Have you ever looked at a classroom and felt a wave of inspiration? The kind that makes you think, "Wow, this is a space where learning comes alive!" That’s the magic of an intentionally designed classroom, and it’s what I wanted for the best teacher I know, my husband. I can verify his best teacher award because I hear, “MR. BIBLE IS MY FAVORITE TEACHER !!!” every time my own students figure out ... Read More about Middle School World History Classroom: Inspiration for a Small Windowless Classroom
High School Classroom Decor: Semi Flexible Seating in a Secondary ELA Classroom
I'm a strong believer that your environment, whether that be your home or your classroom, can influence your daily energy, imagination, and joy. Because of this, I set out to design my high school classroom decor to reflect the overall goal I want to achieve in my classroom. Since I'm a high school English teacher, I want my classroom to promote reading, writing, and discussing. Let me walk ... Read More about High School Classroom Decor: Semi Flexible Seating in a Secondary ELA Classroom
Teaching Secondary ELA Remotely: How to teach English Online
Alternate title: That one time I taught British Literature online while in FREAKING LONDON (and in Ireland, Scotland, Paris, Belgium, and Italy)!!! This post is a long time coming because when people find out that I teach online while traveling throughout Europe, their immediate question is: HOW? The answer isn't a short one, but I hope to explain how I was able to teach ... Read More about Teaching Secondary ELA Remotely: How to teach English Online
Transcendentalism Projects and Ideas for High School ELA
Because Transcendentalism is one of my favorite American Literature units to teach, it only recently came to my attention that lots of other English teachers (and students) find these texts extremely boring. Since this hasn't been my experience, I thought I would share some ways to make your Transcendentalism unit engaging and meaningful with Transcendentalism projects! Nature ... Read More about Transcendentalism Projects and Ideas for High School ELA
Classroom Design Ideas for Teachers: Planning Classroom Setup & Decor
Did you know that the layout and decor of your classroom can significantly impact student engagement and learning outcomes? Science tells us that our environment can influence our mood, affect our behavior, and improve our productivity. An intentional classroom design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s a powerful tool to foster an inspiring and engaging learning environment. Let’s dive into some ... Read More about Classroom Design Ideas for Teachers: Planning Classroom Setup & Decor
Paint Chip Poetry Without the Guilt + Literary Paint Names
So absolutely no judgment for teachers who use paint chips for lessons because #itsforthekids , but if you are like me and feel a little sheepish stuffing 100 of these into your bag at the hardware store, I have a solution for you! First, here are my favorite paint chip poetry lesson plans: Paint Name Haiku- Paint names can be a beautiful form of creative ... Read More about Paint Chip Poetry Without the Guilt + Literary Paint Names