How do you teach students to actually understand how figurative language or other literary elements function to create meaning in a text? In my experience, the higher the level of thinking you require from your students, the more they’ll benefit by a breaking down of the steps to get there.  Sure, every once in a while you’ll come across a kid who can just naturally and effortlessly analyze a literary text, but honestly that’s like one in a thousand.  

There is so much incredible art to explore from Harlem Renaissance, that it might seem overwhelming to do the movement justice.  I’ve spent a lot of time researching and reading and exploring to put together a complete unit on the Harlem Renaissance, and this is what I’ve learned about what is most important to include in yours. Here are my top 8 tips for teaching a great unit on the Harlem Renaissance. Ready to teach a unit that is based

Ready to integrate more Native voices into your curriculum this year?   While trickster tales, creation myths, and other traditional stories definitely have their place in an American literature curriculum, it’s important that your students don’t get the message that Indigenous literature is only something from the past or something to read about in their history books.  In fact, if you’re not intentionally integrating current writers in your plans, you might be inadvertently giving your classes the message that Native

It’s the end of the school year—how can you possibly get your ELA students excited about learning when summer vacation beckons? One word: choice. If you’ve spent any time around teens, you know the ticket to success in their learning is giving them as much choice as you can.  When they choose what they will learn and the stories they will tell, they feel empowered and engaged.  And they know that you care about their interests.  Here are my top

I have come to admit that my students get more out of the books they choose to read on their own than almost anything I assign to them.  I also know that their lives don’t always allow them time to get lost in a book while they are surrounded by a quiet, calm atmosphere.  So when I can, I structure in some time for independent reading workshop including writing regular reading responses based on one of two different structures.   

I’m always on the lookout for a great new text that will impact my students and also be enjoyable to teach.  And when I do find that gem that has for some reason been hidden from me, I want other high school teachers to experience it as well.  I can get kind of excited about new discoveries, especially when they add diverse voices and views to my curriculum.  I created this unit on “Sweat”  and now I want everyone to