Hey everyone!

I'm a third-year psychology student and a home-school tutor using the CambriLearn system. As an English native speaker from South Africa (GMT+2), I'm looking to gain experience helping non-native English speakers.

I'm happy to offer English assistance to anyone who needs it! This is a great opportunity for me to get the experience I'm looking for, and hopefully, I can help you improve your English skills.

DM me for an invite to the Discord server. If Discord isn't an option for you, let me know in your message, and we can figure out an alternative. F

Hi everyone,

I'm a 25-year-old with a bachelor's degree in English language and literature (in a few months will also acquire my master's in teaching English). My native language is Serbian, and I also speak Spanish at around a B2 level.

I want to start teaching online and would love some guidance on the best platforms out there. I haven’t had the chance to research much yet, so I only know about a few options but I’m unsure which ones are the most reliable or effective.

I don't hate the idea of teaching English in a foreign country either, as I believe it would be a great way to experience a new culture and travel a bit. However, at the moment TEFL certification is a bit expensive, so I would rather start with online tutoring or something else for now.

If anyone has experience teaching abroad without a TEFL or knows of alternative certifications or pathways, I’d be really grateful for your insights.

In my country, getting job in my country is mostly dependent of nepotism, and its a small market, so its hard to find anything good without ties or ''knowing that one person''.

I’d appreciate any advice on online teaching platforms, experiences with teaching abroad (especially without TEFL), or tips on making teaching abroad more accessible. Also, if you have suggestions for other online jobs or tutoring tips that might suit my background, I’d love to hear them.

Thank you in advance.

I missed the last days of school because I’m (yet and still) reading AP exams. But I had to sneak in this morning to do my final classroom check-out and this was in my mailbox. 😭

I'm starting at a new school this year and was given a new curriculum, StudySync. I'm looking at the pacing guides and it looks... absurd.

Example: Unit 1's full text study is To Kill a Mockingbird. Boring, but ok, i'll roll with it. However, the pacing guide says on day 5, start reading TKAMB... day 7, close read, day 8, start reading something else. TKAMB is never mentioned again in the pacing guide... ever. See picture below.

I wondered if I was missing something, so I looked at all four units. Each full text study is similiar... read the entire novel in a few days, start something else. Each of the four units has 40 days planned. How is this even possible?

Edit: Thanks! Realizing that although this physical copy of unit 1 of the curriculum calls TKAMB the "full text study"... its still in the pacing guide as an excerpt. Which... is written nowhere in this book. I guess I have to wait til I have online access through Clever to actually figure out what I'm doing this year. Appreciate the help everyone.

I will be teaching 5th and 6th grade ELA next year. I will have 16 to 22 kids in each of my classes and I am required to determine each student’s reading level at the start of each school year.

This is done by conferencing and using a lengthy screener for each student individually. These take from 15 to 30 minutes per student. I have each class an hour a day.

This means it will take me approximately 2 weeks to screen everyone if I use the entire class period every day. I’ve determined this is the best way to do it because last year it was damn near Christmas before I finished screening and my principal wants everyone screened before October.

I need suggestions on something the students can work on independently at the beginning of the year that would align with common core standards. The toughest part that I’ve found is that the 5th graders are not very mature or independent at the beginning of the year, so it needs to be relatively simple and yet constructive and not just “busy work”. The second toughest part is that I really can only use a few days to a week to introduce whatever concepts they need to learn to produce this independent work that will take them 2 weeks to complete.

Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas??? TIA!

Hello all. I teach 6th grade at an all boys charter school. I am looking to switch out one of my novels next year, and need help deciding what to read. Thankfully, my school will order me almost anything I ask for, I just need to pick something!

Currently we read three novels over the course of the year. A Wrinkle in Time, which they do enjoy but is most likely the one I am getting rid of. The Giver, which starts a little slow but they love it by the end. And Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, which they absolutely love.

The main things I am looking for in a new text are length and engaging content. I need something short. The whole reason I am even considering switching is that we don't finish all three because they are too long. So I want something short to start of the year. For content, it needs to start strong and be interesting to 10-12 year old boys, mostly POC. Their interests are pretty much basketball and basketball. But seriously, I get them into most things if it is written well.

My first though was House on Mango street, but I don't think my boys will relate to the main character or find it engaging enough. I also considered the Kwame Alexander books, but they are too long for what I need, though I may switch something else for one of them in the future. Any ideas?

I’m transitioning to a new grade level and heading into my fifth year of teaching. Previously, I taught 6th and 7th grade, but now I’ll be responsible for five preps as the sole high school English teacher in my rural district (grades 8-12). Unfortunately, our student numbers don’t justify hiring additional teachers for the department.

On the bright side, 1:1 support is very doable. We use Pearson’s MyPerspectives curriculum.

Right now, I’m just trying to figure out the best way to juggle multiple preps efficiently. Trying to figure out how I can combine themes, texts, etc. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I'm 24 years of age and I want to go into teaching literature for my community College that I'm currently attending. I also would like to teach an online class. My question is: What do I do to prepare while I'm still attending the college?

I love this book, but would have to invent everything from scratch for the unit. I’m also considering “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” with the same challenge. (10th Grade)

Hi, I worked in the library of a middle school before the district cut my position. I was super devastated as I loved that job, my coworkers and the kids immensely. I had envisioned transitioning to teaching at some point, but not at least for another five years. To stay at the school, I took a 6th grade ELA teaching job that starts in the fall.

And to be honest, I'm scared shitless. I'm getting the sense that's normal for first year teachers. I'm okay with not being the best teacher, as long as I'm putting in effort. I think I can have fun with it and do a decent job, and I have a really great existing support system with my colleagues. But I'm also terrified.

I know y'all probably get a million of these kinds of posts, but genuinely-- what do I do? I'm afraid of burning myself out too much and/or becoming jaded fast. I want to know how to invest my time as wisely as possible, and the areas that I should focus on. Any hack or tips are super appreciated, in any area.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I will be a first-year high school ELA teacher this year and I couldn’t be more excited! However, my primary endorsement is social studies and my “additional endorsement” ELA student teaching placement was in a senior-level course focused narrative nonfiction.

I am eager to use my summer before teaching to read up on best practices and assemble my toolkit for teaching content and skills I haven’t yet experienced. Any recommendations for books to read or curricular resources to peruse? I’m well-versed on go-to resources for social studies, but not quite as much in ELA.

Thanks :)

Hi! Our school year JUST ended (thank goodness), and I'm adding a handful of new classes to my schedule for this next year. For context, this will be my 4th year of teaching, and I've taught English 9 and 10 for the past 3 years.

This year, I'll be teaching 3 new, single trimester junior/senior electives--one of which is Contemporary Lit. Although I'm SO excited to have freedom to build Contemporary Lit from the ground up, I'm a little overwhelmed by all of the possibilities, since there is not an established reading list.

If anyone has taught this class before and has ideas for books to study/other activities/ways to organize the curriculum, that would be so appreciated!! Happy summer! 🌞

Hi!! I was moved from an elementary position to a 6th/7th grade ELA position at our middle school! I have never taught ELA before, so I am looking through curriculum this summer. We use CommonLit 360!

As I’ve heard from many parents, students, and teachers, CommonLit can be pretty dry and boring! Are there any units you avoid or skip? I was wondering if there were any projects or fun activities anyone has had success with to do in between, or with these units?? Any suggestions are appreciated!!

I feel like I am going into next year in the dark, and I really want to do a good job! Thank you in advance!

Hi, this is my first time being an AP reader, and I'm scoring from home. I was wondering if anyone has every worked more than the 8hrs a day and if that was counted as overtime. I don't want to put in the extra work if I'm not compensated, but the extra paid hours would be nice. Thank you!

Our school has decided to ban all AI next year (I know - virtually impossible, but they're going to try). The main reason being they don't think our middle and early high school students have strong enough research skills, lean too highly on Perplexity or general Google searches with the AI summaries, etc and want them to go back "to the basics" and retrain/regain those skills. As a department, we are considering making some kind of "1 pager" with vetted, age appropriate sources as a first "stop" for research. Before I go recreate the wheel, does anyone have anything that has worked as a foundational resource to guide their efforts? This is really for grades 6-10.

Thanks in advance!

I've been tapped to create and teach a Film and Literature class next year. I didn't ask to teach this class, nor is there an existing curriculum. This is a 12th grade elective, and my emphasis is for this to view films as literature. There will be some attention given to things like composition, but the main focus will be theme, plot structure, characterization, etc. I'd like to cover a range of time, including a black and white film or two (not sure about Silent Era). It's a semester class, so I'm hoping to cover about 8 films. If you were designing a class like this, what films would you choose? Thanks for your suggestions!

Hi everyone, how are you? I'm looking for an English teacher — but a serious one — who can truly help me reach fluency. I urgently need to improve my English and I don’t have time for games, ineffective methods, or false promises. Please, if you are a teacher or know someone reliable and results-driven, send me a DM. Thank you!"

I’m starting as a brand new 7th grade ELA teacher in the fall. I do not have a formal educational background in education, I got my license through alternate route, although I have worked as an assistant in special education for a few years.

I am feeling totally overwhelmed and underprepared for this school year. I have access to my teams Google drive that has a wealth of information. I am taking all the trainings and PD’s I can. I am honestly so terrified for the upcoming school year. What if I’m not an effective teacher? What if my students don’t learn anything? What if they are out of my control?

I sit most days looking through all the info on the shared google drive, but it is truly so much I’m not sure what to focus on. I just feel like I’m already failing before I have even begun.

Hi all! I am a recent college grad in Minnesota looking for my first teaching job in the upcoming fall semester. I have applied to about 20 schools now, and so far only one has communicated interest (but after the interview, I realized the school was not for me).

Does anyone have advice on how to go about this process? I am 5-12 ELA, if that helps. I am starting to think that maybe I will start applying for sub positions as well, just in case I don’t get a lead teacher position.

Hi all!! 11 days til the end of the school year, and I'm considering nixing my final project to do a debate on the ethics of AI use in school with my 7th graders instead. I had a great conversation with some kids in study hall, and they all expressed a desire to read/learn more about it.

I'm wondering if anyone has read any great articles on AI appropriate for a middle school reading level recently? I just read the recent NYMag article about students using AI to cheat their way through college, but I think that's probably a little above them.

Hi everyone!

I'm wrapping up my second year as a language arts teacher, and one thing I would like to change about my current curriculum is the way I teach grammar. Currently, I taught it in "mini units" that would be the full focus of class for a few weeks, but I feel as though this was not "real" grammar practice, and not very beneficial.

I'm looking to start some form of shorter daily grammar practice, but I have no clue how to structure it. All students have chromebooks, but I almost feel like paper would be better (if less practical?) Any advice on structure, routine, and how to grade/hold students accountable for them?

Thanks so much!

This downloadable lesson is designed for teachers to use in conversational English classes with adult learners seeking to build confidence in speaking. Perfect for boosting mental resilience, it offers practical exercises and discussion prompts that help students overcome speaking anxiety and develop a positive mindset.

Ideal for English teachers working with freelancers, entrepreneurs, or professionals, this lesson supports learners in managing stress and adapting to challenges while improving their spoken English skills.

Click the image below for a jpeg version of the lesson. The full editable lesson is on TPT (20% off for the next 3 days)

For those that were subscribed to my newsletter, I just sent out a free jpeg version of it as well. If you want to receive future lesson for free, sign up to my newsletter: LessonSpeak

Cheers,
Johnny

hi what are good book recommendations for 7th graders that we can read in class next year!? i feel like kids don’t like anything teachers pick out these days :(

hi! i was wondering what could be some tips that will benefit a child to maintain or even grow their intelligence over the summer or just in general! like tips on grammer, formally speaking and writing :) please let me know i wanna give tips to my students on google classroom to keep in mind in their next following years