Have you caved to the Wordle craze yet? Curiosity of seeing those mysterious green and yellow squares everywhere finally got the best of me, and I’m so glad it did! Wordle word game makes me nostalgic for the Words with Friends era that I played a decade ago with my then boyfriend and now husband. Plus, any game that generates thinking, builds vocabulary, and supports spelling is a win for ... Read More about 3 Ways to Use Wordle in the Classroom
5 Strategies for Diversifying and Adapting Scripted ELA Curriculum
This is guest blog post by Tarah Taylor, a dedicated middle school teacher in Ohio. I knew her experience with diversifying and adapting ELA scripted curriculum would be helpful because one of the most frequently asked questions about the ELA ideas on my site is: But what if I have scripted ELA curriculum? It’s a valid question and one that I have no background in, so take it away Tarah! In ... Read More about 5 Strategies for Diversifying and Adapting Scripted ELA Curriculum
Literary Charts: Interdisciplinary ELA Activities
After attending two summer STEM seminars with fellow ELA, math, and science teachers, my outlook and inspiration for interdisciplinary ELA activities formed an upward trajectory (chart puns anyone? No? Ok moving on). There is just something truly magical that happens when cross-curricular crosses the synapses in our brains. If you could have seen my mind lighting up while this bookish ELA educator ... Read More about Literary Charts: Interdisciplinary ELA Activities
Meet the Google Doc Checklist Feature
After the-year-that-must-not-be-named, I knew I needed a reset in the productivity department. I wasn’t hard on myself for being unproductive during that year because I knew my brain was under so much stress during the peak of the pandemic. However, not being able to focus, read, create, or finish even the smallest project left me feeling depressed and financially anxious since my income now ... Read More about Meet the Google Doc Checklist Feature
ELA Thanksgiving Activities for Middle School and High School
While practicing gratitude is an important value in my life, for personal reasons, Thanksgiving has never been my favorite. In fact, on a holiday ranking scale, Thanksgiving would be at the bottom for me. However, I would never turn down time off in November to reflect and recharge, so I’m grateful for that! If you find yourself needing to fill a day or two before your much deserved fall break, ... Read More about ELA Thanksgiving Activities for Middle School and High School
Diverse Short Stories for Spooky Season
Like most ELA teachers, I love me some Edgar Allan Poe. His work meets the English teacher pinnacle of being rigorous yet engaging, high Lexile yet high interest, short yet deep. Poe’s short stories and poetry also provide fun opportunities for room transformations and engaging activities—especially during spooky season. However, adding diverse spooky short stories to the Halloween mix can make ... Read More about Diverse Short Stories for Spooky Season
