From the history to the hysteria, the fears to the fury, and the lies to the love story, it is understandable why The Crucible is still a staple in many high school English classrooms. There are so many layers crafted in the lines of Arthur Miller's magnum opus, but that can be a blessing and a "curse." Such a rich plot line can be a literature teacher's dream come true; however, it can also raise two concerns: 1) how much is too much to cover and 2) what if I miss something important? We don't want to "burn" the students with boring … [Read more...]
Everything You Need to Know about Article of the Week
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...]
What the COVID-19 Pandemic Did Not Change about My Classroom
The 2020-2021 school year was the year of the unexpected, the year of changes, the year of disappointments, the year of frustrations, and certainly the year of loss. It goes down in my book as the hardest year of my teaching career -- that includes the first year I taught in middle school, the first year I was a lead in an inclusion classroom, the year I taught while building a house, the first year I was the new yearbook adviser, and the year I taught while having multiple surgeries for some serious medical issues. And let's not forget that I … [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...]
Interview with a Veteran Middle School Principal
As a classroom teacher, I often wonder "What is my principal really thinking?" So, I asked one, and I'm pleased she was open to discussion. Connie Dunn is the principal at the middle school in my district. She has been a principal for over ten years, and before that, she was a high school English teacher. I'm really excited to share with you her thoughts, advice, and experiences. I think you'll enjoy her candor and transparency as well. Meet veteran middle school principal, Connie Dunn:1) Describe your journey to administration, … [Read more...]
Benefits of Google Classroom
A second title to this blog post could have been: Benefits of Blending Google Classroom with a Traditional Classroom. To elaborate, I teach high school English in a rural school district in the south. Every student doesn't have his/her own iPad or Chromebook, but most have smart devices, and we have department sets of Chromebooks we can check out. We also have several labs throughout the school. So, when I use Google Classroom, it's as an extension of my own traditional, four-walls classroom. That means my students still have textbooks, but … [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...]
Interview with a First-Year High School English Teacher
This past semester I had the honor of meeting Megan Ryan, who began her teaching journey in the school where I teach. My first year was a long time ago ;) -- another place and another time. So, when the year came to a close, I really wanted to pick her brain. Learning from each other's experiences -- successes and struggles -- is what makes us grow as teachers. For this blog post, I'm breaking my traditional "fast five" format to bring you Ms. Ryan's responses in her own words; I loved her candor and detail. Meet Ms. Ryan: 1) Describe your … [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...]
