4 Ways to Analyze Audio with Listenwise
States recently released standardized test scores, and teachers and administrators all across the nation are looking for ways to improve their scores. One particular area
Discover Success: How to Write Better Story Prompts for Students
Anyone who has ever taught creative writing is familiar with story prompts. They’re usually presented in the form of a What if? scenario where the
What to Read When Teaching the Hero’s Journey
In a previous blog post, I discussed how I teach the Hero’s Journey and a project that my students complete to demonstrate their understanding of
Teaching the Hero’s Journey
One of my favorite lessons to teach in my short story unit is the Hero’s Journey. I enjoy teaching the hero’s journey because I love seeing my students’ aha! moments – the moment when they get it, and they start making the connections between the content I am teaching and their favorite books and movies. Their faces light up, and faint chatter about Harry Potter, various Disney movies, and other stories slowly fills the room.
Three Universal Themes Every High School Student Should Know
As English teachers, we are in a unique position where we not only shape and refine students’ writing skills but also, possibly, hopefully, their world
Teaching Literary Analysis Writing
Teaching literary analysis is a cornerstone for the secondary ELA classroom. For several years now, I’ve watched students struggle year after year with the same
Teaching Nonfiction: 3 Skills I Teach for Writing about Nonfiction Text
I like to incorporate a lot of nonfiction in my curriculum. While I love fiction and make sure I include it in my instruction, I also firmly believe that studying, analyzing, and writing about nonfiction is vitally essential for today’s learners. That is what I always place an emphasis on these skills when teaching nonfiction text in the high school English classroom.
Introducing Complex Ideas to Students
I teach a lot of nonfiction in my junior-level and senior-level high school English classes, and oftentimes these nonfiction articles and speeches deal with new,
Why I Teach the Parts of Speech in High School
When we read over and begin grading our students’ writing assignments for the first time in a new school year, we are able to assess