I have been trying to sell resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, and I admit to stalking checking out some of the top sellers. Many of them sell handouts or posters, or worksheets that teach students to identify literary elements. In my opinion, this type of lesson is a complete waste of time. There is no […]
Literacy
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why Your Students Need Creative Writing (And You Need it More Than They Do)
I have taught the most driven, elite-college bound students, and I have taught students who barely squeaked through their graduation requirements. I have taught students for whom English was their favorite class of the day, and I have taught students who let out a big sigh every day when they walked through the door. I […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
How Do I Teach My Students To Write Better?
I know that the thought of teaching students how to write seems so daunting. But it’s simple—you just teach them to think. If I can engage my students, get them writing about a new idea or an idea that they care about or an idea that they don’t quite understand but want to—then usually, […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Part 2: Adventures in Real World English/Language Arts: Making Them Care
I’ve always had a high-stakes class. English III has been an EOC(end-of-cours)e since my second year in education, and while it has always been a lot of pressure teaching a high-stakes class, there has been a certain amount of comfort because the kids knew they had to pass a state test. I also teach AP […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What We Need to Teach Our Students to Think About America’s “Greatness”
When I teach poetry to my sixteen- and seventeen-year-old students, I often think about the fact that many of them will be voting soon. I know that most people don’t see the connection here, but for me, teaching them to be critical readers of a poem is the best way to get them to be […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Using Literature For Relevancy
Many English classrooms have gotten away from using classic literature, opting for more current material, which seems to ring truer across our youth. Although current material is important to teach, it’s amazing to see the relevance that classic literature parallels with today’s world. Material like The Picture of Dorian Gray is a perfect example. We […]
Posted inLiteracy
Skilled Writers Get Editors: Student Writers Get ________?
On occasion, I hear a statement that captures how much the classroom differs from the real world. Such was the case at the International Reading Association Conference in Boston (July 9-11, 2016) when literacy consultant Mark Overmeyer noted that in the real world: “Our most skilled writers have editors…the more skilled the writer, the more editors” […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Literature Circles in Middle School: Mini-Lessons
Rather than teach a full-class book at the end of the 2015-16 school year, I opted to have my 8th graders read in literature circles. They had the choice between six historical YA lit novels. Each day students met in their literature circles they had certain procedures they were expected to follow. Even though each […]