In high school, when I first learned the skill of annotating, I was hooked. I couldn’t stop; my books were decorated with a rainbow of different highlighters and my pages were weighed down by insurmountable notes. It became an addiction – I would test myself with how I could “out-annotate” my last literature book. As […]
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The New Normal: Teaching is as it Should Be
Here we go again. Many people are struggling with the new normal surrounding education and COVID-19. The kids have too much work. The teachers aren’t doing enough. It’s all busywork. Can you believe there are 5 live class meetings each week? Can you believe there is only 1 live meeting a week? How will students […]
Students Don’t Have to Read a Novel to Read
If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book. -J.K. Rowling This infamous J.K. Rowling quote is often used with reluctant readers who feel that they “hate reading.” And what do we do as teachers? With great intentions, we work to help them find just the right book that will cure […]
Teacher Empowerment: Fight the Powers that Be
You gotta go for what you know To make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be -Public Enemy Public Enemy’s song, “Fight the Power,” was a call to action in the late 1980s for African-American communities (and beyond) to get more political and take a stand against the “powers that be.” When […]
The Death of Reflection in English/Language Arts Classrooms
I had the saddest experience today. In English IV, British Literature, I assign my students a coat of arms assignment. They have to design a personal coat of arms on a poster then write about the color, animals, motto, and research their first and last name. They have to write an experience they went through […]
Using “Hamilton: The Musical” in the Classroom
Hamilton in the Classroom Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard of the Broadway musical Hamilton, the hip-hop and rap production of the life of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, written by an award-winning musical playwright, composer, and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda. Many of your students know the play well. In fact, […]
When Students Provide Perspective
Sometimes, I feel like I need a little perspective. Some days, I come home from work exhausted. Especially this week, the week before Thanksgiving Break. This is not something that is unique to me. All week, I have seen posts on social media from other teachers that are feeling the same way. With daylight savings […]
LGBT Perspectives in the Middle School Classroom
There has recently been a lot of buzz around a new short animated film entitled “In a Heartbeat.” I first saw it being shared on Facebook, and since it was posted on July 31st, it has been viewed over 20 million times. If you have not had the chance to view it yet, here is […]