Dear Tired Teacher...

 Dear tired teacher... The end is nigh, but the end-of-year tasks are piling up and the students are getting antsy. It makes for long days. So how can you keep students learning and engaged while cutting yourself some slack? Maybe you could harness their increasing desire to talk. The Harkness Discussion method was developed in the 1930s and used at Phillips Exeter Academy. It's simple, but not easy. Everyone sits around a large table (or in a classroom, circle up the desks). This includes the teacher. Start by posing a question and from there, students engage with each other through asking and answering other questions. The role of the teacher is facilitator while providing minimal direct instruction. Generally, though, you just support and encourage student engagement without dominating or driving the discussion. The dialogue and thinking are student-centered. With its emphasis on critical thinking, students have to prepare themselves by reading, generating questions and possible...

 Dear Tired Teacher... It's close to the middle of May, and for many of us, that means it's close to the end of the year, our energy, and our fire. We're tired.  My school is seeing lots of change - maybe they're good, maybe not. We are on the state's naughty list (low-performing schools), and with that comes added oversight, responsibility, and stress. In the end, though, it's going to be for the best. Our school will emerge revamped and refreshed, and we'll be ready to take on the world. But not today. Today we are tired. Here's what I use regularly in ELA, and not just when I'm tired. I can tell you it works for any text, any level student, any subject. Little to no prep. You can do it today. It's that simple. More importantly, though, it that it's GOOD. PALS is a research-based partner reading strategy. Students take turns reading aloud to their partner, who "coaches" them, and then they switch roles. You can set a timer for the...