Learn from a veteran, NBCT English teacher how to grade less, not more so that you don’t become a workaholic zombie.
I’m Ready to Get Started!
Most Recent Posts
Read my latest tips, tricks, and musings below.
The Writing Process Explained: From Outline to Final Draft
Writing is a messy process. Rarely do writers pick up their pen or open a fresh Google Doc and write everything start to finish. To take the genesis of an…
The Writing Process Explained: From Outline to Final DraftRead More
What Are Authentic Assessments?
What Are Authentic Assessments? Is it authentic to have a student deliver a persuasive speech about climate change to an audience of teenagers, not policymakers? Is it authentic to have…
The Art of Storytelling: Techniques for Writing Engaging Narratives
Neuroscience shows us that our brains are naturally designed for writing narratives. We can see narratives being told as far back as our cave dwelling ancestors who told the story…
The Art of Storytelling: Techniques for Writing Engaging NarrativesRead More
Writing Topics for Student Writer’s Block
When presenting students with writing topics or writing prompts in the classroom, I hear students remark, “I’ve got writer’s block!” Usually this comes as they scroll through TikTok, text their…
The Art of Argumentation: How to Write a Convincing Argumentative Essay
Arguably, everything we ask students to do in the classroom–even beyond argumentative essay and persuasive writing–touches on argumentation in some way. Compose a speech. Sure, I propose we legalize ____. …
The Art of Argumentation: How to Write a Convincing Argumentative EssayRead More
5 Strategies for Improving Reading Comprehension Skills
When I Netflix and relax, I’m not thinking about reading with comprehension, but I always turn the captions on, reading that bold white text over the action on the screen–words…
5 Strategies for Improving Reading Comprehension SkillsRead More
The Importance of Active Reading and How to Do It
Not all reading is created equally. There is a significant difference between passive and active reading, and when our student readers lack necessary active reading tools in their toolkit, they…
Teaching Effective Presentation Skills in English Language Arts Classrooms
Presentation skills are a worry for most people. And, let’s face it…public speaking is a part of life (even if it’s just life in middle school or high school). In…
Teaching Effective Presentation Skills in English Language Arts ClassroomsRead More
Understanding Poetic Devices: Personification, Alliteration, and More
Poetic devices are a way of helping readers understand and interpret poems. By using poetic devices, writers are able to make their readers feel as if they are experiencing what…
Understanding Poetic Devices: Personification, Alliteration, and MoreRead More
20 Must-Read Classic Novels for High School Students
I think one of the interesting things about canonized literature is the way public opinion about classic novels changes over time. Certainly few people would have thought To Kill a…
20 Must-Read Classic Novels for High School StudentsRead More
10 Reasons to Try Round Table Discussions
Round table discussions can be a powerful tool for teachers and students alike. They allow all participants to share their perspective on a particular issue, discuss ideas, and refine their…
101 Writing Prompts for all Levels of ELA
Here are 101 writing prompts for all levels of ELA. You can use these writing prompts when your students’ writing starts to feel a little stale or when you’re needing…
Effective Teaching Resources & Strategies For English Teachers
This isn’t your average English teacher blog! My passion is helping creative teacher-learners build culture and community in their classrooms by designing student-centered learning resources and innovative, inspiring content.
“I want you to feel empowered and inspired to do what you do best…just teach!”
Products That Set You Free To Teach
Embrace creativity and create thinkers.
Engaging learner-centered resources for grades 6 to 12.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have solutions rather than problems?
Someone to “have your back” in the trenches?
A go-to resource for high-quality, engaging lessons and teaching resources that you can depend on?
Browse Our Categories
Here you can find a wealth of information broken down into categorized chunks.