Week 2 Lesson Breakdown | A Week in the Life of a Teacher | High School Teacher Vlog 

Rafe Esquith had a schedule change 😔 We are currently working out a new date with him. TTL will still be on Tuesday @8pm on Real Rap With Reynolds FACEBOOK page! Hope to see you there!

PLEASE make more of these lesson type videos! Also how do you create a unit, plan, etc. First year teacher here!

This is so crazy... i did the Internet fireplace thing with my second graders when I was reading folktales with them. We talked about how back in the day, parents and grandparents entertained their kids by telling stories around the campfire. I LOVE a good Internet fireplace video!

I have watched at least one of your videos every morning on the way to school (long commute!) since the first day of school (this is my first year teaching--mid-life career reboot!). First and foremost, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your insights, candor, and most importantly, your positivity. You are my RU-vid mentor. Please keep doing what you're doing. God bless ✌

You deserve more subscribers and viewers than you have right now. Honestly. Your content is always top notch and beautifully crafted. I love your videos!

I love this format. Please do more of this.

What a great teacher. You seem to be a person who was meant to open the world of stories to future pillars of society.

I might start copying your after school student interviews, it’s awesome to hear what they have to say on things.

Ps. It's a blessing and your students are lucky to have you.

When you talked about your students wanted to talk to you, this is my "problem". Today when my students came back from afternoon snack and had playtime in the classroom(they are in first grade and have after school programs) and I was there going through the math books. My student said to me " why are you here? Shouldn't you be home?" And when I said I needed to work more for stuff we are doing later this week, they replied with "you don't need to, go home" just got to love the kids!

Love this format! Using children's books is quick and to the point. Reading ghost stories in front of a virtual fireplace is really cool. The student interviews were great! The ways you motivate your students are so inspriring. Thanks for the awesome ideas. Even eating a peanut butter & jelly sandwich while driving on the beach at sunset is another fun idea. :)

Bummer about Mr. Esquith, but it builds the anticipation! :) Loved: *Interviews w students *Seeing materials/thinking process of lessons and changes made as day went on *Honesty about your weakness about saying 'no' to kids Would love: *Seeing more implementation of lessons in class (I know it's tricky)--and maybe how you rein in a class/student that gets carried away with that lesson (or w any lesson, for that matter)--what specific words you use to get back on track. (Your classroom management favorites would be awesome.) *Hearing more about your struggles/other teachers' struggles and solutions. *Learning how you make your handouts and find ideas. (Very cool syllabus btw.) What are your favorite software/teacher tool sites? Thank you for all your hard work putting these together. So appreciated! It did my heart good seeing you relaxing with family. Thank you again!

WOW. I love this new weekly breakdowns & I love the tips in between. The fireside aspect.. amazing... the interviews with students are also great they all seem like great guys! Keep doing what you're doing, very inspiring. Also I wish that I had independent reading sessions at school for twenty minutes lol (we only had five minutes)

This was the BEST video. Thank you so much for a breakdown of your lessons for the week, assignments with the kids, how you approach/scaffold those assignments, how you check for understanding. The fireplace idea sounds so fun. Keep doing these lesson videos! Your students were also really well spoken, please thank them for their insights, those are the fine people I want to learn from. The ideas are so invaluable. It's good to know what works, what doesn't work, etc. Another idea might be also on your discipline techniques - it seems you are able to rely on your rapport with the kids to kind of talk to them "man-to-man", but has there ever been a time when that hasn't worked? At all? What steps did you take with a kid that was just really difficult to engage, stay motivated, come to class, get work from on time, etc. Or even a behavioural problem you had. Honest stories appreciated. Again, thanks for this lesson breakdown. You're one of the only teacher vloggers I can really empathize with, to be honest.

The music, editing and content is 🔥🔥🔥

I love how you go over what you've done (almost) each day ! Especially because you give us an insight in your thought process and why you're doing what you're doing. Also loving those mini interviews with the students! So fun

Loved the mini interviews with the students. TFS!

Watching this almost 3 years later. I'm about to start a middle-school writing job and love your lesson ideas and creativity. Thanks R!

Great ideas in this video, Reynolds 👌🏼I love that you introduce narrative structure early in in the year. Loved seeing your family at the shore :) Great job 👍🏼

You have great ideas. I tried your 90 second writing. It was amazing!

It is so wonderful to have some insight into curriculum for the high-school English class on RU-vid! I have learnt so much from watching so many amazing primary teachers out there but a few more targeted content videos is greatly appreciated and inspiring. Even after 16 years, I am still so curious to learn and keen to reflect! A big thank you from a Head of Faculty in Australia! Love what you are doing! I would be particularly interested in what you do with 'The Odyssey' and how you approach this kind of literature.

I'm a student, training to be a teacher. My student teaching begins in January ('19), and although I am set out to teach early elementary, I really love the advice you give to teachers. I find that much of it can be applied even at the lower levels. Also, props to your student's advice, I'll keep it in my heart. :) Much appreciation Real! Thanks for making these vids, I know it takes a lot of time, but they are really amazing and encouraging.

Love this format! I may use your children's book lessons for summer school. I teach electives this year, so I really can't use them. When I taught high school, we dismissed at 2:10. I was always there for at least an hour afterward, so students would drop by. Some came for tutoring, some did homework, and some just wanted to hang out. I always enjoyed the company, and some of these kids are now my dear friends. True substitute story. I had taken a day off because I was moving. As I was heading from the old house to the new one, I realized some of my stuff would be better off in my classroom. I walked in and found the kids doing everything I told the sub they weren't allowed to do. I swear my voice sounded like the voice of Satan or something, and I could never do that again if I tried. We never saw that sub again.

Children's books you might like to add to your selection: Baseball Saved Us & Fly Away Home. Two books I've used with sixth grade students.

Wise words and excellent advice for us new teachers, from your students! Wow. Blown away. Sometimes we need to turn to our students and ask them what they want from us.

Love love love this type of video! Thank you !

Kudos for having The Hate U Give on your bookshelf! Awesome book! Oh, and being available to talk to kids...all. the. time. That's my jam too (sometimes to my husband's dismay). You're awesome!

HEY! Love this type of vlog :) I think your vlogs are so helpful for all teachers and students to watch. Whether it is for a teacher starting out/ studying to be a teacher (like myself) where your vlogs help us have a better understanding of being a teacher and what that involves. You give me so many ideas and inspiration to be the best teacher I can be, and encourage me to be a teacher that works for me, not try and be someone else I'm not. I'm sure even teachers who have taught for years find the same joy watching your vlogs and it would help them see things in a different light! (You'd actually be the greatest mentor teacher haha) If I were your students, I'd also feel so proud that you were my teacher as I would be able to tell how much you care about us and want us to do our absolute best. Your classroom seems to have a good balance of fun and learning! I found it interesting when you were talking about being a relational teacher and possibly not having as much time to do things you need to do. Being quite a relational person, I can see myself being caught up in conversations with students/teachers and dropping other important stuff I need to do (lesson planning etc) - I guess I need to find that balance, because both are important. You being an experienced teacher, probably have the ability to wing a lot of stuff if you know what you're doing (like you mentioned in another vlog), whereas I probably won't be able to, so I need to be mindful of that! Thanks so much for taking time and making/ editing these vlogs - they are super fun to watch. Glad you guys had a ball at the beach - does your dog like the beach too? It's spring now in Aus and weathers warming up, so I think a few of us are gonna head down to the beach when the weather warms up a little more!!! I guess if I had a question, it would be: How do you keep a good work- life balance? Do you take work home? What would be some advice you would give for a graduate teacher? p.s its helpful that you included in the vlogs what you were teaching/ whats on your worksheets etc Hope you have a great day :)

You're really starting to make me think that I should have opted for high school not primary (elementary?) school. I love the bond you form with your students, I think my main issue will be avoiding becoming friends with them and figuring out that dynamic, but I won't know for a year or two yet, when I'm actually out in schools in front of my own class and not just practicums. As always, fantastic to watch. Thanks!

Very interesting, as someone who reads children's books every day for a living it was hard for me to think about why I like a particular book and if I have favourite book. Very thought provoking, that k you.

I also do a "Draw My Life" assignment! And I love the writing a children's book idea bc when we do write short stories, sometimes they get too long. We also do two sentence stories to practice genre, tone, and figurative language.

What you are doing with the children's books is an awesome idea. I home school and have actually started using this with my six year old. More of a watered down version, but he is intrested. Thank you for the ideas!

I know what I am doing next week with my 10th graders! Thanks for the awesome ideas :)

Scott Pilgrim!

damn 231 likes 0 dislikes! thats how you know youre sending a positive message lmao

This is awesome! Thank you so much!!

Thanks for this! A lot of great ideas!

I love kids books and I think you can learn with them at any age. Part of our assignment when I went to get my Early childhood certification was to write a children's book. its not easy.

Just a comment on the first few minutes. I will have to finish watching this at a later time. I would like to join your class! Oh, darn. I am not a high school aged boy. I am a 40-something female. Sigh. On a more serious note it makes me so happy that you are teaching these students actual reading/writing information and not just, "How did this make you feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel?"

I love that guy too! I read all of his books. I remember stumbling across his first book my second year of teaching and I used tons of the ideas from that book ever since. Namely the classroom economy and incorporation of Shakespeare (as a drama major I was really excited to see him successfully use those plays at a middle school/upper elementary level. Excited to see the live show!

Your vlogs are amazing! 🌟

Nice intro Reynolds :) Looking forward to TTL (can't watch it live because it's at 1am here but will catch up) Have a productive week.

Slow class sounds like a perfectly acceptable way to describe a class that moves at a slower pace than the standard classes

Awesome video! Great information to fuel this teacher's soul. I got your reply to "the situation" and things are going much better. I will inform you more soon. God Bless!

This format you did is great! I loved to see the kids talking too, is very important to listen to them. I really enjoy your videos and I´m watching all of them! You´re such a great inspirational person! Thanks for your great contents and keep doing this excellent work with the kids! I can see they love your classes, so do I! =) And as you say... Peace! (From Rio, Brazil)

I do the same thing with plot and story skills with fairy tales and urban legends, etc. I use pixar shorts too. It allows for rapid repetition and skills practice.

I think the idea with the children's books is very useful. I try to integrate this into my EFL classes. Cheers :)

loved it, love all your videos! :D

Love watching your weekly​ lessons breakdown. I teach preschool and find so many of your tips really helpful. What your student said about making the lesson appealing to kids certainly holds true for all grade levels. really enjoy your videos 😃 Ah, nothing like going down the shore on a warm September day 😍 this weekend was ideal weather. I'm quite jealous ! Last thing, where did you get the tree in your classroom?

I use a leave log for each student., It is excellent documentation. Since I have a sheet for each student, I bring them to conferences.

I wish your boys could meet with my 4/5 grade boys for inspiration. We have started a mentor program in my school for boys that are in need of positive leaders. Sounds like our classes are a match! Really enjoyed this video. Thank you for your hard work!

Amazing editing!

Awesome video! I teach 5th grade and we are currently studying plot/plot mountains. Really considering breaking down your book writing assignment and having my 5th graders try it! It'd be a great way to see how much they really understand and let them be creative.

Do you have a video about how you use the notecards for vocab?

I love the way you handle the misuse of words such as retarded. One of my best friends has a child who is special-needs due to spina bifida and when I hear the word retarded I’m instantly hot, BUT that’s not the best state of state of mind to be in if I really want to help kids improve their language skills.

Do you have a TPT store or a place to find the handouts you showed? Thanks for all the great ideas!! ♥️ Your passion shows. Love your style.

LOVED this vlog style! Will Teacher Talk Live only be on Facebook now or will you go back to broadcasting on RU-vid?

I love this idea of using and creating the childrens books. Do you have materials that you are willing to share that you've created for this unit?

Do you have a copy of the paperwork you gave them when they read the children's book on day one? Protagonsit/Antagonist, beginning middle end (story arch?)

How long are your classes? You mentioned 20 minutes of independent reading and 5 minutes to hang out. I am on block scheduling so I can’t imagine a 25-30 minute class!

If you approach discipline differently with different students how do you guard against students saying that you're unfair? Often there are better approaches with different students but often they'll claim that you're being unfair.

have you ever had them act a story out or do a talk show and they are a guest on the show as one of their favorite characters from the story.