Activities, Games, and Assessment Strategies for the Foreign Language Classroom by Amy Buttner provides easy-to-use resources to help you write fun lesson plans. This tip, Off the Top of My Head..., allows students to practice their vocabulary, recall, and writing skills while using their creativity to write a short story/letter or answer short questions.

In Teaching Critical Thinking: Using Seminars for 21st Century Thinking, Terry Roberts and Laura Billings show how a seminar approach can lead students deeper into a text and improve their speaking, listening, and writing skills, as recommended by the Common Core State Standards. This tip examines how to create and define speaking, listening, and thinking goals and provides examples of where to begin for each.

An individual participant contributes to thoughtful dialogue not only by speaking, but also by listening and thinking. Although speaking is fairly simple to track, measuring listening and thinking skills is much more complicated. It bears repeating that speaking, listening, and thinking are all important habits we practice in dialogue. Therefore, all are skills that need to be coached and assessed.

The following guest post was written by Annette Breaux, author of 101 Poems for Teachers in honor of National Poetry Month. Annette is an internationally-renowned educator, author, and speaker. She is the author of the bestselling 101 Answers for New Teachers and Their Mentors. She has also coauthored books with Harry Wong and Todd Whitaker. She may be contacted at AnnetteLBreaux@yahoo.com or on Twitter @AnnetteBreaux.

If you know me, have heard me speak, or have read my writings, you already know I love to write poetry. When asked to write this post, I first considered telling why poetry is important and how it has the power to affect lives. Instead, I’ve decided to prove that.

The following blog post was written by Paul Boyd-Batstone.To read more newsworthy blog posts from Eye On Education, subscribe to our Insights eNewsletters.

The unique characteristics of beginning-level English language learners (ELLs) present a major challenge for classroom teachers trying to meet the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. Beginning ELLs require strategic supports to learn and to participate in class. However, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) focus on results and do not define how ELLs will meet their academic expectations.

The following blog post is part of a blog series called "Comments on the Common Core," written by Eye On Education's Senior Editor, Lauren Davis. For more insight from Lauren Davis, check out her book series Common Core Literacy Lesson Plans: Ready-to-Use Resources.

The Common Core’s Anchor Standard 6 for writing in grades K–12 requires students to “use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others” (emphasis mine). Here are some ideas for meeting this standard (besides the obvious use of technology—word processing).

Spring is officially here, and we're sure your students are just as happy as you are! School is almost over, the weather is warm, and you might have a hard time getting students to focus. Here are 6 fun activities we're sure your students will enjoy!

I believe that the BIGGEST mistake any teacher will ever make is one that most teachers make on a daily basis. Here it is: We let students know when they get to us. It’s not our feelings that determine who we are to others, but rather our actions. And one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish as a teacher is the ability to control your actions and maintain your composure at all costs. Yes, students will try you. They will work on your nerves, but...

After having served in urban, suburban, and rural schools as a teacher and literacy coach, Lori Wilfong currently works with practicing teachers and those in training at Kent State University, Stark. She is the author of Vocabulary Strategies That Work: Do This—Not That!, published by Eye On Education.

In this podcast, Lori discusses her approach to professional development, "Do This—Not That," which helps educators avoid common misunderstandings about the Common Core State Standards.

In The 6 Keys to Teacher Engagement, Cathie E. West provides tools and guidance for education leaders at all levels to engage teachers in the process of increasing student achievement. This tip discusses three ways to successfully engage teachers at your next faculty meeting of professional development event.

The following guest post was written by Rebekah Stathakis, author of A Good Start:147 Warm-Up Activities for Spanish Class. This is the first in a three-part series on game playing in the classroom. .

I have always enjoyed playing games. My family regularly plays board games when we get together, I play games with my own children almost every day, and (not surprisingly) I have used a wide variety of games* as instructional tools in my classroom. I have never had a student ask “Why are we playing games?” Instead, students usually ask, “Can we play this again soon?” However, aside from students, some people do wonder, “Why play games in a class?” I think it is important to articulate the value of game playing for myself, my students, colleagues, parents, and others. Over the years, I have come up with my own list of the top five reasons I believe game playing is a powerful instructional tool.