#2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. We chat every Tuesday night at 8 pm EST using #2ndaryELA. We'd love for you to join us!
Hi, I'm Jessica Ogden. Currently, I am the Instructional Lead Teacher at Richmond Hill Middle School in Richmond Hill, Ga! Glad to join tonight #2ndaryela
A1: Digital tools cut my grading time by so much and no piles of paper = less stress for me. I use Doctopus/Goobric, Autocrat, DocAppender and others. #2ndaryELA
Hi! I am Danielle Ennis. I am an 8th grade ELA teacher at Richmond Hill Middle School in Richmond Hill, GA. This is my first chat! I am excited. #2ndaryela
A1: Focus on the importance/the essence of the assignment ... donāt mark it all up. Give verbal feedback. Donāt give every assignment a grade. #2ndaryELA
A1: I ease my grading load (especially writing assignments) by utilizing technology like Google docs with the feedback commentary extension. I also try to pace myself by grading only one class a day when grading projects and/or essays. #2ndaryela
. A1. It starts with making sure the assignments are meaningful. Quality over quantity-especially in writing. Selecting quality assignments can help reduce your load. #2ndaryELA
A1 As a second year teacher one of my biggest lessons learned is DON'T GRADE EVERYTHING... even if I collect it for the sake of accountability #2ndaryELA
A1: I use sites/tools that do some of the grading for me (Google Forms, Actively Learn, etc). Also, rubrics for writing assignments and projects. #2ndaryELA
A2. Reading their work to the class or reading together always gave me a break. āSilent seat workā is not the answer. You can still be meaningful, interactive and low-key! #2ndaryELA
A2: I've been learning that not everything needs a grade and not everything even needs feedback from me - so I pace big assignments that need my feedback. #2ndaryELA
A2: Analyzing episodes of The Twilight Zone for irony, foreshadowing, etc, Story Cubes, Emoji generator writing prompts, Newsela, a Commonlit story, Quizlet, vocab review games, Kahoot #2ndaryELA
A1: I ease my grading load by lots of feedback as we work through the writing process to make the final draft grading quicker. I have also tried staggered turn-ins so I don't have 120 papers all at once. #2ndaryELA
A2: I like using Jigsaw Activities and Learning Carousels in my classroom. These activities promote collaboration among peers and demonstrate to students the importance of learning from/with each other! #2ndaryela
A2: I've recently found a vocabulary game on TPT that my students enjoy. I also use other games (Kahoot!, Quizlet) and Escape Rooms as review.
#2ndaryela
Q3: I find listening to music with earbuds really helps me focus during my planning time, and I get more grading done because I block out distractions #2ndaryELA
A3: I try to find ways to laugh in my class everyday. The best thing I've learned in a decade is not to take myself so seriously! And when all else fails, this is "my" GIF! #2ndaryELA
A3. I try to be in the moment wherever I am. My teachers and students deserve it. Being present mentally and emotionally helps me balance the day. #2ndaryELA
A3: I love reading to the students and having wonderful discussions about the characters and plot! We keep it low key, fun, and very conversational. That is my happy place that keeps me going during the stressful times. #2ndaryela
A3. I try to be in the moment wherever I am. My teachers and students deserve it. Being present mentally and emotionally helps me balance the day. #2ndaryELA
A3: I like to create to-do lists for each day with a list of things that are priority for that day and things that are coming up to stay organized! Checking items off my to-do list helps me manage stress and avoid feeling overwhelmed! #2ndaryELA
A4: Do not check your work email at home. Set limits on what days of the week you will bring work home. It is better to stay a little later or arrive earlier than to bring it home. #2ndaryELA
A4 think it is important to spend time outside. As soon as I get home I like to take a walk with my dogs and just breath in the fresh air It helps clear my mind and appreciate the day.#2ndaryELA
A4: A few of my colleagues and I workout after school together. It is a great way to manage stress and enjoy time with co-workers outside of school! #2ndaryELA
A3 I usually take a quiet lunch break to get a little "me" time in during the day -- since so much of my time is spent interacting with other people! It feels good to "turn it off" for at least 20 minutes #2ndaryELA
I learned to use teacher leaders. Many of my teachers have more skills at things than I do. I learned to ask for help so I can have a family and personal life as well as a professional one! #2ndaryELA
A4: Set a cut off time for grading. Spend time with your family. Get some exercise and rest. If you don't take some time to care for yourself, it is hard to show care for others. #2ndaryELA
A4: I rarely bring grading home (unless it's digital), so I leave most of my planning for home (because it's fun to me and I use https://t.co/ERbLYoMxbG) I also watch a lot of tv and enjoy my family #2ndaryELA
A4 taking group exercise classes has been huge. I used to think I was too tired to work out at the end of a long day, but now I know it energizes me! #2ndaryELA
A5: Take a mental health day if you need it, sleep in on the weekends (if possible), You will drive yourself crazy if you work 24/7 so find some time to relax #2ndaryELA
Thank you to all the #2ndaryela chatters - you always give me good ideas! A special thanks to our hostesses - @2peasandadog & @literarymaven See you all next week!
A5 it's okay to take time for yourself because one "imperfect" lesson (or making them wait another week to get their essays back) is not going to break your students! #2ndaryELA
A5: Teaching as a marathon, not a sprint! We have to learn ways to not only take care of ourselves, but each other as well! Creating strong mentor programs/relationships for our new teachers is vital! #2ndaryELA
