Tag: Buzzwords

What Teachers Need To Know About Restorative Justice
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In traditional school settings, discipline often follows a punitive model—break a rule and face consequences like detention or suspension. While this approach aims to deter misconduct, it frequently interrupts students’ education and may inadvertently lead to repeated behavioral issues without addressing the underlying causes. These conventional methods often fail to equip students with necessary conflict-resolution skills. As a result, a growing number of educational institutions are shifting toward a more holistic approach known as restorative justice. This innovative model focuses on healing, responsibility, and the rebuilding of relationships, offering a more sustainable solution to school discipline.

What is restorative justice in schools?

We Are Teachers

Restorative justice in schools represents a transformative approach to discipline that focuses on repairing harm and rebuilding relationships rather than punishing students for misbehavior. This practice is based on principles of empathy, respect, and accountability, encouraging students to understand the impact of their actions, take responsibility, and actively participate in the healing process.

The goal of restorative justice is to “build community and repair relationships while supporting reflection, communication, and problem-solving skills for staff and students,” which can lead to more effective learning and teaching. It emphasizes dialogue and mutual agreement, involving all parties affected by a conflict—including victims, offenders, and the wider school community—to address issues collaboratively.

By shifting from a punitive model to one that seeks to understand and resolve the root causes of behavior, schools implementing restorative justice report significant reductions in suspensions, improved student behavior, and better overall school climate. This approach not only helps in managing individual incidents of misconduct but also fosters a culture of care, respect, and community, essential for educational success and social development.

What are the basic practices of restorative justice?

We Are Teachers

Restorative justice is centered on a set of practices that aim to mend the harm caused by an incident and rebuild relationships among those involved. Here are some foundational practices typically employed in restorative justice frameworks:
- Facilitated dialogues: These are structured conversations, often referred to as “circles,” where all affected parties gather to discuss the incident. The process is guided by a facilitator who ensures that the dialogue is constructive and respectful.
- Conflict resolution: This involves direct engagement between the offender and the victim, allowing both parties to express their feelings and thoughts, understand each other’s perspectives, and mutually agree on how to repair the harm.
- Mediation sessions: Mediation is used to address conflicts before they escalate. It involves a neutral third party who helps the disputing parties find a solution that is agreeable to all involved.
- Community service: Oftentimes, part of the resolution involves the offender engaging in community service, which serves both as a means of making amends and as a learning experience to foster better community relations.
- Restorative conferences: These are formal meetings that include not just the victim and the offender, but also family members, school staff, or community representatives, depending on the context. The conference aims to work out how the offender can make amends and how the community can support the recovery process.
- Support and reintegration: Following an incident, there’s a focus on supporting both the victim and the offender. For the offender, the aim is to reintegrate them into the community or school, ensuring they have the support needed to avoid future conflicts.
The effectiveness of these practices depends on the commitment of all participants to the principles of honesty, respect, and mutual concern.

Restorative Justice Tier I: Prevention

The first tier is all about community-building as a preventive measure. Teachers or peer facilitators can lead students in circles of sharing, where kids open up about their fears and goals. Students play an integral part in creating the climate of Tier I. The teacher and students start the year by creating a classroom-respect agreement. Everyone agrees to be held accountable. The contract is an extremely effective way of maintaining harmony in the classroom.

Restorative Justice Tier II: Intervention

Tier II comes into play when students break rules and someone has caused harm to someone else. In traditional justice, this is when punishments are meted out. Restorative justice instead turns to mediation. The offending student is given the chance to come forward and make things right. They meet with the affected parties and a mediator, usually a teacher.

The mediator asks nonjudgmental, restorative questions like What happened? How did it happen? and/or What can we do to make it right? Through their discussions, everyone learns about what happened, why it happened, and how the damage can be fixed.

Restorative Justice Tier III: Reintegration

Tier III aims to help kids who’ve been out of school due to suspension, expulsion, incarceration, or truancy. Returning to school life can be a real challenge in those cases. Many students in traditional environments quickly re-offend or drop out again. Restorative justice practices seek to reduce this recidivism by providing a supportive environment during re-entry from the start. They acknowledge the student’s challenges while promoting accountability and achievement.

Does restorative justice really work in a classroom?

We Are Teachers

Research shows that restorative justice “can be successful in schools because it creates interactional patterns that produce positive social-emotional outcomes like group solidarity and individual emotional energy. The social-emotional outcomes have implications for both individual students and entire school communities.”

In California, Oakland Unified School District began using the program at a failing middle school in 2006. Within three years, the pilot school saw an 87% decrease in suspensions, with a corresponding decrease in violence. The practice was so successful that by 2011 OUSD made restorative justice the new model for handling disciplinary problems.

Does restorative justice address racial justice?

OUSD’s Restorative and Racial Justice home page is clear: “There is no restorative justice without racial justice.” To begin with, this means honoring the indigenous roots of the practice. It also means encouraging program participants to consider how racial privilege and prejudice affect them all.

The Center for Court Innovation runs restorative justice programs in five underserved Brooklyn schools. They’re trying to address the subject through a racial justice lens. “Restorative justice is about accountability and repairing harm,” they note. “What about accountability for the system that has produced these underserved and essentially segregated schools and then punishes the kids for reacting to that neglect?”

In other words, schools must address racist policies and practices along with restorative justice efforts. They can use the system to help historically privileged students make amends to the victims of long-standing prejudices. This is an extremely tricky topic and a fairly new one. Try these resources to learn more:

What are the potential benefits of restorative justice?

We Are Teachers

A major concern that some teachers may have when considering the implementation of restorative justice in the classroom is that it sounds like a lot of work. The truth is that it is a lot of work—especially when you’re just starting out. Like many things in life, though, the effort will likely be worth it.

Many teachers and administrators who use these programs say the benefits far outweigh the effort. Here are some potential positives of implementing restorative justice in the classroom:
- Improved behavior and reduced recidivism: Restorative justice practices focus on accountability and making amends, which helps students understand the impact of their actions. This approach has been shown to reduce repeat offenses and improve overall student behavior.
- Enhanced relationships: By promoting dialogue and mutual understanding, restorative justice fosters stronger relationships between students and teachers. This improved relational dynamic can lead to a more supportive and cohesive school community.
- Positive school climate: Implementing restorative practices helps create a more inclusive and respectful school culture. This environment is conducive to learning and personal growth, as students feel safer and more valued.
- Academic improvement: Schools that adopt restorative justice practices often see improvements in academic performance. This is partly because students who are not subjected to punitive measures like suspensions can spend more time in the classroom, engaging with their education.
- Conflict-resolution skills: Restorative practices teach students valuable conflict resolution and communication skills. These skills not only help in school but also prepare students for constructive interactions in their personal and future professional lives.
These benefits highlight why many educators advocate for the implementation of restorative justice practices in schools as an effective alternative to traditional punitive discipline methods.

What are the drawbacks of restorative justice in schools?

For restorative justice to work, engagement from all involved parties is required. If the offender isn’t willing to take responsibility and make meaningful restitution, the program can’t help. Schools using this system find they still need traditional disciplinary actions available for circumstances like this.

More than this, restorative justice in schools requires a pledge of time and money from the district and its administration. There are multiple examples of schools that set aside funds to implement the program but leave the money unspent. Other districts encourage teachers to use restorative discipline but provide little or no training or support. And busy teachers are understandably leery of trying yet another program that’s supposed to solve all their problems.

Schools that dedicate themselves fully to the system, like Oakland USD and Chicago Public Schools, see real change and benefits. But the time, money, and enthusiasm required to make it work can be prohibitive for others.

What do real educators think about restorative justice in schools?

When this topic pops up for debate in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE and Principal Life Facebook groups, educators tend to have a lot of opinions about it. Here are some of their thoughts:
- “We started RJ this year, and since it was so new, there was a STEEP learning curve for everyone involved, despite numerous trainings. Just remember that some students will respond to it right off the bat, some take time, and others are just not going to participate in circles and things, and that’s OK. My opinion is this: In theory, RJ is an excellent idea. I really think it can help build student-teacher relationships. In practice, the school must go ‘all in’ in order for it to work.”
- “I love this approach. It has been highly successful for me and my colleagues who took it seriously. I have seen improvements at tough schools that I’ve worked in. … By the way, this isn’t just for minority children. It isn’t just for Caucasian teachers. It’s for all people. These practices can also resolve issues with teacher and admin, parents and schools, etc.”
- “I find that many kids don’t open up in the circle and are afraid to share because the other kids don’t always respect what is said there. Not sure how to change that, but because they aren’t genuine in the circle, they are not reaping the benefits of genuine communication.”
- “Restorative justice cannot be rushed. It does not work when those participating have a time limit of 20 minutes and back to class.”
- “It takes time to build the culture. Have someone come in and give an overview of the philosophy and to share a circle. This gets everyone thinking. Don’t demand that everyone must do it … but request that everyone begins building relationships with their students and colleagues. Start with a team of teacher leaders who practice it and share their experience and celebrations. It will catch on! It takes about 3 years to build the culture!”
How can schools implement restorative justice?

We Are Teachers

In the classroom, teachers can use aspects of the restorative justice system, like respect agreements and sharing circles, to promote a healthy learning environment.

Implementing school-wide restorative justice can be a long-term process. The Oakland USD provides a useful Restorative Justice whole-school Implementation Guide. Here are some streamlined strategies:
- Training and professional development: Provide comprehensive training for teachers, administrators, and staff on restorative justice principles and practices. Focus on facilitating restorative circles and managing constructive conversations.
- Restorative circles: Use restorative circles to build community and address conflicts, and implement conferences for more serious incidents. Both practices foster open dialogue and mutual understanding, ensuring collaborative resolution processes.
- Restorative conferences: Implement restorative conferences for more serious incidents. These involve structured meetings where the affected parties discuss the harm caused and work together to find ways to repair the damage and restore relationships. This approach ensures that all voices are heard and that the resolution process is collaborative.
- Peer mediation programs: Establish peer mediation programs where trained students help mediate conflicts between their peers. This not only empowers students to take an active role in conflict resolution but also promotes a culture of accountability and support within the student body.
- Policy integration: Integrate restorative practices into the school’s discipline policies. This means shifting from a punitive approach to one that focuses on repairing harm and restoring relationships. Clearly communicate this change to all stakeholders, including students, parents, and staff.
- Ongoing support and evaluation: Provide ongoing support for staff through regular training sessions, coaching, and access to resources. Additionally, regularly evaluate the effectiveness of restorative practices through surveys, interviews, and data analysis to make necessary adjustments and improvements.
- Community involvement: Engage the broader school community, including parents and local organizations, in restorative justice initiatives. This helps to create a supportive network that reinforces the values and practices of restorative justice beyond the school environment.
By following these steps, schools can create a more positive and inclusive environment that fosters healthy relationships and reduces conflicts, ultimately enhancing the overall school climate and student outcomes.

Additional Restorative Justice Resources

Institutes and organizations

Books

Does your school use restorative justice, or are you looking to start? Come join the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook and chat with other teachers about your experiences.

Plus, check out our guide What Is Classroom Management?
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Jeanne Croteau, M.S., Psychology, Master TEFL Certified

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July 29, 2024
What Are the 5 Themes of Geography? (Plus Teaching Ideas)
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Geography is a big topic. It literally spans the globe. That’s why the National Council for Geographic Education and the Association of American Geographers broke geography down into five distinct themes:
- Location
- Place
- Human-Environment Interactions
- Movement
- Region
Here’s a short video about each of the five themes of geography and how to approach them in the classroom.

Geography Theme 1: Location

Location is the study of where places are located, both absolute and relative.

Absolute location is a definitive reference for a place. So, it’s a place’s latitude and longitude, an address, or any other way to tell exactly where a place is. If you describe your house as being at 123 Main Street, you’re describing an absolute location.

Relative location explains where a place is in relation to other landmarks and the environment. Describing your school as 23 miles from the nearest ocean is using relative location.

Location is important to understanding the geography of a region as it helps us communicate about different places. And defining location helps us understand how things like climate, natural resources, and topography impact humans.

How To Teach Location

Teaching location means teaching kids to describe places, as well as reading and creating maps.

Build an amusement park

Prince William County Schools/theme park project via pwcs.edu

Teach the basics of mapmaking and ideas of location by having students design their own amusement park. Have them think about the absolute and relative locations as they map out their rides. The big roller coaster is at a specific latitude and longitude. It’s also 50 feet from the snow cone stand.

Get it: Build Your Amusement Park lesson

Create a story map

Read books from around the world and, as you do, identify on the map where each story takes place. As you read, talk about how the place shaped the story. For example, how did Spanish topography and culture shape the story of Ferdinand the Bull?

Here’s a list of picture books that take place around the world to get you started.

Map in pieces

John Mark Smith/map of U.S. via pexels.com

Cut pieces out of a map of the United States (small or large, depending on the grade you teach) and have students guess which state it comes from based on what they see. Is there ocean coastline? A lake? Lots farmland? Can students work together to match each piece with the state it comes from?

Create a class atlas

Starts at Eight/atlas project via startsateight.com

Give students large pieces of paper and research tools. Assign them each a country to research and create an atlas page. Then, display all the atlas pages in a public space so they can read about other countries.

Geography Theme 2: Place

Place is about understanding the human and physical characteristics of a location.

Physical characteristics are things like mountains, rivers, beaches, climate, and animal and plant life. Think about what you’d see on a topographical map. Using physical characteristics, a place could be described as dry, arid, and populated by cacti and desert animals.

Human characteristics are things that people have made that define a place. That could be architecture, farms and land use, religious practices, political systems, transportation, and/or communication. Using human characteristics, a place could be described as an advanced, Spanish-speaking democracy with a Catholic majority.

Place is important because the characteristics of a place influence how humans interact with the environment. For example, the amount of rain impacts which crops can grow. Or a place with a redwood forest may create a logging industry in one area.

And place is important for understanding cultural diversity. Culture is shaped by place, and different regions have different traditions and beliefs that are shaped by place.

How To Teach Place

Have students explore the idea of place by working with each element—physical and human—in various projects and all at once.

Create your own country

CVES 4th grade/student map via cves4.weebly.com

A project like having students create their own country asks them to think through the characteristics of a country they create, as well as the features of the area they choose to place it on the globe.

Get it: Create Your Own Country lesson

Create a real world map

Watch a video about the challenge of creating a map of the world like this one:

Then, have students tackle the challenge of how to represent the world map. How have cartographers already solved this problem? What other ideas do students have?

Put together a soil report

Muffin Creation/dirt in hand via Pexels.com

Have students request soil samples from people they know around the country or even the world. Once you have the soil samples, investigate them. What is similar? What is different? How does the composition of the soil tell you about the place it’s from?

Compile a weather report

Assign each student or group of students a city around the world. One day each week or for a few weeks in a row, students look up the weather for that city, record the weather highlights, and keep track of the weather patterns. When students have enough recorded information, have them analyze and present the data. Which city has the highest temperature? The lowest? The biggest range? Smallest range? What can weather tell you about a place?

Investigate maps

Watch a video on how maps have been wrong throughout history:

Then, review different types of maps and discuss what each map shows and what type of information cartographers need to collect to create it.

Read more: Google Earth Hacks To Use Now

Geography Theme 3: Human-Environment Interactions

Human-environment interaction is the consideration of how humans adapt to and modify the environment. So, it’s how people have shaped the land, in positive and negative ways, and how the environment shapes people. For example, human-environment interaction explores how people living in cold climates use natural gas to heat homes, while in more temperate climates, people use other methods of heating and cooling. Another example is how the construction of dams impacts people (more people can live in an area) and the environment (some animals may thrive while others may not; a lake may be created where there wasn’t one before).

Humans are always shifting and impacting the land, so this theme is important to understand how human activities impact the planet and the resulting consequences.

How To Teach Human-Environment Interactions

Teaching human-environment interactions starts with helping kids understand how they benefit from and impact their own environment, and expanding from there.

Make a list of wants and needs

The Bilingual Hut/wants and needs via Pinterest.com

Have students work together to list their wants and needs. How do they get their wants and needs from their current city? How might their wants and needs change and be met if they lived in a different place?

Calculate population change

Collect population statistics for your town going back at least 50 years. When students present and analyze the data, what do they notice? What trends do they see? What might have influenced those trends? For an extension, invite a local historian into class to talk about the population trends and history of your area.

Go natural

Eren Li/Child in yard via pexels.com

Investigate the plants that grow naturally in your area and create an image of what a natural yard would look like. Would there be less grass because you live in a dry area? Or would there be tall plants because you live in a place with lots of rain? Have students create a campaign to encourage people to let yards go “wild.”

Do a vanishing-island project

Global Oneness Project/Isle de Jean Charles via pbslearningmedia.com

After watching a 9-minute film about the Isle de Jean Charles, a tiny island community off the Louisiana coast, students learn about how the changes on the island are impacting people who live there. Then, they learn more about the effects of hurricanes for people who live on the coast.

Learn more: A Vanishing Island lesson at PBS LearningMedia

Geography Theme 4: Movement

Movement studies the ways that ideas, goods, resources, communication, and trends travel around the world. This includes migration and immigration. Movement could be cell phone reception moving around the world, or refugees fleeing a country during war.

Movement is broken into different types:
- Human migration: when people move from one place to another either voluntarily or involuntarily
- Transportation of goods and services: moving products from where they are made to another place
- Communication of ideas: dissemination of information through various channels
- Cultural diffusion: when cultural traits spread from one society to another
- A big theme in movement is globalization and the impact of globalization on economies around the world.
How To Teach Movement

Teaching movement involves introducing students to new topics, like shipping, and using familiar tools, like maps.

Read about movement

Read a book like I Ship by Kelly Rice Schmitt and use the book’s narrative to trace how goods move from one place to another through shipping routes.

Buy it: I Ship at Amazon

Get teaching guide: I Ship Teaching Guide at Lerner Publishing

Create a travel map

Have students create a list of places that they would like to visit around the world. How would they get to each location? Have students create a map of how they would get from their hometown to each place. Can they think of creative ways to move from one place to another? For example, are there any shipping routes that go from your town to another country? Or do you want to visit any places that are close enough to travel to via hot-air balloon?

Here’s how to make a map using Google Maps:

Create a family movement map

Ask students to ask their parents and grandparents where their family came from and create a class map of how people moved and immigrated to your town. Note that one family may have more than one immigration or migration route.

Learn about push and pull factors

Watch a video about push and pull factors and migration, like this one:

Then, assign students a region and have them research why people are either moving to or from that region. Some regions to include: Syria, the United States, Pakistan, India, Ukraine.

Use the World Migration Report 2020 for a visualization.

Geography Theme 5: Region

Regions divide the world into units for study. Each region has some characteristic that unites it.
- Formal regions: regions with official boundaries, like cities, states, countries
- Functional regions: regions that are defined by connections, like the suburbs around a city that create a region
- Vernacular regions: perceived regions like “the Midwest.” There are no official boundaries, but these regions are generally understood.
Studying cultural regions helps students understand how societies have developed over time and how environment shapes human culture.

How To Teach Region

Teach region by creating regions and working with concepts that help define regions, like time zones and artifacts.

Map your school region

Not an Atlas/student-made maps via notanatlas.com

Use students’ addresses to create the region for your class. Then, discuss the physical features. What physical features are included? What man-made features are included? How do the features that are included influence the experience of living there?

Create a wall of time zones

Read a book like At the Same Moment Around the World by Clotilde Perrin and introduce the idea of time zones. Create a clock wall for your room that shows the time zones in different cities around the world.

Buy it: At the Same Moment Around the World at Amazon

Investigate cultural artifacts

brambleroots/stamps via Pinterest.com

Look at stamps or money from around the world. What do different countries include on their stamps or money? How does their region and culture impact money or stamps?

More Resources for Teaching the 5 Themes of Geography

If you liked our article on the five themes of geography and want more content like this, be sure to subscribe to our newsletters.

Plus, check out these amazing Geography Facts for Kids.
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Samantha Cleaver

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October 27, 2023
55+ Metaphor Examples, Plus Clever Teaching Ideas
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Writers use figurative language like metaphors to bring their writing to life. But what exactly is a metaphor (and how is it different from a simile)? Learn more about this literary device, and get metaphor examples and teaching ideas for your students.

What is a metaphor?

A metaphor is a literary device that draws a comparison between two otherwise unrelated things. It’s used to make an idea more relatable to the reader, or to evoke an emotional response. Metaphors often use hyperbole, or exaggerated language, to paint a vivid picture.
- Example: Today’s history exam was a total nightmare.
Metaphors are examples of figurative language, where the words are meaningful but not strictly true. In the above example, the speaker doesn’t mean that they fell asleep during their exam and had a nightmare. Instead, they’re drawing a comparison between the two to help the reader understand how terrible the experience was.

Metaphor vs. Analogy

Metaphors are similar to another literary device, the analogy. However, a metaphor is used to evoke feeling and emotion. A writer uses an analogy to help the reader draw a logical conclusion. If you’re trying to figure out if a phrase is a metaphor or an analogy, ask whether it’s meant to provoke an emotional reaction or help a reader understand something through logic.
- Metaphor: Time is a remorseless river.
- Analogy: Time is like a rapid river, flowing remorselessly onward. Trying to swim upstream is futile; you must simply go where the currents take you.
Metaphor vs. Simile

To add to the confusion, similes are another type of figurative language comparison used as a literary device. In a simile, though, the writer uses the words “like” or “as” rather than making a direct comparison.
- Metaphor: The sound of her voice was music to their ears.
- Simile: Her voice was like music.
Learn more about similes here.

What are the different types of metaphors?

We can break metaphors down into specific types:

Standard

This is the most basic type of metaphor, in which the writer simply makes a stated comparison between two unrelated things.
- Standard metaphor example: Racism is a fatal disease for our society.
The direct comparison here is between racism and a disease, bluntly stated and easy to identify.

Implied

Implied: In an implied metaphor, the writer is more subtle, using imagery to evoke the comparison between two things.
- Implied metaphor example: It was time for Elijah to spread his wings and fly.
By using language about wings and flying, the author implies a metaphor between Elijah and a bird.

Visual

In a visual metaphor, an image replaces or reinforces the words. This classic public service announcement from the 1980s is an excellent visual metaphor example:

Extended

As the name implies, an extended metaphor is more than just one sentence. It can be a series of lines in poetry, or a theme carried through paragraphs (or an entire book) in prose. Analogies can seem like extended metaphors, but remember that analogies are meant to help the reader draw logical conclusions, while metaphors provoke an emotional response.
- Extended metaphor example: “The dim attic was a forgotten lifetime. Cobwebs in the corners were shadowy memories, and rusty locked trunks held the passed years. A layer of soft dust lay over all, a blanket of lamented time gone by.”
Each sentence in this paragraph extends the metaphorical connection between the attic and a life lived long ago.

Dead

The term “dead metaphor” can be used in several ways, but it generally means a metaphorical expression that has lost its power over time. This might be because the original meaning of a word has changed or that it has fallen out of use. A dead metaphor can also be an overused cliche, one that we’ve all heard so often it no longer has much impact.
- Dead metaphor example: That remark was really beyond the pale.
You’ve probably heard this phrase, but do you know what it actually means? Many years ago, “the pale” referred to a wooden stake used to mark a boundary line. To say something was “beyond the pale” meant that it crossed an accepted boundary. This phrase is still used today, though few know what it actually means, making it a dead metaphor.

Mixed Metaphors

What about the phrase “mixed metaphors”? Once again, the clue is in the name: A mixed metaphor is when the writer or speaker mixes two comparisons into one metaphor, making things more confusing instead of clearer. Mixed metaphors are often combinations of well-known phrases.
- We’ll cross that bridge when the ball is in our court.
This sentence combines two common metaphors. The first, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” compares dealing with an issue or making a decision to crossing a bridge. The second, “The ball is in our court,” makes a connection between taking your turn in a ball game and dealing with an issue or a decision. Put together, the two frankly sound a little bit silly, so strong writers try to avoid mixing metaphors.

General Metaphor Examples

We Are Teachers / RitaE via Pixabay
- Tom is the black sheep of his family.
- The vast parking lot was a Sahara under the relentless sun.
- As the children started to work, the classroom became a beehive of activity.
- Laughter is the best medicine.
- Time is a thief, stealing moments away before we know it.
- Her smile was a lighthouse, guiding him safely across the crowded room.
- Li’s anger was a volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.
- Romance is the key to her heart.
- Olivia’s words were sharp daggers, cutting Jordan down to size.
- To Leslie, the vacant lot was a blank canvas, waiting to be turned into a beautiful park.
- Your bedroom is a pigsty—clean it up!
- A storm of emotions brewed deep inside, under Juan’s calm exterior.
- Life is a journey, so enjoy each step along the way.
- Her shrill laugh was nails on a chalkboard to me.
- Love is a rose, with sweet fragrance and sharp thorns.
- If I’m going to get all this work done on time, I’ll need to be a real machine today.
- With our boss out of town for the week, this place is a real circus.
- As she watched him sing, April’s face was an open book.
- Assad’s eyes were deep pools, drawing him in.
- Layla’s pride is her armor, protecting her from all attacks.
Metaphor Examples From Literature

We Are Teachers / aled7 via Pixabay
- “I’m a riddle in nine syllables.” (“Metaphors” by Sylvia Plath)
- “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” (As You Like It by William Shakespeare)
- “Hope is the thing with feathers / that perches in the soul.” (“Hope Is the Thing With Feathers” by Emily Dickinson)
- “It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.” (Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare)
- “Her mouth was a fountain of delight.” (The Storm by Kate Chopin)
- “Mr. Neck storms into class, a bull chasing thirty-three red flags.” (Speak by Laurie Anderson)
- “The sun was a toddler insistently refusing to go to bed: It was past eight thirty and still light.”(The Fault in Our Stars by John Green)
- “Light the first page, light the second page. Each becomes a black butterfly. Beautiful, eh?” (Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
- “He glanced out the rear window at the iron centipede of traffic.” (Sins of Two Fathers by Denis Hamill)
- “His grin is a large plastic comb of teeth.” (Anagrams by Lorrie Moore)
- “Do not go gentle into that good night / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” (“Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas
- “Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky.” (Sand and Foam by Kahlil Gibran)
- “Time rises and rises, and when it reaches the level of your eyes you drown.” (The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood)
- “Fame is a bee / It has a song— / It has a sting— / Ah, too, it has a wing.” (“Fame Is a Bee” by Emily Dickinson)
- “Middle C is the belly button of the piano.” (I Could Tell You Stories by Patricia Hampl)
Metaphor Examples From Songs

We Are Teachers / Pexels via Pixabay
- “Baby, you’re a firework! Come on, let your colors burst.” (“Firework” by Katy Perry)
- “Love is a battlefield.” (“Love Is a Battlefield” by Pat Benatar)
- “Life is a highway. I wanna ride it all night long.” (“Life Is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane)
- “You are the sunshine of my life.” (“You Are the Sunshine of My Life” by Stevie Wonder)
- “You ain’t nothing but a hound dog, crying all the time.” (“Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley)
- “I’m the sunshine in your hair / I’m the shadow on the ground.” (“I’m Already There” by Lonestar)
- “I’m the satellite, and you’re the sky.” (“Cecilia and the Satellite” by Andrew McMahon)
- “My heart’s a stereo / It beats for you so listen close.” (“Stereo Hearts” by Maroon 5)
- “You are the thunder and I am the lightning.” (“Naturally” by Selena Gomez)
- “I’m a hot-air balloon that could go to space.” (“Happy” by Pharrell Williams)
- “My lover’s got humor / She’s the giggle at a funeral.” (“Take Me to Church” by Hozier)
- “All in all you’re just another brick in the wall.” (“Another Brick in the Wall” by Pink Floyd)
- “And he’s watching us all with the eye of the tiger.” (“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor)
- “I got that sunshine in my pocket.” (“Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake)
- “You’re my kryptonite / You keep making me weak.” (“One Thing” by One Direction)
How To Teach Metaphors

In addition to sharing metaphor examples with students, try these smart teaching ideas.

Write paint chip poetry

Fabulous in Fifth via mrshallfabulousinfourth.blogspot.com

Kids will love this creative activity where they write color metaphors on paint chip samples. Hang a bulletin board full of them, and you’ll have a vivid metaphor display for the classroom!

Learn more: Paint Chip Poetry via Fabulous in Fifth

Mix and match similes and metaphors

Teaching in Room 6 via teachinginroom6.com

This split-page book is so much fun for kids to make, and it gives them practice with figurative language like metaphors, similes, and more.

Learn more: Mix-and-Match Metaphors via Teaching in Room 6

Take the metaphor challenge

Learning in Room 213 via learninginroom213.com

This one is great for middle or high school, since it can be a bit tough. Each student draws a slip of paper with a random word or phrase on it. Then they partner up and try to create a metaphor that links their two words together.

Learn more: Metaphor Challenge via Learning in Room 213

What are your favorite metaphor examples to use in the classroom? Come share your ideas in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, 75+ Appealing Alliteration Examples (Plus Teaching Ideas).
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Jill Staake

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October 20, 2023
‘Bare Minimum Mondays’ Can Result in a Week of Productivity ‘Hell’ | Entrepreneur

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By now, you’ve probably heard of “bare minimum Mondays” — the latest TikTok-born workplace trend that’s trying to find a way around burnout.

“Bare minimum Mondays” exemplify the ongoing “collective awareness” that employees have to start putting their mental and emotional health first — and stop accepting additional work and responsibilities without an increase in pay, Brooks E. Scott, executive coach and CEO of Merging Path, tells Entrepreneur.

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Amanda Breen

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March 24, 2023
Entrepreneur | Survey: The Most Annoying Corporate Buzzwords Revealed

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Are you fond of using the phrase “let’s circle back” in business meetings?

Your co-workers wish you would stop.

Preply, an online language-learning platform, recently surveyed over 1000 people to ask them what they thought of certain trendy corporate jargon. “Circle back” was deemed the most annoying phrase, followed by such overused doozies as “put a pin in it” (#6) and “low-hanging fruit” (#8).

Related: What Do You Do When Your Colleague Is Biased? Try These 5 Phrases to Professionally Call It Out.

Buzzwords you need to stop using in 2023

The survey also looked at what they called “modern buzzwords,” popularized in 2022.

The new words that survey participants wished would be retired immediately include “new normal,” with 42% calling it the most maddening phrase of 2022, “lean in” (18%), and “hop on a call” (16%).

“Level up” and “out of pocket” were not far behind in annoyingness.

HR reps may want to take note. The survey highlighted phrases that should not be used in job postings, with 55% of participants saying they view buzzwords in job postings negatively.

Among the worst offenders are: “fast-paced environment” and “rockstar.” The words “guru” and “ninja” also got a thumbs down, mercifully.

Related:

Acceptable buzzwords

Not all corporate buzzwords were deemed unbearable. The survey also revealed the least annoying buzzwords, such as “sync” (#1), “loop in” (#7), and an old familiar classic, “take offline” (#9).

We’re not saying these phrases will make you popular around the office, so use them sparingly.

Here are the full lists:

Top 10 Most Annoying Buzzwords

1. Circle back

2. Work hard, play hard

3. Boots on the ground

4. Let’s table this

5. Synergy

6. Put a pin in it

7. Get ducks in a row

8. Low-hanging fruit

9. Reinvent the wheel

10. Throw it up and see what sticks

5 Most Annoying Modern Words

1. New normal

2. Lean In

3. Hop on a call

4. Level up

5. Out of pocket

10 Least Annoying Buzzwords

1. Sync

2. Pushback

3. Pipeline

4. Level set

5. Have in back pocket

6. Window of opportunity

7. Loop in

8. Align

9. Take offline

10. On the same page

8 Buzzwords to Avoid in Job Listings

1. Like a family

2. Fast-paced environment

3. Rockstar

4. Guru

5. Ninja

6. Hustle

7. Work hard, play hard

8. Get your foot in the door

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Jonathan Small

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February 21, 2023