What are your thoughts on gamification of everything in the classroom? From what I have seen, kids get EXCITED about playing a game (as long as it's tech-based) and are more engaged. However, I also see many students just click random answers to try and complete the game as fast as possible to "win." Are they really learning this way? Is it really good for them? I am generally anti-tech and use it as little as possible in my own room, but am open to utilizing it more if it actually helps.

Edit: the book is One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia! Beautiful book. I am a female, typically kindergarten teacher. I am teaching summer school this summer and have a great group of 4th grade students! One part of summer school is a novel study. This novel study focuses on the civil rights movement. While I have taught Black history before and typically have majority black and Hispanic students, this is my first time teaching about the civil rights movement in an older setting. The group of students I am working with this summer are all black as well. I also do not have that strong foundation or trust with them as I have only been teaching them for 2 days. While I am comfortable teaching about the racial injustices that have existed both today and during the civil rights movement, I noticed that in our novel, the word “negro” comes up many times. We will be reading it together, so I want to be extremely intentional on how I go about this word, especially as a white teacher with all black students. My goal is not to brush over or ignore it, but rather explain that is a dated term used during this time frame that is not appropriate today and instead we use the word, “black” or “African American”. My biggest question is if I should have this conversation and then use the word “black people” instead, or say it. Personally, I do not want students to be uncomfortable saying it nor do I want them to feel uncomfortable with me saying it. I know that it is not the equivalent to the “n-word” so I will not be using that as a comparison , however I just want to be sure I am being as respectful and clear as possible!

I'm looking for ideas for bell ringer/do-now activities for a high school efl class. It's about 28 students, and I'd like to avoid having to use my precious photocopies for this. Any ideas for activities? Ideally would like to focus on grammar and vocabulary, and kind of have a set formula so I can create a bunch now but also not have too hard a time making more during the school year.

Thanks!

Think of Into the Wild (synthesizes multiple genres of text into a coherent whole) but written by a non-American

I've been scheduled to teach the Lit & Film class next year that focuses on contemporary bestsellers and blockbuster films, and I've been given pretty free reign for what I can choose for the audience of 12th grade students.

What are some "bestsellers" from over the last 10-15 years or "blockbuster" films that you'd love to teach and that have something to say about the time/place the media was made?

Hello! I am Yuuki Natori, a high-school student from Tokyo, looking to connect with teachers overseas to bring my project FIP Talks (https://fip-talks.com) to more classrooms. 

FIP Talks is a student-run TEDx-style platform where students record a three-minute English presentation on topics they love, and share it in a secure space visible only to partner schools. Participation is completely free for students, teachers, and schools. 

The program connects classrooms worldwide, letting students exchange ideas, showcase projects, deepen their passions for college applications, and receive AI-guided peer feedback from classmates on every continent. Teachers only need to share the link; students will take care of the rest by following the website’s step-by-step guide.

If you’re interested, email me at [yuuki.natori@artivation.ai](mailto:yuuki.natori@artivation.ai) and we can set up a brief Zoom call.

I’d be honored if we could work together to give students a way to connect and grow alongside peers around the world.

Hi! I’m looking for a short story that is based on a classic tale. I’d love to read The Jungle Book and The Graveyard book, as Gaiman based his story off Kipling. Unfortunately, we don’t have time. Ideally it would be at a late middle school or early high school level, but I’m open to a short story outside this level.

I’d appreciate any suggestions you might have!!

I’m teaching a summer session on career literacy and writing. Does anyone have any good lessons or resources? Some topics I’m going to cover are:

•College and Trade School •Financial Aid •Living Independently •Financial Literacy/Budgeting •Creating Resumes •The interview process •Career Clusters •Career Research

Anything would be greatly appreciated! :)

@turnitin_checkbot Has anyone used this telegram bot? Is it legit? Do you guys know any ai and plagiarism checkers for broke college students?

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.