6 Reasons Why Your Students Need Close Reading

When I think about my goals as a teacher, I think about how I want to empower my students to go out into the world and think for themselves.  Creating independent, confident, life-long learners who aren’t afraid to try to new things is really the ultimate dream.  But figuring out how best to spend the limited time that I have in class in order to achieve those dreams is not always easy.  I have found, over the years, that teaching

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6 Tips For Teaching Shakespeare

Teaching Shakespeare is truly the highlight of the school year for me.  And it’s not only because  I love the Bard so much that I have tattooed a favorite quote on my arm.  It’s also because whether I’m teaching my beloved unit on Twelfth Night   or any other play, the Shakespeare unit is a highlight for my students as well.  It wasn’t always that way, and I have learned a lot over the years about how not to teach

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Poem of the Week: American Dreams, Struggle, and Unity

I don’t think that I will ever be able to hear the words “great” and “America” together again without cringing.  And yet, I want to continue the discussion about how we can all achieve the American Dream. I guess that what I most want my students to understand about the place they live is this:  It’s complicated.  It’s not really about whether America was or ever will be great—it’s about looking at what does work and looking even more closely

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6 Tips for Teaching Fake News: Digital Literacy Do’s and Don’ts 

If you have students over the age of 16, they’ll be eligible to vote in the next presidential election.  Will they have the information to make the best decisions for themselves and their country?  If they’re making their choices based on fake news—or misinformation and disinformation—the consequences of those choices could hurt us all. You know that you need to teach your students to be more savvy consumers of digital information who are equipped with the correct tools for evaluating

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