You know yourself better than anyone, but if you are like me, when it comes to making a holiday wish list, you draw a blank. Hopefully this teacher by type brainstorm will help with both giving and receiving! 1. The Imaginative Instructor For the creative type who enjoys dreaming up innovative lessons: This Winter Poetry Pack will provide hours of imaginative play for both students ... Read More about English Teacher Type Gift Guide
Diverse Christmas Short Story Pairings
As the holiday season approaches, it’s the perfect time to introduce your middle and high school English students to some classic holiday short stories. Not only do these stories capture the essence of the festive season, but they also teach valuable lessons about love, kindness, and compassion. However, when selecting stories for your students, it’s important to keep in mind that all students ... Read More about Diverse Christmas Short Story Pairings
There is no Early American Literature without Native American Literature
As English educators, we strive to make our ELA lessons as interesting and inclusive as possible. However, textbooks don't make this easy, especially when it comes to teaching Early American Literature. The thing is, there is no Early American Literature without Native American Literature and adding indigenous voices can help you with all your unit planning goals. In fact, adding Native ... Read More about There is no Early American Literature without Native American Literature
10 Creative Ways to Introduce a Literature Unit
Finding creative ways to introduce a unit isn't just fluff; research suggests that it's essentially one of the most important aspects of lesson planning. In the article, "Piqued: The case for curiosity" the author reports that scientists are discovering that curious learners from low-income households perform as well as affluent students and that all learners are much better at learning ... Read More about 10 Creative Ways to Introduce a Literature Unit
First Day of School Activities for High School and Middle School English
Extroverted English teachers will never understand how nerve-racking the first day of class is for us introverts. Though I have ten years (x2 semesters each) of first-day experience, the back-to-school butterflies fluttered just as much on year ten as they did on year one. A lot of my anxiety came from planning first day activities that didn’t match my teaching style at all. I did what I thought I ... Read More about First Day of School Activities for High School and Middle School English
Adventure Themed Classroom: An Eclectic Travel Classroom with Boho Vibes
There's just something so magical about looking at learning as an adventure, and that's the exact notion I wanted to highlight in this travel-themed classroom. I worked with the classroom decor that this room already had, so I was able to put together a high school adventure-themed classroom in just one day! When I saw the before pictures, I knew that I could add just a few eclectic touches to ... Read More about Adventure Themed Classroom: An Eclectic Travel Classroom with Boho Vibes
