Teaching graphic novels? I have taught graphic novels and have them in my classroom library. The picture below illustrates how I feel about graphic novels: colorful, with appealing pictures and…
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What is First Chapter Friday?
What is First Chapter Friday? About two months ago, I published a post about my success with First Chapter Friday. I began using the hashtag #FirstChapterFriday on Instagram. Teachers asked…
Mastering Independent Reading and Class Novels
Teachers are currently experimenting with independent reading and class novels for high schoolers. I do both. Research changes and evolves with all components of education. During current professional development, I…
Extension Activities for Literature Lessons
Are you looking for extension activities for literature lessons, or perhaps overall ELA extension activities? Below, I’ve included a massive list of ideas for classroom activities for teaching literature. Sometimes,…
Romeo and Juliet Lesson Plans: Free Teaching Ideas
Looking for Romeo and Juliet lesson plans? Typically, teaching Romeo and Juliet in ninth grade is part of teaching freshmen. If you need Romeo and Juliet assignments, I wrote several out for…
Reading Aloud with Secondary Students
erbaHave 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 with Secondary Students
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…
Building a Classroom Library Inexpensively
You’ve decided that building a classroom library is a priority. Inexpensive book finds are a must! Cheap books for classroom library can be found. Honestly, for years building a classroom…
Short Story Lesson Plans
Looking for short story lesson plans and short story activities? You can easily add a sprinkling of these stories to your curriculum. If you are looking for ideas for how…
Short Story Unit Plan with Student Choice
Are you building a short story unit plan with student choice? I never teach the same short story unit twice. I begin standard English classes with short stories which allows…