I feel that it is essential for every English literature student–whether that be AP, honors, regular, or support level– to have the ability to read a single text through different critical lenses. This skill teaches students how to have an open mindset and view the world through multiple perspectives. And isn't that one of the fundamental purposes of reading? Plus, literature lenses are the perfect thing to have on hand in your English class. Want deeper literary analysis? Critical Lenses. Need a quick grouping strategy? Critical Lenses. Wish you had a lesson to use on the fly with any book? Critical Lenses. Though literary criticism lenses have intimidating names, ... Read More about Teaching Critical Lenses: Fun Ways to Apply Lenses in Literature
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Building Book Love 2025 Recap
I recently woke up to discover that either a ghost or gravity knocked down all the Christmas decorations on my fireplace mantel. The frame around my TV was broken, my favorite thrifted brass deer lay on the floor, and a still-glowing battery candle was flung across the room. After taking in the chaos, I thought, well, this is the perfect metaphor for 2025. It’s been messy, chaotic, and jarring, yet here I am doing the best I can to keep my light shining. So with that, here are some highlights from my annual Building Book Love recap (we won't talk about the lowlights, ha!). If you'd like to also read past years and more about my process, you can check those out here: ... Read More about Building Book Love 2025 Recap
Animal Farm Lesson Plans: Teaching Orwell Like It’s Your Civic Duty
Sometimes fighting back feels like opening the pages of a book. Bridging the political divide sounds like civil classroom discussions. And practicing your civic duty looks like teaching Animal Farm by George Orwell. These Animal Farm lesson plans are designed to help you get to the heart of Animal Farm while making your efforts mean something. With your guidance, students will dig deep into Animal Farm history, themes, and allegory in order to better apply Orwell’s message to their own lives right here, right now. Animal Farm Short Summary But before we get into the Animal Farm lesson plans, here’s a quick refresher: On the surface, Animal Farm is a simple story ... Read More about Animal Farm Lesson Plans: Teaching Orwell Like It’s Your Civic Duty
A Christmas Carol Teaching Ideas: Activities for a Festive Novel Study
I don’t remember the first time I read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens because it somehow feels like I’ve always known Scrooge. However, I vividly remember the first time I tried to teach it. I’m dating myself, but we’d just received a classroom set of Nooks and one of the pre-loaded books was A Christmas Carol. I jumped at the chance to coast through December with a fun and “easy” book, ha! Needless to say, I soon realized I had underestimated this familiar novella. It’s one of those rare stories that’s universally loved, but more complex than the cartoon versions of our childhood led us to believe. So, if you are looking for A Christmas Carol teaching ideas, here’s the novel ... Read More about A Christmas Carol Teaching Ideas: Activities for a Festive Novel Study
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