5 Reasons to Include Vocabulary Instruction in Every Unit
One of the fundamental building blocks of learning is vocabulary. Having a well-rounded and robust vocabulary plays a critical role in students’ learning, communication skills,
A Collaborative Writing Project for the Secondary ELA Classroom
In an earlier blog post, I wrote about the benefits of assigning a collaborative writing assignment in the high school English and middle school ELA
Teaching John Green’s Paper Towns in Your Classroom
John Green is the Shakespeare of contemporary YA. Actually, he’s more like The Beatles of contemporary YA, everything he writes is a hit. If you
10 Coming of Age Novels for Teens
It is essential for young adults than to see themselves represented authentically in media. This includes seeing themselves on the pages of literature written just
Back-to-School Night at the Secondary Level
Depending on the format of your school’s Back-to-School Night, planning out your evening meeting parents can be tough. Some schools follow an open house format
5 Broadway Musicals for Teaching Literature
Musicals aren’t just for the drama club kids anymore. With their knack for blending different genres of music with unusual subject matter, it’s no wonder
Unique Ideas for Creative Writing Assignments
Giving your students a short writing assignment at the beginning of the year is a terrific way to not only access your students’ abilities but
10 Resources to Re-Energize the Secondary ELA Classroom
With a new school year upon us, it’s time to re-energize your teaching practices with some new routines and resources. Here are ten teaching resources
5 Book Recommendations for Reluctant High School Readers
Let’s face it, not every one of our students is going to love English class as much as we did. All our students have different