Why You Should Teach ELA in Thematic Units

When I first started teaching, I did what lots of ELA teachers do: I started at the beginning and then went from there. In other words, I taught literature chronologically. What better way for students to understand the comprehensive sweep of literature written in English, right? Well, it often felt like I was just stringing together a list of texts, and, as happens to many people, I never really got to the stuff that was written in the last 100

How to Teach Shakespeare: Lesson Plans That Actually Work

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 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 the Bard. These 6 tips will work for any Shakespeare play, but if you

Teaching Ideas for a Meaningful Unit on The Crucible

When you think about what you want students to learn from your unit on The Crucible, think about five years from now. In other words, if you were to run into these kids in the future, what would you want them to remember? Would you really care if they remember that Mary’s last name is Warren or how many people were accused of witchcraft or whether the residents of Salem owned cows or sheep? The details might matter while students are

6 Reasons To Teach With Mentor Texts

Starting a writing unit by examining great examples of the kinds of writing we’ll be doing is one of those ideas that I seem to forget and remember over and over again. Maybe it’s because I rush through writing plans, anxious to get to the assignment so that students can start working. Maybe it’s the effort of looking for good examples. Perhaps it’s the mistake of believing that my explanation is plenty and students shouldn’t need anything more. Or possibly

4 Units to Achieve Your Back-To-School Goals

As a teacher, you might have just a few goals for the beginning of the school year: set the tone for your classroom; inspire students to work harder; establish rigor and expectations; teach students to think independently. Oh, and don’t forget win over students by showing them how much fun they’ll be having this year, and, when you teach high school, getting to know over 100 new people as fast as possible. Seems simple, right? Every year, I have tried

End of the Year Poetry Unit for ELA: Slam Poetry, Analysis Activities, and an Independent Poetry Project

The last few days before summer vacation can feel like a slow, painful countdown interrupted by bursts of chaos. Students are desperate to check out, the beautiful weather is beckoning, and you really don’t want to plan around yet another poorly announced award ceremony during your F period class. Mustering the energy to drag your students through a full novel or play just isn’t worth the effort anymore—and yet you’re not ready to give up on meaningful learning altogether. That’s

6 Tips for Student-Teacher Writing Conferences–An Infographic!

This infographic was made with Venngage Infographics.

Poetry Lesson Plans: A Thematic List of Poems for High School

One resource that I have always wanted as a teacher is a list of poems arranged by theme so I could easily find a great piece to add to any unit. Well, here’s that list. If you see a link in the title to the poem, that’s because I sell a resource for teaching that poem. (Think about it as a great choice if it’s nine o’clock on a Wednesday night and you’d rather go to bed than sit up

Why Do Teachers Look For Writing Prompts? (And What They Should Be Looking For Instead)

In doing a little keyword research for my Teachers Pay Teachers products and the guest blog posts that I write in hopes that people will find and buy those products, I have found that an often searched for term is “writing prompts.” I continue to be almost shocked that people just look for writing prompts, without any tie to content or units of study or texts. I don’t think, though, that they are simply looking for someone to give them

How To Teach Poetry So Students Actually Read, Analyze, and Enjoy It Independently

April is National Poetry Month, and while I could happily spend hours analyzing a poem with a group of seventeen-year-olds, I know that not everyone feels that way. Poetry is not always an easy sell. Students might not have much experience with poetry, or they don’t like it, or they think that it’s going to be too hard. But by the end of my introductory unit, I have won (almost) all of them over. They look back on the poetry

« 1 2 3 4 5 6 »