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Photo by  Christian Erfurt  on  Unsplash Nathan was notorious for not completing homework, and when he did, it emerged as a crumpled and stained mess from the depths of his backpack. Was Nathan irresponsible and lazy? Did Nathan lack discipline? Nathan was also known as a fierce competitor on the varsity debate team where he was capturing the attention of the college coaches of an activity that requires responsibility, studiousness, and discipline. What’s more, Nathan was also known for scoring high, really high, on classroom and standardized tests. But, he didn’t do his homework, so despite his academic prowess, Nathan’s grades remained abysmal. What did Nathan’s grades report -- his levels of knowledge and skill? No. His character? No. His work ethic? No. Nathan’s grades reported what his teachers valued and how Nathan fell into their value system for fifty minutes a day. What Nathan rarely told his teachers is that his parents were battling addiction and in and out of rehab o

Photo by  NeONBRAND  on  Unsplash My lessons hinge on what I've termed the 3-2-1 method and the 1-2-3 method, which are truly just forms of scaffolding instruction. The 3 represents the whole group; the 2, a small group or pair; and the 1 is for the individual. 1-2-3 in Reading and Literature Instruction For reading instruction, I use 1-2-3. To start, I ask my students to reflect on what they read by writing in their online or physical journal. I provide a quote I want the students to analyze, or I ask a question about theme, symbolism, irony, characterization, or style. What's most important is that the prompt is thought-provoking and difficult to answer without elaboration. Moving to 2, I ask my students to share something about what they have written with a partner or small group. Because the students have had time to collect and develop their thoughts on their own, these discussions tend to be lively and meaningful. I determine how exactly stage 3 will look by

Photo by  John Schnobrich  on  Unsplash These two emails showed up in my inbox this summer. "Hi, Ms. Benz! Hope you are having a great summer! Just wanted to let you know I got my June ACT back and was very happy with the results. The first time I took it I got a 26; my English was my best score at a 28, and my reading dropped my composite drastically at a 22. However, the second time, my English was a 33 and my reading was a 30, increasing by 8 points and putting my composite at a 30. ...I would just like to say thanks because your class had a DIRECT impact on these scores, and they likely would not have improved like this without your class. Your class not only drastically changed my score but also my potential college! I have often been annoyed with the ACT for many reasons— one being because it seems like a glorified reading test— but after your class I realized it can benefit me and not hurt me. Thanks!!!" "Mrs. Benz, I hope your summer is off to a great s