Teachers at Work

"Teachers at Work" is a column about teaching the language arts and incorporating technology in the classroom. We interview educators across the country to hear their real-life experiences and learn from their wisdom. This feature appears regularly in the Visual Thesaurus subscriber-only magazine – and right here on this web page.

Probing Questions to "Right" Your Students' Writing (and Your Own)

February 8, 2010 - 3 Comments

Last month, I held forth on the art of getting your students — or, for that matter, yourself! — to write more. By now, you no doubt have sheaves of scrawl-covered loose-leaf sitting about. So, what's next? Editing and revising.

When Grammar Rules Get Confusing, Use Your Head

January 19, 2010 - 26 Comments

To get across the importance of grammatical rules to her students, writing teacher Margaret Hundley Parker finds that a common-sense approach works best. Here Margaret gives examples of how unclear writing style reflects unclear thinking.

Knowing Write from Wrong: How I Get My Classes to Write

January 11, 2010 - 6 Comments

After "How can you possibly stand being around so many kids all day long?" and "Why do you look so tired all the time?", the question I get asked most often is "How do you get your students to write?"

The Untapped Potential of Student Stories

January 5, 2010 - 13 Comments

In September of 1988, a high school student of mine turned in a piece of writing that changed my professional life and provided me with the most rewarding experience I ever had as a school publications adviser.

Lessons from English 101

December 28, 2009 - 18 Comments

For four years, Nathan Bierma wrote the "On Language" column in the Chicago Tribune, covering English-language issues from etymology to usage in a highly engaging style. He has also taught courses in writing and speech as an adjunct professor at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this essay, reprinted from his new collection of columns, The Eclectic Encyclopedia of English, Nathan reflects on the lessons he learned teaching English 101.

These are just a few samples of the "Teachers at Work" articles published recently. To view them all, click here.