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(Updated April 20, 2026) Earth Day is on April 22nd so I’d like to devote this blog post to sharing a few teaching ideas and resources about the holiday with you. I’m including both online and offline activities in case you have students who don’t have access to the internet.
TeachersPayTeachers is having a sale on Monday and Tuesday, April 6th and April 7th, to help educators, parents, and other caregivers find resources they can use with students who are now learning remotely. The sale begins at 12:00am Eastern on Monday and ends at 11:59pm Eastern on Tuesday. Resources at
Are you affected by the school closings due to the coronavirus pandemic? This blog post offers you some tips for teaching English Language Learners remotely. I’d also like to give you some links to resources you may find useful. (More resources are being posted on my Facebook page.) Click HERE
Working with the parents and caregivers of my students was something I really enjoyed as an ESL teacher. In a previous blog post, I wrote about why it was such a pleasure. Source: The ESL Nexus One of my friends here in Tucson, Lin, is someone I first met when
Food is a great entrée into a culture. It answers all the who/what/where/when/why/how questions: Who prepares it, what are the ingredients, where are dishes prepared, when are they cooked, why are certain foods prepared, how are they made. Discussing these aspects of food preparation is also a great way to
I wasn’t planning on writing another blog post about China but I’ve been obsessively reading and watching the news about the coronavirus that began in Wuhan, China. Because, you see, I used to live and work in Wuhan – in the early 1990s, I spent 2 years teaching at a
(This post was updated January 7, 2023.) Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival as it’s known in China, starts soon so I’d like to wish you Xin Nian Kuai Le — Happy New Year! (In Mandarin, that’s pronounced: sheen nee-en kwhy luh.) This year, Spring Festival ushers in the Year
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing vacation at the end of December and beginning of January. As you gear up for the new decade in 2020, I would like to offer a freebie you can use with your students. It’s traditional to make New Year
It is hard to escape politics these days. Brexit in the United Kingdom, impeachment in the United States, democracy protests in Hong Kong, upcoming elections again in Israel, mass protests in Chile and India – all provide numerous opportunities for teachers to discuss current events with their students. And all
This is a follow-up and conclusion to my 2 previous posts about the #itstimetotalkracism campaign, which you can read HERE and HERE. The organizer, Chrissy from Buzzing with Ms. B, has put together a list of books with anti-racist themes and books that honor diversity that teachers can use to
When I was asked if I’d like to participate in the #itstimetotalkracism campaign, at first I wasn’t sure what I could write about because I’d never really taught an explicit anti-racism lesson. But after thinking about it, I realized I could present a lesson I’d implemented when I was a
The #itstimetotalkracism campaign is a 22-day effort by teachers to help other educators and their students discuss racism, bias, and related issues. Please click HERE to read how and why it got started. I was honored to be invited to participate and hope you will share these blog posts and
