The last months of school go by in a flash. Writing prompts can help your students gather their memories of the year and prepare for what the summer holds. These low-stakes activities also invite your students to see writing as a fun, meaningful, and—dare we say—joyful activity. The prompts help students honor their experiences and reflect on the school year. My Top 10 Students create a Top 10 List for the school year.

Novels and short stories are filled with emotions. The characters in them experience the ups and downs of the human condition, often in dramatic fashion. And as we read along, we feel things, too—about the characters and ourselves.

You've given your students helpful writing feedback all year long. Now it's time to reverse roles. Before summer break, survey your students about their learning experiences.

Commenting on grammar issues in student writing presents a tricky teaching situation. You don’t want students to flounder without support, but you also don’t want them to drown in red corrections.  Thankfully, a happy middle ground exists.  Follow these tips to deliver quick, effective grammar feedback. Then download the free resource to see the advice in action.  1. Choose the right time.  Early in the writing process, students should focus on the ideas, organization, and voice of their writing—and so should your feedback.

July is flying by in a flash. We hope you are spending time relaxing, refreshing, and recuperating—even as back-to-school season approaches ever so quickly.   One of the best ways to soften the transition from summer to the new school year is through John Dewey’s favorite practice: reflection.

When the new school year begins, students will enter classrooms feeling a range of emotions, not the least of which is fear. They may wonder: Do I belong?

Not all the writing your students do needs to be in formal, graded assignments.  In fact, most should occur in low-stakes situations, where students can brainstorm, wonder, create, practice, reflect, and apply skills without fear of grades or criticism.  A writer’s notebook offers the perfect canvas for such writing.

The first weeks of school feel like a whirlwind. Students enter our classrooms full of wonder but also worry: Am I smart enough? Will people accept me? Do I belong here? You can ease their worries by building a sense of belonging.

In your dream classroom, what does a good discussion look like? For the longest time, my dream resembled a scene from Dead Poets Society. I pictured myself facilitating lively conversations about literature, with energized students speaking up, sharing insights, talking through difficult ideas, and working toward new understandings. In reality, the reading discussions in my English classes were much more muted.

To develop new writing skills, students need something to emulate. You can have students read models of strong writing to explore new genres and prepare to write.