Reading Discussion Activities When people think of reading discussion activities, they often imagine a whole class in a big circle, but if you want breakthrough instruction in both the content and discussion skills, the students must take center stage. Discussion as Teaching Method As a new teacher, I was recommended and read Teaching With Your…
Socratic Seminar Questions Examples Before the pandemic, my students worked with Socratic Seminar questions examples to create incredible discussions, but what about after the pandemic? At the start of the 2023 school year, many of my students told me they hated talking in class–until I organized them for Socratic Seminars. Purpose of Socratic Seminar Socratic…
Questions for Book Club I have struggled to succeed with book clubs (or literature circles) throughout my teaching. This year I was able to break through with powerful questions for book club that both enriched my practice and sustained my students. Powerful Questions for Book Clubs in High School What if I set up book…
ChatGPT for Teachers Have you played around with ChatGPT yet? I finally got around to it amidst all the things, and I am very excited about some of the possibilities of ChatGPT for teachers using the four moves every literacy lesson plan needs for soaring reading growth. If you haven’t had a chance to check…
Class Discussion Teaching Strategy There was a point in my career where I walked away from class discussions. The large-group conversations didn’t achieve what I wanted: all students included and conversing without my mediation. In small groups, students were more likely to participate, but they still avoided authentic conversation, just sharing round-robin style without any…
Best Small-Group Games Girl laying with book on her face. Text: When the teachers says, “Discuss,” and everyone goes in a circle and says what they wrote on their paper. The best small-group games can help with this phenomenon. I don’t blame students for having these circular “discussions.” They avoid the give-and-take of actual discussion,…
