Teaching A Separate Peace to modern students is important. At my first teaching job, the curriculum was decided ahead of time, kinda. My first year, for example, I was told…
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Memoirs and Reading Choice in High School
Memoirs and reading choice align perfectly for high school language arts classes. Memoir is my favorite genre which is why I was reluctant to teach them. Sure, I had memoirs…
Top 5 Alternatives to The Crucible for Teaching
Teachers look for alternatives to The Crucible for a variety of reasons. Here are some sound ones. The Crucible is in American literature textbooks going back decades. High school language…
Master Writing Conventions with Mentor Texts
Covering writing conventions with mentor texts can save teachers time and increase student engagement. Add young adult literature to bring engagement. Teaching Writing Conventions with Mentor Texts Teaching writing conventions…
Running Book Clubs in High School
Wondering about running book clubs in high school, perhaps books clubs and literature circles? I share my honest thoughts below. As a high school English teacher, it can often feel…
Ten Activities for Teaching The Odyssey
Ten Activities for Teaching The Odyssey Ten activities for teaching The Odyssey —add these pieces to your Odyssey unit! Teaching The Odyssey can be fun, can be overwhelming, can be…
High School Literature Assignments Should Have Meaning
High school literature assignments should have meaning. How can we make that happen as busy English teachers?
High School Literature Essential Questions
High school literature essential questions can shape whatever stories you teach. Many of us English teachers love to read and partially teach language arts because books have saved us in…
High School English: Dystopian Lit Circles Guide
Dystopian lit circles for high school English can add variety and fun to literature lessons. If you are organizing lit circles around dystopian literature, I’ve included some ideas below. Dystopian…
Classroom Library Ideas: Adding Engagement with Books
The following classroom library ideas will encourage engagement with your books and build a community of readers. As a high school ELA teacher, you can have a classroom library—hundreds of…