As testing comes to a close for the school year, many teachers will be assigning collaborative projects and presentations. Sometimes, students are called to present independently. Vollrath (2025) suggests presenting independently can "trigger stress and lead to mental blocks and self-doubt." As educators, we want to decrease student anxiety, especially after a stressful testing season. Vollrath provides four strategies to build students' public speaking skills. The first strategy "Use Intentional Language to Build Self-Compassion" suggests teachers sprinkle statements in class that encourage self-confidence and a nonjudgmental environment. Second is "Embrace the Power of the Pause," which encourages teachers to model and teach deep breathing and slow speaking exercises. "Use Response Structures" is the third strategy, which helps students "break down their responses" before presenting. Providing frames is one way a teacher can help students. Finally, Vollrath suggests the final strategy "Try the Water Bottle Trick." Cooling the body down by holding something cold may help relieve anxiety the speaker. For more details, read the full Edutopia article below.

April is National Poetry Month! The National Council of Teachers of English Middle Level Section in conjunction with Earth Day are encouraging teachers and students to find their inspiration in nature. Teachers and students are encouraged to post their poems, and a picture of their muse if they like, on the Padlet. Not only can poets from around the world see participants' poetry, participants can also drop a pin to see the location of fellow poets. While most posts are from students and teachers in America, posts are coming from Rwanda, Afghanistan, London, and other countries. What a way to learn about other cultures and spark discussion in the classroom! For more information, see the site and the Padlet below.

Now that students have composed their poems and posted them on the Padlet, why not take it a step further and have them enter a basic poetry competition? Students need to feel confident about their writing, and the Creative Communication poetry competition can do just that! This organization accepts around forty-five percent of entries to be published. Yes, students do have the option of purchasing a book, but if a teacher has five or more students published, the teacher receives a free copy. The competition gives a cash award and a free book to the Top Ten in each category. The Top Ten Poetry Schools are recognized. Even Taylor Swift entered the competition stating, "It started with poetry, trying to figure out the perfect combination of words, with the perfect amount of syllables and the perfect rhyme to make it completely pop off the page. I started when I was 10 and won this national poetry contest..."

It may seem too easy of a contest for our students, but to this day, students will still ask me if I remember when their poems were selected to be published. They were proud of themselves, and I was proud too. The deadline is April 10th, and students can submit electronically.

https://www.poeticpower.com/

High school students completed state testing last month. April begins ACAP testing for middle school students. For students with test anxiety, knowing the format of the test (number of sessions, number of questions in each session, weight of each session, etc.) will help ease the anxiety. Many students dread the writing component after testing for multiple days. By mentioning to students the weight of the writing prompt, reviewing the Writer's checklist, and showing sample prompts and responses of each mode of writing, students will be ready and feel more confident in their writing. Completing last-minute sample testing questions may help as well. See the link below for the testing blueprints and the Online Tools Training.

ACAP Links

Online Tools Training Sample Questions

Indefinite pronoun agreement is tough for students. Many see the pronoun everyone and think it is plural. It does sound plural, right? In order for students to be successful in their writing, on their tests, and during formal speaking, they must know the rules.

Indefinite pronouns must agree with their antecedents.

Note: If the antecedent is singular, the verb is singular, and the pronoun is singular.

• -one, -body, -thing, each, either, neither takes singular.

Neither of the boys has his homework.

Everyone needs to turn in his or her assignment.

Each of the players has to have his or her physical turned in on time.

• -several, few, both, many take plural

Several turn in their papers on time every week.

Few send their excuses to the office on time.

Many need extra time on their essays.

• -all, any, most, none, some =what it refers to

All of the students want their assignments early.

All of the cake is gone. (Cake is singular.)

Is any of the pie left? (Pie is singular.)

Quick Sorts is a quick formative assessment to review a concept recently taught in class. When students walk in the classroom, they are seated in groups, with an envelope placed on their table. When the teacher gives the signal, students empty the envelopes. They sort the cards on their graphic organizer as the teacher moves around the classroom. Once one group correctly completes the task, the class stops to review. Not only does this formative allow the teacher to identify learning gaps, it also provides healthy competition and collaboration among the students.

If you did not get a chance to check out the new ALEX website last month, please take a moment to explore this wonderful tool. The video below demonstrates how to to find standards-aligned learning resources. More resources will be added in the coming months.

ALEX

Assessment Crosswalk

6-12 Proficiency Scales

ACT Padlet

ACAP Padlet

ACAP & ACT Resource

ELA Visit and/or Professional Learning Form

Office of Student Learning

Alabama Achieves