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5 Ways to Begin a Novel Unit

Getting to teach a novel — or play — unit is probably one of my favorite parts of being a high school English teacher. I love everything about it: setting up classroom decor, discussions, character analysis, developing projects and prompts, seeing how the kids are enjoying it, and, of course, the beginning. When I think how to begin a novel unit with my secondary English students, I typically have a few goals in mind: 1) Grab their attention by building excitement and mystery without giving too much away 2) Provide the information they need to begin reading effectively. With those goals in mind, here are five strategies that I mix and match to begin a novel unit.

Background Information – To me, it’s always a tough decision whether or not to begin a novel unit with background information. There’s a plethora of such tidbits from which to choose: author facts, time period info, vocabulary, etc. In order to decide what of that information needs to be given up front, I really have to look at what students need to know in order to understand AND enjoy what they are reading. When I teach The Crucible, I do spend time discussing allegory and McCarthyism, but I don’t teach Puritanism right away. We read The Crucible in part to fulfill the requirement of understanding allegory, and they really would miss it, if I didn’t teach that up front. (Been there. Done that.)

Once, another teacher told me she didn’t want to teach The Crucible anymore because the students hated it. That took the wind out of my sails. When I asked her why, she said the kids were tired of it before they even started reading. She explained how she would spend several weeks — weeks — going over the vocabulary, author info, historical context, etc. and that by the time she got all that done, the kids were over it! Sometimes, we think we have to tell students everything right away, but in most cases, the text will tell them for us. That’s why I don’t cover Puritanism before we read; they will see that as they read, and then we backtrack to cover that info based on evidence from the play.

With that said, once you know what background/introductory material you really want students to have before they start reading, consider a few of these strategies to deliver that info. A lecture/ppt might be the best way to get some ELA vocabulary out to students. If I want to talk about the author, only if necessary, sometimes I’ll show a quick video or documentary. I like this choice if the author himself/herself is part of the video. Other times, there are instances where I need to cover several aspects of background before we start, and in that case, I love to do discovery stations. When I start The Great Gatsby, I want to do a short review of the time period, have them meet the characters, explore the book covers — because I think sparks their interest regarding plot and conflict — and a few other details. The discovery stations condense the info and organize it into bite-size chunks, so it’s not just days of note-taking. P.S. In the Gatsby novel intro stations, the only reason we talk about Fitzgerald is because it directly relates to the poem in the opening lines. 😉 Over on my Facebook page, I talk a little more about beginning a novel unit with author info. It’s a fine line what to include in the beginning of a literature unit, but it shouldn’t just be to check the box.

Ways to Begin a Novel Unit, Teaching The Great Gatsby

Prompts – Most novel units, and especially the ones I develop, come with short prompts that can be used to engage the students immediately. If you want to draw attention to a particular theme or have students make a personal connection that will be on their reading radar right away, then a short, quick write prompt is a very effective strategy for that goal. When my students read Fahrenheit 451, I want them to notice and track the emptiness, so they write to the following prompt during our introductory lesson: The word empty is mentioned forty-three times in the text of the novel. It is safe to say that Bradbury intended this emptiness to be a theme throughout the text. So, how do we get to this place? How do we get so empty? Write about a time when you felt empty. What filled your bucket back up?

It amazes me that such a simple task draws their attention to this theme, and as soon as we start reading, students feel “clued in,” which is incredible because it teaches them to not only think like a reader but like a writer as well. They are reading on multiple thinking levels, and I love that. Never underestimate the power of writing when it comes to developing stronger readers. This option to begin a novel unit works really well if there is a theme you want them to track throughout. Choose one that ties directly to your essential question, so that it can guide your novel unit. The 451 prompt above is in my Fahrenheit 451 Novel Unit. Read more about how I teach Fahrenheit 451 at this blog post.

Ways to Begin a Novel Unit, Teaching Literature

Guided Annotations – When I first started creating and using guided annotations, I was using them mainly for close reading excerpts and poetry. This semester, though, guided annotations were an excellent way to set the stage for beginning our study of Where the Crawdads Sing. This book was the perfect candidate for a text dig initially because of that beautiful prologue. Any novel with a prologue, epigraph, or otherwise powerful opening paragraph(s) would lend itself to this strategy: The Scarlet Letter, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Tale of Two Cities. Guided annotations are short, purposeful tasks that direct students to mark up a text. Watch a quick video tutorial where I explain more about guided annotations over on my Instagram IGTV. You can usually print out a copy of the passage for students to mark on, or you could have students use sticky notes or place a sheet protector over the passage. The other thing I love about guided annotations as a novel opener is that it allows us to read aloud from the text right away.

Ways to Begin a Novel Unit, Teaching The Great Gatsby, Teaching Lord of the Flies

Games – Students are always excited with the possibility of playing a game. They love the excitement, interaction, and competition. A few games that I’ve found work really well include the following:

Would You Rather – When we read Where the Crawdads Sing, I have students stand up and make a choice by moving to a certain side of the room to indicate their answer to certain topics: Would they rather go to school or be home-schooled… eat biscuits or cornbread… live in the country or city? We pause to discuss each one, and it really gets them debating!
Problem Solving Questions – When a book has a character who really has to deal with making tough decisions, a game of problem solving scenarios works really well. The Great Gatsby is ripe for characters who have to make tough decisions… even though most of the time they make the wrong one! To set up an activity like this, I write scenarios that the characters face, but I set them in modern times. Sometimes, I create a gallery walk, and students respond to them all. Other times, I give one scenario per group. It depends on what else I’m doing to start the unit and how much time I have.

Guess the Plot/Judge a Book By Its Cover – This is a simple one that requires pretty much no prep at all, but you can do it a variety of ways. I simply ask students “Based on the cover, what do you think this book will be about?” and they respond by writing it on a sticky note, texting it, posting it to a virtual wall like Padlet, or sending it into our virtual classroom stream. It’s fun to see what they say and look back on it later to check for accuracy.

Ways to Begin a Novel Unit, Teaching Fahrenheit 451

Agree/Disagree – This one is similar to the problem solving scenarios in terms of conducting it, but students are responding to debatable points here instead that directly relate to the novel. For example, when we read Grisham’s Bleachers, I want students to think about controversial points that come up in the novel, so agree/disagree works really well. I ask them to consider points such as “Smoking, drinking, and doing drugs make you cool” or “Coaches should be allowed to act out when they are angry.” The points, then, stick with students as we read.

All of these games are, of course, designed to specifically set up the purpose, theme, plot, etc. of the novel unit.

Decor/Gifts – Making the novel come alive for students is what it’s all about. I want them to feel connected to what we are reading, and putting up some decor or offering a small gift lets them know I think books are magical and that I want them to enjoy it. Most all of my novel units include posters for your classroom and bookmarks that make perfect gifts. You can bring some “drinks” when you start The Great Gatsby, for example. You can also sprinkle “gifts” throughout the unit. When we read The Crucible, we have beans and chicken blood after Acts 1 & 2, and during Macbeth, we have snacks of witches’ brew and fingernails. I even have shirts for *most of the novels that I teach to wear on the day I begin a novel. We can just call that walking decor! Yes, it’s #extra, but if it makes my students excited about reading, then I’m all in!

Also, don’t forget to share your essential question(s) with students. They need to see where it’s all going and why, and a reading schedule helps, too. These 5 ways to begin a novel unit aren’t the only ways, but they are ones that I’ve had success with. I pick and choose and double up depending on what my goals are and how much time I have. Most all of my literature guides include multiples ways to begin the novel unit. Check out all my novel units here, and share with me other ways you open a novel unit in the comments below.

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A FORMULA FOR SUCCESSFUL WRITING INSTRUCTION SERIES: #5 Finishing Up

Since this phase represents the end of the process and everything that occurs after the paper has been completed, I like to call this phase the “after party.” It really works, too, if you think about because the accomplishment of writing should be celebrated!

1 – Meaningful feedback is key in teaching students to truly look at what they’ve written after the fact. I want my students to know that I’ve read what they’ve written, and taking the time – yes quite a bit of time – to write something meaningful on each paper is part of that process. I always try to leave notes for both strengths and targets for students throughout the essay. Those notes are tailored to each student’s abilities, too. For some students, I’ll ask a question to prod more thinking, but with other students, I’ll be more direct.

I also include a note at the end that is personal and lets students know that I appreciate the work they’ve done. This is also a good place to let students know that you’ve noticed their growth. The of end-of-essay “letter” serves as a mini conference that gives students a little boost of confidence for the next task.

2 – Student self evaluation is another piece of the process that I believe produces amazing – if not the best – results for growth. We, as writing teachers, all know that we spend hours grading, scoring, and commenting just to have students glance at the grade when we hand the essays back and then shove it in their binder or file it away in some random Google folder. I needed students to read what I wrote and take an honest look at what they had done, so I developed self-evaluation forms for writing. I’ve blogged about these little jewels before because I believe in them so much. On the day I hand the essays back, I make class time for students to fill out the forms. Sometimes I give a grade for the forms, and other times I give a few extra credits points on the essay grade. Students to respond really well to the forms, and I love seeing them dig back through their work learning to look for triumphs and issues.

3 – Sharing successes and student exemplars when possible builds morale and confidence. (The process must be done tactfully, and anytime I share student work from within the class I always take the names off, of course.) I always try to choose a different student’s work each time, and even if it’s not an entire essay, – maybe just the opening or a paragraph that was done particularly well – it is still very beneficial for the entire class to see how different students responded to the task. If it’s an argumentative task we just finished, I try to choose responses that were well done from each stance. I always explain specifically what was well done about the paper I’m showing. Often I choose different traits to focus on in the exemplars when I’m sharing throughout the semester. I also remind students that they may see those same traits in their own papers, and if not, then they know what they need to work on next time. I don’t hang up student essays in my room or hallways, but students are required to keep the tasks in their writer’s portfolio. That satisfies the “publishing” feel of the process for high school students.

4 – Keeping a chart of writing scores is an excellent exercise for those math-minded students, and it makes the perfect organic data collection evidence for you. My writing curriculum has the tools you need in it to make this part of the process a staple.

5 – Allowing students to revise every essay for a fresh, new grade can seem like a huge task, especially if you have 100+ students. You spend hours grading through them the first time around, so how could you possibly consider grading them again? Many colleges encourage professors to develop a revision policy, and I think it is another piece of the process that does produce growth. After students have completed the self-evaluation form, and they know what to look for in terms of issues, their revisions really can be worthwhile. When I taught at the college level, I allowed students to revise and resubmit one essay. I know others who allowed students to revise and resubmit all of them. I kept the revise and resubmit one essay policy when I moved to high school. Along with that essay, they had to submit their original essay and a cover letter explaining what changes had been made and why. Also, I always score grammar separately from the content, and while they should make changes to the grammar in the revision, I never change that grade. I do, however, see improved grammar scores as we go. Lastly, when students submit a revision, I completely replace that new grade. Other caveats of my policy include *no late essays can be revised *essays not meeting word requirements cannot be revised, etc. I like giving students a chance to put those commitments from the self-evaluation forms into practice, but I also know I can’t drive myself crazy with so much grading nonstop. The more revising, the more growth, but you have to protect yourself in the process, too.

I hope this writing series has provided you with the tools and direction you need to get started on a healthy and effective writing program in your own classroom. Just joining me for this post? See the others in this series here:

You can see Post #1 of this series here (Teacher Prep Planning).

You can see Post #2 of this series here (Writer’s Portfolio).

You can see Post #3 of this series here (The RACE paragraph).

You can see Post #4 of this series here (The Writing Process).

Sign up for my monthly newsletter – “Teaching Tidbits” – that is delivered directly to your email inbox each month. Each month you’ll get announcements, tips for teaching, updates on new and revised resources, and, of course, an email-only exclusive FREEBIE!

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A FORMULA FOR SUCCESSFUL WRITING INSTRUCTION SERIES: #4 The Writing Process

The writing process itself is, of course, what we’ve been working up to during this series. This is show time. This is game day. This. Is. It. During the writing process, students really have to show what they know. The process itself takes time, and hopefully, you’ve allotted for that. In my writing curriculum, I include a pacing guide for the resources included with it. Here are the steps I follow with my students. (It’s important to note here, too, that I am discussing in this post a writing assignment and not a writing assessment.)

1- Model Paper: Before students take off down the road of composing their own essays, I like to have them see an exemplar first. I usually don’t show them an essay on the same topic on which they will write, but definitely in the same mode. It’s a pretty in-depth look that we do with the exemplar paper because we really take time to break it down. I really like to use my model paper analysis task cards during this step because it helps guide students in the direction of how to effectively analyze an exemplar. Multiple exemplars are included in my full writing curriculum, and I always save excellent student essays each year, too, for future reference.

2 – Planning and Prewriting: In this step of the process, students receive the prompt and stimuli (if they aren’t looking for the researched materials on their own). I also like to have students write from an outline, especially if they are new writers. All of my students, though, are given an outline to consider. I think that an outline helps tremendously if you are preparing students for timed writing assessments, so they can get used to a clear plan of action in that time-restricted setting. The biggest part of the prewriting for me, though, is the thesis statement check. Once I assign the prompt, and students have time (usually over night or one class period) to work with it, I require them to submit a thesis statement. We use Google classroom, and that has been an amazing tool for conferencing during the writing process. Students typically submit an entire intro, but the thesis is what’s required in this first phase. Since the thesis statement is the road map to the entire essay, it’s critical that they are on the right track immediately.

3 – Drafting and Conferencing – When possible, I schedule time for students to work on writing assignments during class because I want to see how they are doing. Maybe it’s kinda English-teacher nerdy, but I like to watch them work. Some dive right in and just get words down. Others will sit and think and ponder before they put pen to paper. Plus, requiring them to get something done right there in front of helps with both plagiarism and procrastination. I think that’s why it’s important, too, to give them the tools they need and then just step back and let them go. If it’s a longer assignment, I’ll do another check point after a day or so where they submit a draft online and I give feedback. I always keep that door open, though. If a student wants me to read his/her paper during the process, I always do. I tell them I’m not a proofreader, but I will most certainly read the content and give feedback. Guided conferencing sheets are included in my full writing curriculum.

Image result for student writing process meme

4 – Workshopping – Once students have a had a chance to dig into the body of texts they will be using and have composed several paragraphs of their essay, it’s a good idea to stop and gauge their progress. If you have done a draft check at this point, consider what has been working and what students are struggling with. If you’ve not done a draft check but you know students are going to need work in a certain area (citations, sentence variety, words, etc.), during this step, you’ll be pausing their writing to conduct a short lesson on that topic. To me that’s what a writing workshop is: a short, focused lesson on one area of writing that students practice and then apply. Depending on your students’ level, you may need a full-blown lesson on the topic, or if students are more advanced or just need a refresher, then you could just do a mini workshop. I have both types of materials available in my full writing curriculum. During an assignment, I do one workshop for sure, and sometimes I do two. I really believe that doing focused lessons allows flexibility in planning and instruction, and it chunks the information for students. That’s why, for me, writing is a process all year long. I don’t teach it all at once. That sets unreasonable expectations on my students and me.

5 – Revising and Editing: Once students have participated in the writing workshop, it’s time for them to head back to their papers and begin revising. I call this “revising your live paper.” In other words, I’ve looked at them, give feedback, helped with how to make the paper better BEFORE they are turned in… I actually say, “Before I get out my red pen.” (But I guess that can be a topic for another day.) In some cases, especially with new writers, I’ll use my revising and editing task cards, so students are sure to work through the process genuinely and accurately. Young writers aren’t the most adept at going back through their work to check for errors and make general improvements, so these cards ask questions to point them in the right direction.

I also encourage students to use an online software or program that edits like Grammarly or Paperrater. These will give students free and fast information about what they should correct. I also worn students that there is nothing better than the human eye, so it’s important they do their own proofreading and maybe have our early morning English tutor look over it, too.

Remember that the process is just that – a process. That process can look different for each student and each classroom. It’s the struggle through that is productive and produces great writers.

You can see Post #1 of this series here (Teacher Prep Planning).

You can see Post #2 of this series here (Writer’s Portfolio).

You can see Post #3 of this series here (The RACE paragraph).

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A FORMULA FOR SUCCESSFUL WRITING INSTRUCTION SERIES: #3 The RACE Paragraph

The next stop on my formula for successful writing instruction is the easy-peasy RACE formula. (You can see Part 1 here and Part 2 here.) Stay with me now… you’ve probably seen the RACE strategy done before. You may even have something similar to it. Whatever works for you and your students is awesome. I, however, go about it a tad differently because when I am teaching basic paragraph writing, I do like to give something for students to use from start to finish. Plus, this method reminds them of the key ingredients AND can easily be branched into a full essay because it functions like a “mini” essay in and of itself. I like to start small so students can sink their teeth into something before they tackle a larger assignment. I even review and use the RACE strategy near the beginning of the semester with my junior honors English students. There’s nothing wrong with review, and I feel more comfortable knowing they have a solid foundation for structure. Here’s what my RACE writing strategy looks like:

Step 1: Teach the process. I almost never assume students know what I want and require. It just works out so much better when I tell AND show them my expectations. The same is true with writing – especially with writing. To teach the RACE formula, I go full out with a PPT slide show and cute sketch notes. It helps define the terms and gives students something to use as reference when they are on their own.

Step 2: Look at samples and annotate and discuss. This step goes back to making sure students understand expectations. Giving them an exemplar helps them know where they are going. I also show them errant and emerging paragraphs, too, so they can see the entire spectrum. Take a look at my video tutorial for my Red-Light Green-Light strategy for analyzing model student papers.

Step 3: Practice together and annotate and discuss. Choose a prompt from a text you’ve been reading in class, or if you are using my teaching pack, use the provided stimulus and prompt. Sometimes I’ll have students attempt the first sentence alone. Other times I’ll start it by modeling my thinking aloud. I’m always modeling aloud, come to think of it. (Or maybe that’s just talking to myself LOL)! Sometimes, I write the parts of the formula on slips of paper and randomly give them out to students, so they have to chime in when it’s their turn. It just depends on where my students are and where I need to meet them. Then we just spiral and go with the flow from there. It really does take a lot of patience and time to write a paragraph together in class. It also takes a lot of willingness to step back on my part and let students work through it. Many times I am putting them on the spot, so they have to feel comfortable speaking out and making mistakes. I give them time and space to think. Then as we are working back through what we’ve written, I model revision, and we come to conclusions together about what worked and what didn’t. I take it one step further right then, too, and we brainstorm how to fix those mistakes and just improve what we’ve done.

Step 4: Write individually. With a fresh prompt and stimuli, it is important for students to take everything they’ve learned now and compose their own paragraph. Again, I give them time and space to think and write. It is important to note here that this method is designed to work for constructed responses with a text. Students see that modeled all the way through the lesson, so be sure to choose material for them that aligns with that process.

Step 5: Review and reflect and revise. Lastly, I always give my students feedback on what they’ve written. My RACE teaching pack comes with a rubric, but you could even just do a check list. Sometimes I do that, too. Again, it just depends on what my students need. Occasionally, we will take one of our previous RACE paragraphs and revise it. That is a critical part of the learning process as well.

If you are looking for an entire writing curriculum, take a look at my full writing curriculum that is flexible and complete enough for any ELA classroom!

Be sure to get this blog straight to your email, so you won’t miss the next post in this series: The Writer’s Notebook. (Find the big SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL button up top on the side!)

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A Formula for Successful Writing Instruction Series: #2 The Old-Fashioned Writer’s Portfolio

We’ve arrived at stop two (See Post #1 here and Post #3 here) of my formula for successful writing instruction, and that is the writer’s portfolio. It’s important for this post to come second in the series because it requires some prep work and proactive planning. To have the writer’s portfolios as a staple and routine in your classroom, you’ll want to have them ready and set up the correct way from the start. It can be done midstream, but it will be easier and more effective to get going with it up front. In this blog post, I’m going to explain the portfolios with a Q/A style format.

What are the benefits of having these portfolios? Tracking and feedback are two huge pieces of a successful writing program – and devoting space and time to these two elements will set you and your students apart! Administration loves to see that you are tracking your students, and it’s not always easy to do that in a streamlined and simple way. With the writer’s portfolio, students do their own tracking based on their scores and feedback that you give right in the notebook. Their charts and work samples are all in one place. Plus, parents can see their children’s growth at a glance, too. When my students set up their portfolio, right after the table of contents is the “Chart Your Writing Scores” sheet. Then, as we add paragraphs and essays, they keep track of their scores. Every time we have a writing assignment, students take time to reflect after scores have been returned. We always chart the scores, and sometimes I even have them insert a self-evaluation form behind the essay for further reflection on the feedback. Usually, I do that for major writing assignments. Either way, it really helps to have all of this material in one place, and it really isn’t that big of a time investment for you or your students. Once they are set up, they just really take care of themselves. Additionally, organizing the teenager is a beast in and of itself… outside from trying to have a successful writing program. That said, given the way I teach writing, with vocabulary, notes, sample essays, etc., it is a nightmare if students can’t find all of that material and have it all at their fingertips at a moment’s notice. Nothing we do in my class is ever put away to be forgotten. One thing always builds on another. Therefore, it is imperative that we keep it in all one place.

How will this help my students be better writers? Writing is a process, and part of that process is learning the pieces and parts and seeing how we grow and change. Facing challenges and celebrating triumphs gives students the confidence they need to keep writing. I also think seeing everything in one place gives them a sense of accomplishment because it’s something they created. It’s certainly only one piece of the puzzle, but it’s the piece that holds it all together. The writer’s portfolio becomes the literal toolbox for students with everything they need to pick up and get started building their essays.

What do I need to get started? Plan to provide or require your students to have a simple one-subject spiral notebook. It’s as simple as that! No fancy binders, sheet protectors, etc. Just a simple $.50 notebook. You’ll also need some large paper clips and ribbon to make bookmarks. Students mark the page of where I need to flip to grade their current writing piece, and it saves so much time and eliminates the page flipping! Of course, scissors and stick glue will be required as well!

What goes in the writer’s notebook? Everything. Again, very simple! Everything related to writing. I do like to have my students arrange the notebook by the units we do, which are by the modes. Typically, the first unit is the narrative mode.

Why not just have it all in the regular binder they use for the class? While writing isn’t a separate part of the class, I think the writer’s notebook does need to be, so when students need to begin writing, their space isn’t cluttered. Disorganization can be a stumbling block for writers, and we want to create an environment as free from distractions as possible. Virginia Woolf said to be a successful writer, she needed “a room of her own.” This writer’s portfolio is a space set aside for students to be adventurous, to make mistakes, to try new things, to have successes, to brainstorm, and to create. It is a “room of [their] own” to be successful student writers.

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What She Wore: Teacher Layering Outfit Ideas for Winter

It’s a snow day down south, so I’m at home ticking off my to-do list and staying warm. This got me to thinking about cozy layers. Here are a couple of outfits I’ve pulled together this winter so far to keep warm and comfy!

1) Black cotton knit blazer from Matilda Jane. It’s called the All is Calm Jacket. It is unbelievably soft. Pink top is the Character Top from Matilda Jane as well. It is long sleeves and super, super soft. Gray pink pin-striped trouser pants from New York and Company. I did end up putting on black shoes ;).

2) Purple and navy striped top is the Matilda Jane No Limitations top. It is so soft and swingy. Gray shag vest is from H&M. Navy dress leggings/pants Style & Co. brand from Macy’s with tall brown boots.

3) The dress/tunic is the Write It Down tunic from Matilda Jane. Long mustard cardigan is from Charlotte Russe. Brown knit leggings are New Directions from Belk. Lucky brand booties.

4) The yellow and navy cardigan is the Copper Cardigan from Matilda Jane. Layered with a denim top and jeans. Ugg fringe booties. Love that these are flat for teaching.

5) Aztec poncho. Long-sleeve denim top. Black dress leggings/pants Style & Co. brand from Macy’s. Tall cognac Frye boots.

The Power of “I Don’t Know” – As a Teacher

We’ve all been in that situation where we had something come up and we didn’t know the answer. Or we’ve had the nightmare of feeling like we weren’t prepared with all the answers. It all feels awkward, uncomfortable, or embarrassing. When I first started teaching, I would have nearly died when I had to admit to students that I didn’t know the answer to something. I’d like to say that I handled those situations with grace instead of stuttering around – or worse, making something up. But, I can’t be certain. I just know I didn’t want to say, “I don’t know.” In the past few years, though, I’ve really begun to embrace the power of the statement “I don’t know.” I don’t view it as a “cop out” because I’d never in one-hundred years let my students use it as an excuse, either. If students tell me “I don’t know,” I say, “Tell me what you do know,” and we go from there. But, what I’m sharing today is something a little different – something I hope will offer a paradigm shift to alleviate maybe just one bit of stress we feel as teachers.

Remember that nightmare I mentioned? The one where you’ve been in front of a class when students asked you a question to which you didn’t really know the answer. If you are like me, you felt horrified. It’s the little stuff I’m talking about here that students ask that would make me squirm if I didn’t know the answer. For example, what’s for lunch? Really! I just always felt like I had to be on top of everything 100% of the time. Honestly, that is just one more thing I don’t need on my plate. No one gives me the lunch menu in email or in my box. I would have to make a special trip to get it. So, no. I don’t know what is being served for lunch, what clubs are meeting Friday, or who is taking the bowling field trip next week. Not my circus. I don’t need that extra info floating around in my head! Kids just expect that since we are the teacher, we should know ALL the answers. Frankly, that’s just a lot of extra pressure I don’t need. “Let me help you find someone who does know” – that’s my response. It’s so liberating to free myself of the pressure of feeling like I must to respond to every question a student asks, but I never leave them hanging without a way to find the answer they need.
However, there are those times when questions come up related to class – or at least semi-related to my lesson that would make me really nervous when I couldn’t answer it. In my senior English class, we do a lot of work with British literature. I’ve studied and researched just as much as I needed, honestly, to teach the lesson and set the groundwork for the text. Some students are really curious about the extreme details of medieval life because they see it their video games, etc. No, I don’t know the name of every king and queen to rule during those times. Other times, we are having book club discussions about a novel and something comes up. With three different novels from three different classes going all at once, often my wires get crossed, or I just simply forget or overlook certain details that they pick up on. A couple of weeks ago while discussing Columbine in our Friday book clubs, a question came up about the gloves Eric and Dylan wore during the massacre. I knew that was an important detail, and the kids had a great point about the symbolism of it. Then that led to a question where they wondered if one boy was left or right-handed to pursue that thought even more. I remembered that detail from somewhere along the way, but I just couldn’t recall it. So, we just looked it up. In fact, it turned out to be an unresolved question in the investigation.
How many times are students doing something you don’t have a clue about? I could make a list a mile long – or longer. Sometimes I ignore their newest fad, but other times, if it somehow relates, or if I’m curious, I’ll ask them to teach me. Just this week I learned how to dab! Last month, they introduced me to Danielle Bregoli – and ONLY because her infamous statement showed up on one of their Canterbury Tales memes, and I wasn’t going to let it fly because I didn’t know what it meant. I literally said, “I have no idea what that even means. No, you can’t use it.” Laughter erupted from the entire class, and they quickly told me the entire story – complete with video. I am now scarred for life. All in all, I really don’t need to know who Danielle Bregoli is or how to dab, but the real benefit is that I’m keeping the channel open between us, so they know I value their knowledge and expertise. Sometimes it’s really useful info. 🙂 For example, once we were reading an article about horror movies, and students were trying to recall the part of the brain that handles fear. Um, yeah, I’ve read about that, but I really didn’t know the name of it. Some of the anatomy students had just studied the brain, and they were able to chime in and explain. I think that’s awesome for them to share their knowledge, and all the pressure wasn’t on me to have the answer. That’s a classroom success story to me.
Every now and then the students will ask a question to which I should know the answer. I am reminded of a time from this semester when I was introducing The Canterbury Tales to my seniors. The slideshow I created mentions that Chaucer didn’t complete all the tales he set out to write. Almost immediately a hand shoots up – “Why not? How many did he finish?” My throat jumped into my stomach. I hadn’t taught the unit in a few years due to scheduling, but I taken for granted that I was familiar enough with the material to launch the unit anyway. I had failed to really refresh myself of all the details. Of course, I could play the “We will look it up card,” but since this really IS my area of expertise, I should’ve remembered that. So, sometimes having to say, “I don’t remember… I don’t know” reminds me not to slack. Thankfully, my students weren’t facetious enough to keep questioning me. I just told them the truth – that I had forgotten that detail, and I would let them know tomorrow. I really did lose some sleep over that one.
Questions are important. In fact, I LOVE for students to ask questions – even to question me sometimes in a curious, productive way without that teenage arrogance (I guess that’s a topic for another day). Now days, though, there will be some questions for which I just don’t have the answer. End. Of. Story. Sometimes I think kids want to see if they can catch you off-guard, or they want to see you squirm, or they are being arrogant. Being transparent, and even vulnerable, really just shows them you are human, and it’s so much less stress to be in that mindset. Ultimately, I’m showing students the value of research and the power of knowing how to look up answers – the right way. A great teaching moment – not embarrassing at all.

Another couple of really powerful “I don’t know” statements come to mind, too. And these are really some of my favorites:

“I don t know when I’ll get around do that because I’m so swamped.”
“I don’t know if you know how proud of you I am.”
“I don’t know that it really matters if…”
“I don’t know why people do bad things…”
“I don’t know what might happen next because of…”

What can you add to the list? Have students ever caught you off guard? What’s the best/worse question you’ve ever been asked by a student?

Why and How I Teach Shakespeare with a Translation

The debate surrounding whether to teach Shakespeare or not to teach Shakespeare continues to grow in discussions of modern curriculum. I don’t wish to engage in that debate because for me it’s simple; teach Shakespeare. Even in that camp – those brave teachers of Shakespeare – there is another debate. That debate is whether or not to use translated supplements of the plays. In that debate I would like to participate and make my case for Shakespeare Made Easy, or other similar publications. Some people may feel using supplemental tools like this to teach Shakespeare maybe be taboo or unacceptable, but I want to share why and how I use this tool successfully so you might, too, go boldly into your next Shakespeare unit! (BTW: I’m not paid to promote any line of books. I’m just sharing a classroom success story.)

1) Purpose: When I teach Shakespeare – or anything for that matter – I ask myself “What do I want my students to really learn?” If you answer, “I want them to learn how to read archaic language” or “I need students to be exposed to Early Modern English” then you’ll need to stick with his original manuscript. If your goals are somewhat different, then it might be time to consider a side-by-side translation. A side-by-side presents both the original and modern text. I want students to experience Shakespeare for many reasons, but the short list includes exposure to his craft, themes, plot, character development, skilled use of irony, creation of new words, idioms, etc. When I read Macbeth, for example, we read every word in class. Yes! Every word. Usually I have an audio, and we even do some reading and acting. That audio I use – it’s the original Shakespeare. I’m not watering anything down. In fact, their reading even takes on another level when students are able to see the original and modern, and then compare and contrast those two.

2) Eliminate Fear and Build Confidence: In everything we teach, we should plan ways to differentiate. If I can give students a tool – that I don’t even have to create – that takes away fear and builds confidence for reading, of course I want to use that. When I taught Macbeth to my regular-track seniors last semester, they were truly engaged. In addition to the supplemental translation, I looked for every way possible to make text-self and text-world connections. My Macbeth unit is full of those goodies. After it was all over, they told me that was the first Shakespeare play they’d ever read. They’d seen movies of some of his other plays, but never had they read the entire thing. We celebrated their accomplishment with a round of applause and a pat on the back. They were genuinely proud of themselves for sticking with it, and honestly, not once did I have to beg them to read or go back into the text to look for answers. What a great feeling to experience that with them.

3) Engaging with Shakespeare – I haven’t always had access to a No Fear Shakespeare or Shakespeare Made Easy type of supplement, so my experience here does come from having done it both ways. Now that I use a side-by-side translation every time I teach Shakespeare – even with honor students – and I see so much more engagement. Before, as we would read in class, when I stopped to ask questions or dig a little more deeply, students were generally clueless. They weren’t getting the plot, not to mention his puns and other subtleties. With a translation, reading and discussions are so much more worthwhile because students aren’t confused or frustrated. I like a productive struggle, but without some help, Shakespeare is often just a struggle. They aren’t asking me “What does that mean?” or complaining they don’t understand any of the lines. They can actually answer my questions AND offer insight. Sometimes when I pause, I’ll ask the question, and I notice them going back to read the translation to see if they can figure it out. Yes – I did say “going back to read” the text. My students aren’t feeling shutdown, but rather empowered. That in and of itself is an accomplishment.

4) Accountability for Original Text: In anything students write about the text, I require them to cite from the original. Using a side-by-side doesn’t mean throwing the original language away. It doesn’t mean replacing the original, either. It’s genuinely a tool I pick to give students more insight into what they are reading.

5) To Use or Not to Use: I’d rather read a side-by-side of Shakespeare than no Shakespeare at all. I’ve read articles where people advocate not to teach Shakespeare at all; I wonder if that’s because they think it’s too old or out-of-date. Tell that to Gatsby, Twilight, or any other modern star-crossed lovers story. Tell that to Mean Girls or Sons of Anarchy, or any other text whose main character errs on the side of ambition. If we want to teach students about archetypes and allusions, how do we do that if we aren’t teaching them the originals? Yes, there are other complex texts that have similar skills for learning and related themes. But, why eliminate the traditional ones? How about we keep the classics and pair them with something modern? I’m not forcing students to read Shakespeare, as I’ve seen people say. I’m offering them new opportunities. Many of my rural students may never pick up a copy of Shakespeare again, but that wasn’t my goal anyway. Call me a sucker for tradition, but I can’t pass up the opportunity to see my students succeed with something as challenging as Shakespeare when given the right tools. If you visit my classroom, rest assured that you’ll find a stack of Shakespeare Made Easy books ready to go.

Take a look at my complete teaching unit for Macbeth. Tell me in the comments below what Shakespeare you still teach.

Macbeth Literature Guide, Complete Teaching Pack, Common C

End of Year Reflection: Best of the Best 2016

Last year at this time I did my first ever “Greatest Hits” linky as a reflection of the moments from 2015 that stuck out to me the most, and I kept track all year waiting to do it again! Needless to say, I am super excited to share these ideas with you – and this year they happen to all be things I tried for the first time. And… they are all things I fell in love with and will most definitely do again! So yes, even after 13 years in the classroom, I am still adding, tweaking, and trying new things! I hope these ideas inspire you to try something new in 2017!

1) The Green Light – Sometimes when I teach Gatsby, I get to teach the entire book, and other times I’m crunched for time and only show the movie and do close readings. Either way, I get my Gatsby fix and the kids love it! This year I just did the movie because our town was ravaged by an F3 tornado, so we missed several days at the end of the year. I knew I wanted to amp it up just a little and bring something special – as a little highlight – to the end of the year since our students had been through so much this month. I have to say I am IN LOVE my Gatsby green light display. Here’s how to DIY:
a) I projected a picture of the light on the dock that I found on Google images onto a piece of butcher paper taped on my Activboard. Once I traced it onto the paper, I just painted it with acrylic paint. It’s cheap and dries fast. I used black and gold to make it Gatsby-glam, of course. I painted the bulb inside green and added green glitter. The dock was even easier to make. I just drew lines with a Sharpie and painted in between with brown acrylic paint. I laminated the light and dock. Next, print the quotation “Gatsby believed in the green light” on green paper. Make the display and hang it up before the beginning of the movie/unit so students are curious and aware the entire time. For the “rays of green light” I just trifolded pieces of green construction paper and cut them.
b) As we neared the end of the movie, I gave students a sheet of excerpts to close read from the novel with all the green light passages. (This sheet and lesson, along with several American Dream exercises, can be found in my Gatsby movie guide.) I sent the sheet home with the QR code to a video link, which is a compilation of scenes with the green light from the “new Gatsby” movie. Students had to complete that assignment and be ready to discuss the next day. Boy, were they ready…. I had been talking up the green light the entire time and had my wall display ready all along, so they were itching to discuss!!
c) After the discussion, students completed the American dream prompt, and then I gave them the ray to write their own “hopes and dreams” on. Some wrote what they wanted to do after high school, and others wrote how they wanted to bring light to others’ lives. They did an amazing job.
d) Hang up the green rays and stand back and enjoy!

2) Yearbook Light Bulbs – Every year my yearbook staff does some sort of holiday event for everyone to enjoy. Last year we had a Halloween YearBOOk celebration with fun games. This year we made Christmas light bulbs for everyone in school: students, faculty, and staff. Each yearbook staffer has a list of students (so every student in the school is personally tracked for coverage), and they personalized every bulb by hand-writing the names. I scored a sale at Family Dollar on mini candy canes, so we stapled one to each bulb, too. We stayed for an hour after school one day and taped them to the correct lockers (our AP gave us the locker list), and teachers’ classroom doors. The next morning when the students came in, they were really surprised and thankful! It was a small way to say, “Hey, we are thinking of YOU, and we wanted to brighten your day!” Here’s how to DIY:
a) Get a list of everyone in your school and divide them up. Also, get the locker and room numbers!
b) Find a cute light bulb clip art and place them two on a page. Write in a cute note, and copy and copy and copy.
c) Find candy on sale!!
c) Cut, cut, cut and sign, sign, sign and staple, staple, staple! Another tip is to write the locker numbers of the back of each bulb before hanging them.
d) Organize a day to tape up the bulbs!

3) Lord of the Flies Crowns – This year I taught Flies for the first time with my regular track seniors. I wasn’t sure how they would like it, but as we got into it, we all realized how perfect the timing was to make text-self and text-world connections. I’m sharing about one of the final projects we did because, honestly, it give me cold chills. I wanted them to truly get the theme and title connection juxtaposed with their own lives, so I came up with this crown idea. (Everything can be found in my NEW Lord of the Flies unit plan!!) Here’s how you can DIY:
a) After reading Chapter 8, we did a paired info text reading to get some background on the Beelzebub allusion. (paired reading and notes included in my plan)
b) I gave students a crown (template included in my plan). They wrote/drew things on the crown that are “lording over” their lives. I told them to be honest – even knowing they are 17-18 year olds and being aware of what I could get. However, I did tell them they could be anonymous. Then they cut out the crowns, and we hung them up in the room for the remainder of the book.
c) On the day – or next day – you finish the book, get a paper shredder in your classroom. Once the boys are rescued, they are not only physically rescued from the island, but also they are symbolically rescued from those demons in their lives. Students take their own crowns and we had a shredding ceremony to symbolically indicate that they can be rescued from those demons in their lives, too. — Cue cold chills here. —

4) Macbeth “Witch-Inspired” Tasting Party – Who isn’t always looking for a way to bring snacks to class, right??!!? This year I decided I would surprise my seniors with a few little snacks one day! In fact, my students actually inspired my choices with their creativity during the first part of Act 1 when they were making their text-based Witches’ Party Invitation (included in my Macbeth unit plan). Here’s how you can DIY:
a) After reading the opening scenes of the play where Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches, I have students complete the Party Invitation activity. They are always so intrigued by the weird sisters anyway, and this gives them a chance to close read and be creative! They have use the text to inspire the food, games, decor, and more!
b) Shop for Mountain Dew (Witches’ Brew), Bugles (Witches’ Fingernails), and thumbprint cookies (Pilot’s Thumbs). Local bakeries usually have these you can order. BTW: Only followers of my monthly email newsletter got the cute food labels for free couple of months back! You’ll want to sign up HERE so you don’t miss anymore goodies!
c) After reading Act 1 and 2, I always pause to show a on-screen adaptation of the play. When students came to class that day, they were surprised, delighted, and thankful to see I had brought their ideas to life!

5) Writers’ Notebooks – I’ve actually tried the writing portfolio thing a couple times a couple of ways. This time around, I’ve improved my process, and it worked wonderfully. It’s kinda of a morph between a portfolio, data tracker, and interactive notebook. The premise is simple: Students keep all their writing in one place so they can keep up with it, and we can all see growth. Here’s how to DIY (the new and improved way):
a) Students buy – or you can provide – a one subject spiral notebook. I took a piece of ribbon and a large plastic coated paper clip to make a bookmark. I needed a bookmark because each time they wrote an essay or paragraph in it, I wanted to be able to flip right to what I needed to grade without flipping forever. I had them put their name in Sharpie right on the front.
b) Here’s where the “interactive notebook” piece comes into play, but not really. It’s just some cutting and gluing! On the first day, I gave them some key sheets I wanted them to keep up with: the data tracker (sold in my TpT store and pictured below), my marking codes annotation sheets, state writing rubrics, self-evaluation sheets, and graphic organizers. That way they always had them in one place. Throughout the semester, we added notes here and there. Even when it was a bigger task and I used the rubrics I make to give points based on state rubrics (pictured below), they just stapled those at the end of the essay, so it was all in one place.
c) As students wrote essays and constructed responses, I left marks right on the pages. One tip is to have them write on the fronts only if you are going to be giving feedback. It made it so easy for me to flip back to previous writing to see if they were gaining and taking my advice from previous tasks.

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What She Wore Teacher Style: “Vestive” Outfits for Winter

This season I am loving all the vest options! I’ve put together a short list of ways I’ve been wearing vests this season to stay warm and look festive for the holidays!

*Can’t go without my “Red Coke”!

1) Black pants, Polka Dot Black and White Button Down (Target), Red Coca-Cola Sweater (Target), Black and White Herringbone Vest (Jane.com), Black Booties (Ugg from DSW.com)