We are often reminded that much of the English language is derived from the language of ancient Greece. However, students might not realize that some of our English words actually double as the names of Greek letters. Here is a worksheet that asks students to explore a few Greek letters on the Visual Thesaurus and to discover their additional meanings. Download the worksheet here.

I'm going to let teachers in on a little secret. One of your best allies in top-notch instruction is your school librarian.

However, it always amazes me how many teachers fail to think of the librarian as a teaching partner.  Continue reading...

Bob Greenman is an award-winning educator who spent 30 years in Brooklyn, New York teaching English and journalism at James Madison and Edward R. Murrow High Schools. Here Bob shares how he kept track of student progress with "Delaney cards," and how revisiting those cards brought back a flood of memories.  Continue reading...

Last week, the College Board reported that SAT reading scores have reached an all-time low. The Class of 2011's SAT reading scores dipped another three points from the previous year (down to 497), and that makes it a whopping 33-point drop since 1972. The bleak news should leave teachers and administrators taking a hard look at how we are preparing students (or not) for the skills that are tested on the reading section of standardized exams.  Continue reading...

This week's worksheet gives students a chance to discover how Americans and Brits might give the same set of directions to Grandma's home using different sets of vocabulary words.  Continue reading...

If you are wondering how to approach 9/11 in your classroom, turn to one of these excellent news sites for educators:

• The New York Times Learning Network: Teaching and Learning About 9/11 With The New York Times
  
  
• PBS NewsHour Extra: Youth Remember 9/11