We've all heard some variation of the saying that "respect isn't given; respect is earned." That adage rings resoundingly true in Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles. Read on to discover a fascinating book about these unsung heroes.

I feel like I'm once again the last one to arrive at the party, but if you haven't seen videos by the History Teachers on YouTube, then you're in for a real treat. The History Teachers are two actual, live teachers from Hawaii who create parody videos about history and literature using popular music.

So what's the point? While this question irks many teachers, I don't mind hearing it. Not at all. I often ask it aloud to remind students that it's an acceptable response (if asked in a genuine way). The question shows me that a student is attempting to find meaning in the source material, whether it's a poem, novel, writing assignment, or video. So how can we stage videos to deliver greater impact in the classroom?

I cross my fingers each time I assign my students a chapter, short story, or article to read at home for our next day's discussion or close reading. Too often I'll pile on related comprehension questions or threaten a quiz just to increase the likelihood that every student will get the reading done. But is there a better way? I think I've found one.

"Write what you know." Young writers hear this adage often from well-meaning teachers. But while their intentions are good, adults fail to mention to students that often countless hours of research may be needed to inform good writing, whether that writing be nonfiction, historical fiction, or science fiction.

In a previous post I discussed close reading, so here I won't speak as much about that process as I will about a promising site for annotating called NowComment. Many of us use Google Docs (Drive) in the classroom for student annotation of texts. It works, but could be better.

In a previous post titled Stirring the Pot: Fueling Discussion in Reading Class, I mentioned that I'd share some ideas for ensuring that all students read assigned chapters for homework. In truth I have several methods that dramatically increase the probability that all students will read the assigned selection.

I recently participated in a dialogue with fellow middle school teachers from an adjoining district, and naturally the conversation came around to novels. When we compared the number of novels taught in each school, our colleagues were teaching nine to ten a year versus our four!

Although it largely depends upon the classes taught, I typically ask students to complete four writing assignments which are directly or indirectly connected to our Holocaust unit. I think you'll find at least one great idea here that you can adapt for your own classroom!