Building Book Love

It feels wrong to say that I've ever found joy in making high school students cry, but when it comes to teaching Of Mice and Men, that's the truth. Though I'm always tearing up too, there's a certain amount of pride that comes from seeing their faces turn to understanding at the end and knowing you've assigned a book they will never forget. It's one of those books that will never leave them, especially when you approach your Of Mice and Men unit plan with depth, heart, and meaning. If you are ready to help students dig deeper into Steinbeck's classic, keep reading for Of Mice and Men activities that will spark debate, build empathy, and make the shortest book in their curriculum ... Read More about Of Mice and Men Unit Plan Activities and Teaching Ideas

Some of the most powerful learning happens when students have a real audience and a real purpose — and few subjects deliver that more naturally than journalism. In this collaborative post, teachers are sharing their best ideas for teaching journalism in high school. From podcasts to projects, there's something here for every kind of journalism student! Play Podcasts to Teach Journalism in High School  What if your journalism students solved a cold case?  That's exactly what happened in a neighboring district not far from me. Prompted by a journalism project, a group of East Tennessee high schoolers cracked a nearly 40-year-old serial murder mystery, and their ... Read More about Ideas for Teaching Journalism in High School

One of the great ironies in life is that teachers have lots of time to travel but limited funds to do so. But as you’ll see in this post, when you start using flexibility as your currency, a whole new world opens up for more teacher travel (literally).  This post contains affiliate links; I may earn a commission if you apply through these links.   I recently booked a business class seat from Boston to Istanbul for 65,000 points (that’s less than this sign-up bonus on my favorite travel card!!!). Do I live in Boston? No! Had I ever dreamed of visiting Istanbul? Not really! BUT, do you know what is only a one-hour and $35 flight away from Istanbul? My favorite warm ... Read More about Teacher Travel: Flexibility is your Currency 

Teaching classic American literature becomes a lot more engaging when you find an angle that makes it relative to modern high schoolers. When I was researching teaching Frederick Douglass, the perfect way to frame my lesson plan came into focus. Did you know that Frederick Douglass was the most photographed man in the 19th century? Do you know who else breaks records for selfies? Teenagers!  Frederick Douglass believed that his image could be just as powerful as his voice. That connection between identity and storytelling is something students instinctively understand, even if they have never thought about it in those terms. Using this photography angle, here are three ways ... Read More about Teaching “The Battle with Mr. Covey” by Frederick Douglass