I can hear it now. One student defiantly raises a hand as I begin teaching Greek and Latin root words. Before I can even begin explaining the benefits, the student asks, “Why are we learning about this in English class?” Next time you have a student asking why they need to study roots and vocabulary from Greek and Latin, have this list on hand.
You’ve come to the end of another novel or short story. Now what? If you’re looking to spice up your review activities with something fresh,
If you haven’t incorporated peer editing into your essay units, you are truly missing out. Anytime I can use positive peer interactions in an assignment
When it comes to engaging middle school ELA and high school English students, I’ve noticed a pretty consistent trend: teens like to color, doodle, and create. As much as some teens might moan and groan about coloring, it’s actually quite therapeutic, and it helps many disengaged students focus on the lesson, assignment, or assessment. That is why these coloring activities for secondary ELA are great additions to your curriculum!
However, when it comes to coloring in the classroom, all coloring-type assignments are not created equally and should not be used synonymously. In fact, sketch notes and doodle notes, mind maps, and one-pagers all have their own distinct place and purpose in the classroom. And when used effectively, these activities and assignments help unlock students’ creativity and analysis skills.
Before diving into the different coloring activities, it is important to have the materials you need to successfully facilitate these assignments in the classroom. There have been quite a few times when I walked into my classroom at the start of a school day not planning on coloring, but I throw it in because at the last moment I felt that it would serve a purpose in my daily lesson. This blog post contains affiliate links that help cover the cost of the blog.
If you aren’t using bell ringers in your secondary ELA classroom – you should. Starting class with bell ringers is an excellent strategy to help
Planning a short story unit can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Here is a look at how I plan my short story unit. HINT: It requires backward planning! When I teach short stories, I like to use this close reading unit that follows along with these four steps.
Keep reading to learn how to plan a short story unit for your middle school ELA or high school English class.
If you are looking to read about how to teach personal statement writing, I’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn more and to see
Teaching Lord of the Flies can be a fun and exciting class novel. There are deep themes on innocence, building civilizations, and the dangers of
Speak is one of those powerful reads that, unfortunately, many students relate to. If not from personal experiences mirroring the main character, the reality of dealing with trauma and the fallout of PTSD, depression, and other ostracizing events. Teaching Speak, though, can be a challenging task. It becomes a deeply personal and empathetic read, so I make an effort to include it in my reading list throughout the year. Read on for activities and ideas to try in your own classroom.
