Where curriculum meets community, creativity, and continuing support. |
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Reset, Refocus, and Reignite Your Classroom
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A new year brings a fresh start. As a teacher, that sense of renewal is powerful. January offers a chance to pause, reflect, and set purposeful intentions for the months ahead. It’s a time to celebrate progress made, adjust what didn’t quite work, and re-energize classrooms.
In this month's newsletter, we have included several ideas that will reset, refocus, and reignite your classroom. In addition, these activities will help remind students that learning is a journey filled with fresh possibilities every day. |
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Teacher Training Resources |
Teacher Talk: Building Next-Level Writers
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Confident, intelligent student writers don’t appear overnight. Just like a house needs the right blueprint and materials, writing needs correct structure and components. In ELA classrooms, strong writers must be developed intentionally. They need clear instruction, guided practice, repeated opportunities to work through the writing process, and domain-specific language that lends itself to academically rich student talk.
In this month's live Shurley English Teacher Talk, we will discuss the writing process and explore why instructional scaffolding and correct practice are essential tools in helping students take their writing and speaking to the next level. Join us for practical insights and classroom-ready strategies that you can implement right away to support your developing writers.
Webinar Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 4 p.m. CST |
Online attendees who are present for the entirety of the LIVE presentation will receive a certificate of participation to use towards professional development hours. Space is limited. |
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Creativity in the Classroom |
If I could travel the world, I would! I love the excitement of finding a new destination to experience. I love the freedom of exploration, whether I have a detailed itinerary or not. For me, travel is an adventure. As your students return from their Winter Break, we invite you to keep them interested in learning about our world by creating a Winter Wonderland Tour.
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ELA Tips for a Successful Second Semester
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As a classroom teacher, returning from holiday break was always bittersweet. On one hand, I knew the pressure for test prep would be more intense, but on the other hand, the satisfaction of witnessing my students grow into wiser beings put a validating smile on my face.
Since the New Year seems to offer people a clean slate or a fresh start, it’s an ideal time to celebrate your students’ academic growth and invite them to reexamine their goals.
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The Beginner's Mind: Learning to take risks
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As a kid, do you remember the first time you took the training wheels off and tried to ride your first bicycle? In the beginner’s mind, it was the next step in being a big kid, and it meant being open to making mistakes and being willing to take a huge risk.
As a teacher, you have the unique opportunity to create an environment that encourages students to take risks. The beginning of a new grading period or unit of study is the perfect time to have a quick lesson discussing the beginner’s mind. |
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© Shurley Instructional Materials, Inc. All rights reserved.
366 SIM Drive, Cabot, AR 72023
www.shurley.com
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