I started using an article of the week program several years ago, and I've always seen amazing results. I love how flexible the system is and how much the students gain from reading and responding to a weekly article. My system -- which I put my personal spin on -- is planned and structured unlike others I've seen, but I like knowing that this method provides my students with the best possible experience. In this blog post, I'm hoping to share everything you need to know about using an article of the week in your classroom.What is … [Read more...]
End-of-Year Reflection: Top Five Classroom Success Stories of 2019
One of the most important things we can do as teachers is reflect, and so that’s why I love this annual blog post. It’s been my new year tradition for the past several years (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), and choosing only five memorable teaching moments is always so hard, but here goes: My top five classroom success stories of 2019! This year in review… Teaching Gatsby for the first time in forever and writing the unit plan for it. A little bit Disney Frozen on the brain here, but it works. In the past, I had taught The Great Gatsby mainly in … [Read more...]
What Not to Miss When Teaching Fahrenheit 451
There is so much to teach and learn when reading Ray Bradbury's magnum opus: Fahrenheit 451. I'm compiling this list of not-to-miss points when teaching Fahrenheit 451 after having taught it for years and years, but also with the disclaimer that every time I teach it, I see something new. However, these five aspects of the book surface each time through as the topics that spark the most learning and enjoyment. 1. The Language & Allusions: I suppose this wouldn't be a proper English-teacher approved blog post, if I didn't include the … [Read more...]
Lord of the Flies Island Challenges for Each Chapter
Each time I teach a novel, I try something different. I love teaching Lord of the Flies, and this past year I decided to give island challenges a try. Let me tell you... best decision I made for teaching this novel! I taught the novel out of class and hosted book clubs each Friday. (See more about my book clubs here.) Fridays, then, were when we did our challenges, discussions, and quizzes. I'm so excited to be sharing these Lord of the Flies island challenges for each chapter with you. I worked really hard to select and … [Read more...]
Internet-Free Activities for Middle and High School Classrooms, Any Subject
Recently, we experienced a school-wide Internet outage where I teach, and being without access to the World Wide Web really threw my students and me (along with everyone else in the building) for a loop. The days we were out of Internet, I had planned for students to make presentations that were stored in Google classroom, print papers to turn in, among other things that required Internet. It's not the first time the Internet has gone down in our rural school, but going without really kicked my Plan B mindset into gear. So, I've put together … [Read more...]
Setting Up a Classroom Book Club Meeting
You may have read my "Why I don't do literature circles and what I do instead" post, and now you want to try my classroom book clubs method. But you have some questions: What does it look like inside a "book club" meeting? What types of activities do you do? What questions do you ask students? What do you discuss and how? How do you keep it all organized? In this blog post, I hope to shed a little more light on the anatomy of my book club meetings. If you haven't already read my first blog post about the concept or structure in general, … [Read more...]
A Movie Review of HBO’s Fahrenheit 451 from a High School English Teacher
Finally... the moment my students and I have been wishing and waiting for - an updated movie remake of one of our favorite novels: Fahrenheit 451. We always have a little fun playing the role of director, choosing which of our favorite actors and actresses should play Montag, Beatty, Mildred, Clarisse, and all the other memorable characters. However, we do always wonder... would Bradbury actually approve of any screen adaptation of his magnum opus? I had so many questions before watching HBO's hot, new adaptation: Who would play Montag? … [Read more...]
Best Christmas Holiday Lesson Ideas & More that Your Teens Will Love
The excitement is in the air, the carols are playing, the trees are going up: It's Christmas! What a wonderful time of year for celebrations. If you are like me, though, you want to be sure that you are still keeping your class contained and working on something skills-based through the Christmas Holiday season. Here are the best Christmas holiday lesson ideas, activities, and more for middle & high school teens for all subjects. 1) Teaching the Spirit of the Season: This is the time of year for giving, so I'm always looking for ways … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Keep Students Tuned-In at the End-of-the-Year
It's getting to be that time of year when things get a little crazy - a little sideways. Students - and teachers - are starting to tune out! So hopefully, these ideas will make these end-of-year days less stressful, and more fun. Plus, these 5 ways to keep students tuned-in at the end-of-the-year are all student-centered and standards-based, so the kiddos stay engaged, and your job is easy. Join me for a fun recap of 5 ways to keep students tuned-in this time of year. Perfect for any secondary education classroom.1) Make It … [Read more...]
Halloween Lessons for Middle or High School Students
If bringing a little Halloween spirit into your middle or high school lesson plans is on your to-do list, then you've come to the right place! Halloween is one of my favorite times of year - probably because it's my birthday - but I do just love it! Doesn't that give me some pretty solid expertise for Halloween?!? :) I've gotten together with some of my fellow teacher-authors (from all subjects) to bring you a carefully curated list of creepy creations for Halloween. Check out the ideas below to see some "spooktacular" … [Read more...]
