The best prank I ever pulled on my high school seniors was to convince them we were reading an Old English version of Beowulf. Watching the fear grow on their confused faces as they struggled through lines like, “Hwæt. We Gardena in geardagum…hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon” was mean but oh so entertaining. But the best part (and point of the prank) was hearing a collective sigh of relief ... Read More about Meaningful & Fun Activities for Teaching Beowulf
Teacher Motivation: 5 ways to mentally prepare to go back to school
I’ve always loved the cyclical nature of teaching. I like that there’s a clear finish line each year and then a nice break before the start whistle sounds in August. Much of my teacher motivation comes from working hard for periods of time then indulging in well-deserved breaks. In other professions, I imagine it’s taxing working day after day without that satisfying feeling of a collective end ... Read More about Teacher Motivation: 5 ways to mentally prepare to go back to school
Keeping the Wonder: A Professional Development Book for Teachers
Those of you who follow me on Instagram know that I’ve spent the last two years writing a professional development book for teachers titled Keeping the Wonder: An Educator's Guide to Magical, Engaging, and Joyful Learning. I coauthored this book with my three EDU partners and Wonder Makers from all over the US. Update: WOW! I truly did not know what to expect when I was writing this post before ... Read More about Keeping the Wonder: A Professional Development Book for Teachers
How to do a Diverse ELA Curriculum Audit
In the summer of 2020, I did a curriculum audit to reflect upon which voices in literature were being amplified and honored in my classroom. I knew it would reveal several white male authors, but until I saw it clearly displayed in a pie chart, I had no idea just how many. Even after working for years on adding diverse ELA curriculum to my British Literature class, my color-coded chart still ... Read More about How to do a Diverse ELA Curriculum Audit
How to plan a podcast unit for middle school and high school
In some ELA circles I’m known as The Podcast Queen. Though I’m not sure where it started, I theorize that this title has been bestowed upon me because 1. I never shut up about podcasts and 2. Many of my podcast units, resources, and roundups have engaged classes when little else would, especially during distant learning. While I gladly accept that title with honor, I humbly hope that this post ... Read More about How to plan a podcast unit for middle school and high school
Group Essays: Slash your grading stack with this collaborative essay hack!
Here’s some ELA math for you: If it takes you 5 minutes to grade a single essay would you rather grade 90 essays in 450 minutes or 30 essays in 150 minutes? What could you do with an extra 300 minutes in your life? That’s five extra hours to read a book, go to the park, or simply live your life. If you are wondering how you can cut 60 essays from your stack without blacking out your student ... Read More about Group Essays: Slash your grading stack with this collaborative essay hack!
