When administrators leave their offices and conduct walk-throughs, they look for evidence of active learning. When we …
Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in English Language Arts Classrooms
Seems these days we are spending a lot of time and resources developing artificial intelligence, paying less attention …
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32 Graphic Novels to Encourage Independent Reading
When students pick up their phones, they aren’t reading eBooks. They are checking Insta, scrolling Tik Toks, binging …
Fun Classroom Games for Building Relationships
It's the beginning of the school year. You scan through the mental rolodex of ideas for getting to know your students …
Exploring Figurative Language Examples in Popular Culture
I’m going to use a figurative language example here: 1000 times today my students have talked about Taylor Swift’s new …
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Using Rhetorical Devices to Write More Effectively
If you want to be a rhetorical devices finder, you might have plenty to look for here in this blog post. Indeed, …
Common Lit Curriculum: An Honest Review
Visit veteran teachers at your school and ask to see their binders. We all have them: cabinet-filling, …
Incorporating Media Analysis in English Language Arts Instruction
Let’s be honest here: You are probably reading this blog while streaming that Netflix show you love. Your …
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How to Write a Descriptive Essay: Creating a Vivid Picture with Words
This blog is not a descriptive essay. There will be parts here and there that discuss descriptive essay …
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The Power of Book Tasting in the Classroom
You’ve probably been in the staff or department meeting when the administrator in the room announces proudly (and …
20 Short Stories Students Will Read Gladly
It seems like so many things are getting shorter these days: our weekends, our patience, and even our readings (beyond …
6 Fun Book Project Ideas
Ah, novel units and book projects are the bread and butter of English teacher life and planning. We want students to …