | 21 st Century Educational Technology and Learning
  If you use wordclouds to help extract meaning on a topic before beginning, (try pasting the Gettysburg address into one) then these 9 word cloud generators will be of use to you.
  tags: education teaching engchat literature english_teacher
  
  
• Persuasive writing - Resources - TES
  Lots of ideas for teaching persuasive writing. It is important to have students write about the things that are of interest. This is why blogging is such a great platform - typiclaly first person is allowed students can share their opinions.
  tags: education engchat teaching writing english_teacher
  
  
• Post 16: German: Grammar: Verbs and Tenses: Passive Voice teaching resources - TES
  Some lessons to teach students about the passive voice (in multiple langages.)
  tags: engchat education teaching grammar english_teacher
  
  
• Shakespeare for all ages and stages - Resources - TES
  This booklet is about Shakespeare for all ages and stages. Download this for ideas about how to integrate this important author into your curriculum at all ages.
  tags: engchat english literature Shakespeare english_teacher
  
  
• Myths and Legends - Resources - TES
  An introduction to “Myths and Legends” and “Mythical Monsters”. Text studied, Robert Nye’s “Beowulf”.
  tags: education engchat literature beowulf teaching lessonplans english_teacher
  
  
• Transition to College - Reading and Writing
  Very interesting presentation by Ira Socol about how students are using the MITS Freedom stick - preloaded with some apps - for their reading and writing. If you're a high school language arts teacher or a curriculum director, you would benefit from browsing through this presentation to see what college students are expected to be able to do. It isn't just about paper any more.
  tags: education teaching english_teacher engchat
  
  
• Resource Room: Reading Comprehension
  This website has a treasure trove of reading comprehension resources that you can download and use including a chapter by chapter comprehension guide to accompany Harry Potter.
  tags: education engchat reading reading_teacher teaching english_teacher
  
  
• Comprehension collection - Resources - TES
  Help students with their reading comprehension with these lesson plans. Reading comprehension is such an  important thing and many of these lessons are cross curricular.
  tags: education teaching engchat english_teacher
  
  
• creative writing prompts . com ideas for writers
  Hundreds of creative writing prompts (great for journaling) http://t.co/d57iM57l #engchat #writing
  tags: engchat writing twitter english_teacher
  
  
• Writing lesson plans
  Here are some lesson plans for phonics and writing for younger students to use in your classroom. I've sorted it by the most popular first including some Outdoor ideas and some phonics games you could play.
  tags: education elemchat teaching writing engchat literature english_teacher
  
  
• Haiku Poems - Resources - TES
  This lesson plan for middle school teaches about Haiku and also reviews the concept of syllables. Very extensive resources to use on this one.
  tags: Education haiku poetry engchat literature teaching english_teacher
  
  
• Forms of Poetry: Haiku - Resources - TES
  A nice downloadable resource to teach students about Haiku. (via TES)
  tags: Teaching haiku poetry engchat literature literature_teacher english_teacher
  
  
• Haiku Starter - ReadWriteThink
  Haiku starter printout.
  tags: teaching engchat haiku poetry education literature english_teacher
  
  
• Shakespeare’s birthday collection - Resources - TES
  Happy Birthday William Shakespeare! http://t.co/ABYdvyr9 #engchat
  tags: engchat twitter english_teacher
  
  
• Teaching Resources, Classroom Resources & Lesson Plans - TES Resources
  Shakespeare's birthday is tomorrow - April 23 - lesson plans http://t.co/8vS5vsqs #engchat
  tags: engchat twitter english_teacher
  
  
• Autobiographical Writing - Resources - TES
  An autobiographical writing skills powerpoint and activity including a differentiated lesson plan and more traditional one. I like having different options. This is for older (high school) students.
  tags: education autobiography writing lessonplans engchat teaching literature english_teacher
  
  
• Jacobean England presentation - Resources - TES
  If you're teaching Shakespeare or Webster, this Jacobean England presentation will be a nice introduction for you.
  tags: education engchat literature shakespeare teaching lessonplans english_teacher
  
  
• Doctor Faustus intro (OCR A level) - Resources - TES
  A friend of mine passed this lesson plan on to me with this note to Literature teachers: "Sick of Jacobean literature meaning Shakespeare? Check out this resource on Christopher Marlowe's Faust. " I think that this is a very good point and is the type of lesson that AP literature would use in the US. There is a reading guide, powerpoint, and it also incorporates John Milton's Paradise Lost as a comparative text.
  tags: education lessonplan engchat literature teaching english_teacher
  
  
• Reading is not a race: The virtues of the ‘slow reading’ movement - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
  This article in the Washington Post, I've seen several mentions by teachers. The slow reading movement is one that advocates really getting into a book and also becoming intimate with the "author" even to the point of memorization. It is about relaxing and getting into a book instead of rushing through a lot of them. "I have therefore joined the slow reading movement. Like the slow food movement, it is about more than just slowing down, though that is part of it. It is about an intimacy with authors; it is about paying attention, about caring, about rereading and savoring what we read. It is about finding the right pace. About pleasure more than efficiency. Slow reading is also about recovering old practices that have traditionally aided readers in paying attention — oral performance, annotation, exploring complex and difficult passages. It is about reading that generates ideas for writing, what Ralph Waldo Emerson called “creative reading.” And even memorization."
  tags: education news engchat literature english_teacher
  
  
• Secondary: English: KS3 Poetry: Poetic Forms teaching resources - TES
  Teaching resources covering the different types of poetry.
  tags: education poetry lessonplans teaching engchat english_teacher
  
  
• Forms of Poetry: Haiku
  Japanese Haiku resources and worksheets.
  tags: education lessonplans engchat haiku poetry english_teacher
  
  
• Shakespeare’s birthday collection
  Great collection of lesson plans and information on Shakespeare. There are a lot of downloadables here for literature teachers.
  tags: education teaching engchat literature lessonplans english_teacher
  
  
• Open Educational Resources infoKit / What are Open Educational Resources
  Get started! Open Educational Resources infoKit http://t.co/WWA25DYr #flatclass #edchat #edtech #engchat
  tags: flatclass edchat edtech engchat twitter english_teacher
  
  
• Grammar Girl : Affect Versus Effect :: Quick and Dirty Tips ™
  Grammar girl has so many great ways to remember things in grammar. I've missed the words "effect" and "affect"  in the past and am working on improving my own grammar. It is one of those things i've been taught all of this and when I was valedictorian I knew it but somewhere in there between there and here I've forgotten some of it. I go to grammar girl to give me ways to remember it. OK affect - verb; effect - noun.  Grammar teachers will enjoy her.
  tags: education lessonplan teaching grammar engchat english_teacher
  
  
• World Poetry Day - TES English - Resources - TES
  Get ready to read poetry! World Poetry day is March 21. Here are a lot of lesson plans and ideas for that day including some digital e-poetry booklets that you could download as well as mp3's and videos that you can use as well as lesson plans.
  tags: education teaching poetry engchat literature_teacher literature march english_teacher
  
  
• Year 8 English Booster SoW - Writing Styles - Resources - TES
  Great lesson that turns writing students into music producers to improve writing. Designed for the middle school classroom.
  tags: education music lessonplan lessonplans engchat writing literacy literature english_teacher
  
  
• Google Lit Trips Video.mp4 - YouTube
  An excellent video about Google lit trips and how it works.
  tags: education edapp eduapp Google maps lit trips engchat english_teacher
  
  
• ALERT: Have you cleared your Google web history?
  ALERT: Have you cleared your Google web history? http://t.co/JGfoyry9 #privacy #edchat #engchat
  tags: privacy edchat engchat twitter english_teacher
  
  
• KS3 Shakespeare Schemes of Work - Resources - TES
  This is a fascinating holistic through through Shakespeare by English teacher, John Field. Including Much Ado about Nothing and Romeo and Juliet. He calls these his "tudor hall shakespeare units." If you teach Shakespeare, you may want to look at this and the other items here. Here's a tip: If you look at the classification at the bottom KS3 means high school and then you can click on Plays by Title and click on just about any play you will teach to find a lot of lesson plans and information for that play. If you're a beginning teacher or looking for new things, you'll want to drill down. I hope you'll share too. I'm having a love thing this February. ;-)
  tags: education teaching learning shakespeare literature engchat english_teacher
  
  
• The Crucible CAT - Speaking & Listening Assignment - Resources - TES
  Debate the crucible as the Salem Witch Trial anniversary approaches. This is a lesson plan and assessment rubric, and a character sheet for assignment of roles.
  tags: education teaching debate engchat literature_teacher english_teacher
  
  
• Hazeldale Elementary School kids use iPad app to learn pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary | OregonLive.com
  Using ipads to teach vocabulary. In this mainstream media article, students are using Toontastic to create stories and learn new vocabulary. My students enjoy Puppetpals, another great one to use.
  tags: teaching ipad vocabulary engchat elemchat english_teacher
  
  
• Superhero Unit - comics in the classroom - Resources - TES
  there is a reason that this resource is going viral over at Tes. This masterful set of lesson uses comic books with a wide range of writing activities: short story, informative, biography, and comic strip. You have lesson plans and instructions for how to use this. Use comics to teach biographics. Many teachers groan about teaching nonfiction. I love this.
  tags: education teaching writing composition engchat english_teacher
  
  
• BBC News - A Point of View: Mourning the loss of the written word
  Is the written word gone? Is it lost? I know fore me, I have a cross pen and waterman with beautiful ink. I still write in my journal and I still write letters, although I have to admit, not as much as I used to. This is a great post to share and use for reflection and debate in your composition classes. With over 239 comments as of the writing of this, it has a lot of meat and thoughts in the comments as well.
  tags: education news writing engchat english_teacher
  
  
• Mr Thorne Does Literacy
  mr. Thorne is out of the UK. He has great phonics lessons. Yes, he has a british accent, but you could listen and redo these lessons in your own classroom if you are US. 
  tags: education literacy engchat reading phonics teaching english_teacher
  
  
• Charles Dickens Lesson Plans and resources
  Charles Dickens birthday is February 7th. Here are resources and lesson plans to help you.
  tags: lessonplans teaching lessons engchat literature charles dickens english_teacher
  
  
• Ask Shakespeare February 2, 2011 - Resources - TES
  This will be a fascinating Twitter-centric event on February 2nd. Sign up now to participate. "Organised by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Ask Shakespeare is a one day, online event taking place on February 2, 2011. From the SBT: "On 2, February 2011 we are asking Shakespeare organisations, enthusiasts and scholars and professionals worldwide to sign up and join us on the Ask Shakespeare panel through their twitter accounts. On February 2, 2011 this panel will be ready to answer your Shakespeare questions." If you would like to represent TES English on the Ask Shakespeare panel, please message me."
  tags: teaching education shakespeare engchat english_teacher
  
  
• CBAL ELA Competency Model and Provisional Learning Progressions - home
  This is interesting. ETS has launched a website about: "Educational Testing Service (ETS), the world's leading measurement and research organization, has launched a new website to stimulate discussion, debate, and promote empirical research to help teachers and students meet the goals of the English language arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards." but this is most definitely a wiki (looks like wikispaces.) I find it fascinating that a company would use a wiki because so many have resisted this. I wonder who can join and who can edit. Interesting. It says you can join. It will be interesting to see what they are doing with this. Perhaps some of you common core experts should join.
  tags: education commoncore engchat news composition english_teacher
  
  
• Twenty Dyslexia Friendly Writing Tips - Resources - TES
  20 Dyslexia friendly writing tips. (Yes, I've spent the evening browsing the ideas on the Tes website.)
  tags: education teaching lessonplans engchat english_teacher
  
  
• Lesson Plans - ReadWriteThink
  Language arts teachers of all ages will love the free lesson plans on this website. They are standards based and organized by grade level.
  tags: engchat composition composition_teacher lessonplans teaching literature_teacher bestpractices all_teachers english_teacher
  
  
• Lesson Plan | Scrutinizing Stand-Ins: Working With Nouns and Pronouns - NYTimes.com
  Lesson plan on pronouns using the New York Times.
  tags: grammar teaching lessonplans endchat english_teacher
  
  
• Paula Naugle's Irregular Verb Resources
  Paula has collected resources for helping students with irregular English verbs. I'm struggling with helping my fourth grader learn them and have a whole week to get ready for the test and will be using these sites, review games, and activities! Thank you Paula!
  tags: education teaching lessonplans engchat english_teacher grammar
  
  
• Mario and Sonic English - Resources - TES
  So you need a writing prompt or ideas to get students excited about writing. Here is an idea that used Mario and Sonic to encourage writing. This describes how a games based approach can be used for collaboratively building descriptions of characters and or settings. It can be used as the initial stimulus for imaginative writing by providing "concrete" experiences for learners.
  tags: education teaching lessonplans engchat writing english_teacher
  
  
• Lesson Plan SOS: There’s No Time (Literally!) Like the Present!
  I love this lesson plan linking Christmas, New Years, and writing to help children focus on work ethic and goal setting. Nice lesson plan blog.
  tags: teaching lessonplan writing engchat english_teacher
  
  
• 30 Ideas for Teaching Writing - National Writing Project
  30 Ideas for Teaching Writing - National Writing Project http://t.co/OlLaokHH via @writingproject #engchat
  tags: engchat twitter english_teacher
  
  
• Organizing and pre-writing
  Nice overview of exercises and activities for prewriting.
  tags: education english_teacher literature_teacher composition teaching literature
  
  
• The 56 best/worst similes
  HUMOR: 56 best/worst similes "sardines were packed as tight as the coach section of a 747" http://t.co/gR4gRu6I Via @donnaroman #engchat
  tags: engchat twitter english_teacher

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