Tori, Author at Next Day Teaching

How to teach poetry so students actually learn (and maybe even enjoy it) above a page from a plan book and an annotated copy of the poem "Jabberwocky"

How to Teach Poetry: 5 Common Poetry Teaching Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Learning how to teach poetry effectively can feel a little intimidating. You want your students to enjoy the poems they read, understand the techniques poets use, and maybe even come away seeing poetry as something more than another text to analyze for a grade. The truth is, unless they’re taught otherwise, teachers tend to teach […]

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A handwritten week schedule starting on Sunday and ending on Saturday with Friday circled in pink

Poetry Friday Schedule: How Long Should it Take?

Lesson Ideas / Leave a Comment

A Poetry Friday schedule can take as little as 25–30 minutes a week, or you can break that time into five short daily sessions. Either way, you don’t need to carve out hours of instructional time to build a yearlong poetry rhythm into your classroom. The secret to “fitting in” regular Poetry Friday experiences is

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A chalkboard with the words "more poetry is needed" rests on a dark wood background beside a red apple and a piece of chalk

What Is Poetry Friday? Everything Teachers Need to Know Before They Start

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Maybe your state standards ask students to analyze poetry. Maybe it’s springtime and you know National Poetry Month is coming up. Or maybe you have a class of struggling readers and you’ve heard that poetry builds reading fluency. But you don’t have weeks to devote to a full poetry unit – or even a mini-unit.

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A photo of a classroom with the desks arranged in a circle

5 Benefits of Teaching Poetry (And Why Every Teacher Should Try Poetry Friday)

Lesson Ideas

When I was in school, poetry usually meant reading long poems written by old, dead, white men. My classmates and I slogged through analyzing rhyme schemes, identifying symbolism, and interpreting themes. Snore! So when I found myself as a teacher needing a lesson to fill an awkward Friday time block, poetry wasn’t exactly the first

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An open book with light and sparkles coming out and the word "poetry" in script above it all

How to Teach Poetry in the Classroom with Poetry Friday

Lesson Ideas

Most teachers remember poetry lessons from their own school years the same way: long poems, complicated symbolism, and endless analysis that made everyone (including the teacher) want to fall asleep. That doesn’t have to be the way you teach poetry in the classroom. One of my favorite weekly routines was Poetry Friday: a simple, discussion-based

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A spread of early finisher critical thinking activity ideas including lateral thinking puzzles, one-minute mysteries, and perplexors

5 Teacher-Tested Early Finisher Activities That Build Critical Thinking Skills

Teaching Strategies

Every teacher knows the feeling: Half the class is still working quietly when one student raises a hand and asks, “I’m done. What should I do now?” While it’s tempting to tell early finishers to “add more detail” or “read quietly,” I found those moments were the perfect opportunity to build critical thinking, logic, and

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A trio of pages partially filled out labeled Classroom Procedures rest on a teal desk beside sticky flags, pens, a calendar, and an old-fashioned alarm clock

9 Essential Classroom Procedures and Routines for the Beginning of the Year

Teaching Strategies

At the beginning of the school year, there are dozens of classroom procedures and routines you could teach. But which ones actually matter most? You can have the perfect classroom setup, an organized room, and engaging lessons planned, but your year will quickly become chaotic if students don’t know exactly what you expect from them.

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A classroom with desks in orderly rows in front of a bookshelf full of textbooks and next to a teacher's desk

Classroom Setup Ideas That Make Classroom Management Easier

Back-to-School

If you’re looking for classroom setup ideas, you’re probably overwhelmed with all the decisions you need to make. There are supplies to order, empty walls to cover, and furniture to assemble. You spend your days asking yourself questions like: Where should student desks go? What is actually essential to get for the room? How can

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How Your Back-to-School Bulletin Board Affects Your Classroom Management

Back-to-School

A back-to-school bulletin board is more than just classroom decoration. The way you design your bulletin board can influence your classroom culture, student expectations, and even your classroom management. The truth is, your bulletin boards set the tone for your classroom culture, your classroom theme, and what students can expect a year in your room

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A classroom setup with bright colors and an organized desk including a globe and colored pencils arranged by color

How to Set up a Classroom Step By Step: A Classroom Setup Guide for New Teachers

Back-to-School

Getting your first teaching job can be exciting. But if you’re anything like me, the ink is barely dry on your contract when you’re already thinking about classroom setup. It can be overwhelming. Luckily for you, I put together a free checklist to help you get your room set up. It’s everything you need to

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