Browsing Categoryliterature

Have you tried reading aloud with secondary students? I have, and the results are positive!  Many of you have followed me this school year as I work to create a…

First Chapter Fridays work well in my secondary classroom. Here are some tips I’ve learned. (First, I want to acknowledge that I did not invent First Chapter Fridays. I saw…

You’ve decided that building a classroom library is a priority. Inexpensive book finds are a must! Honestly, for years building a classroom library was never on my radar. I’ve been…

Looking for short story lesson plans?  I’m prepping for the first quarter of school, and that means… short stories! You can read my previous post about what I hope to…

I never teach the same short story unit twice. I begin standard English classes with short stories which allows me to encourage student choice and assess student needs. Read on…

Teach Shakespeare? Read on! Welcome to “This or That,” a monthly chat where the authors of Reading and Writing Haven and Language Arts Classroom cover different ways of approaching common…

I took *zero* classes in college or graduate school that focused on reading with high school students. I think the assumption is that older students can read, and we secondary…

I’m an English teacher, and I still teach Shakespeare. I always will.  Since I enjoy teaching Julius Caesar, I research new ideas each semester. I search for fresh pieces to…

I add to my Julius Caesar lesson plans every semester! Why? I love it! Of all literature, Julius Caesar may be my favorite to teach. The deception, the plotting, the…

March is National Reading Month! I’ve teamed up with Melissa from The Reading and Writing Haven to bring you 6 Must-Teach Novels for Secondary ELA. As English teachers, we love…