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Books

Lit Circles

Projects

Reading

Writing

Lesson Plans

9/11 Activities for Students

September 11, 2001 is an incredibly significant date in American History and many teachers like to stop and honor the day with meaningful 9/11 activities for students. As the date slips further into history, it seems that less and less of our students are familiar with the specifics of the events that took place. (Most weren’t even born!) As ELA teachers, we use text to build character, resilience, and empathy. Using strategic, high-quality activities in your own ELA classroom can be an excellent way to commemorate the tragedy while still promoting literacy and compassion. Here are five ways to honor September 11th in your classroom. #1: Host a Day of Service Many schools are starting to shift towards a “Day

continue reading

Mood Boards: An Engaging Independent Reading Project for Your Secondary ELA Classroom

Teaching middle and high school ELA students about mood can sometimes feel like a challenge, which is why I’m such a fan of using mood boards in my independent reading project activities. Most students think they get mood right away, but it’s easy for them to confuse it with tone. That’s where the beauty of a mood board comes in— it gives them a chance to visually express what they’re learning, which makes it so much easier to understand. Teaching about mood is a valuable skill because it helps students dive deep into an author’s purpose and see how word choice shapes a text. By linking the emotional atmosphere with images and colors, you’re giving students a tangible way to

continue reading

6 Engaging Ways to Introduce Students to Your English Language Arts Classroom

As a middle school or high school ELA teacher, it can be hard to know which kinds of activities are best for the first week of school. Should you do some icebreakers? Get straight to the content? What about building classroom culture? All of these questions can be overwhelming, so six established ELA teachers are here to share their best tips and tricks for starting your year off on the right foot and making it the best year yet! #1: Plan the First Two Weeks There’s often massive overwhelm for teachers trying to decide what to do on the first day of school.  What’s worse though, is that once those initial days are over…there are still more days!  Amanda from

continue reading

How to Use One Pagers to Assess Student Understanding in Secondary ELA

The One Pager Project is a creative and engaging way to assess student understanding on a variety of topics. This blog will explain exactly what a One Pager is, how to use one, provide you with plenty of One Pager examples, and even give you the opportunity to grab a free One Pager template. While you may think this looks like a simple project at first, you’ll be surprised to find that the One Pager combines both artistry and analysis which can really help your students think creatively and deeply about a text. Let me show you how a One Pager can transform the way you think about assessing your students. What is a One Pager Project? The concept of

continue reading

5 Classroom Routines and Procedures for Secondary Students

Classroom routines and procedures are for ALL students. They can be especially effective at the middle school and high school level to help with classroom culture and management. If students know what to expect and they come to anticipate your high-interest lesson, your management issues will definitely decrease. Here are 5 classroom routines and procedures in my arsenal that I believe will help any secondary teacher run their own class more smoothly. #1: Review Email Etiquette Face it– you’re going to get a lot more email this year than you would probably like. Wouldn’t it be nice if those emails were professional and polite? I learned years ago that I have to teach (and re-teach) this process several times throughout

continue reading

10 Young Adult Historical Fiction Novels to Add to Your Classroom Library

Historical fiction is arguably one of my favorite genres. All of the stories that have really stuck with me throughout the years are all historical fiction. It was nearly impossible for me to choose ten novels to feature here because there are so many good choices, but I wanted to make sure I focused on the ones I felt really deserved a spot in your classroom library. Read these for a really rich experience as these authors expertly transport you to another time and place. #1: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Every time I think of this novel, I get chills. The story is haunting and timeless. Doerr’s flawless writing will strike you from the beginning,

continue reading

Using Visual Writing Prompts in the Secondary English Language Arts Classroom

As middle school or high school English Language Arts teachers, we know that visual support is more important than ever for twenty first century learners. Students are inundated with strong images from technology each day. Visual Writing Prompts provide one way teachers can engage students and encourage them to employ upper-level thinking skills with visually appealing prompts. Why Visual Writing Prompts? Writing prompts aren’t a new teaching tool. Every teacher has an arsenal of prompts they use to encourage writing and discussion about any text. As virtual learning took over the world over the past year, I realized that my writing prompts needed a serious upgrade in order to engage my learners from a distance. So, I started taking my

continue reading

How to Teach Close Reading in Secondary English Language Arts

Whether you’re teaching middle school or high school English Language Arts, close reading is an incredibly effective way to teach students to engage with a text. There are many ways to approach close reading, but I have found a method that works really well for me that I perfected over years of teaching. It is often hard enough to get our students to read a text once let alone multiple times, so these steps have really helped to create a predictable routine that students use throughout the year. Make Close Reading a Priority At the beginning of the school year, I teach my close reading process using an engaging text. I love to pick something inspiring like Barack Obama’s “What

continue reading

Creative Writing Activity for Secondary Students: Roll a Stories

When I was beginning my narrative writing unit this year for my 9th grade English Language Arts class, I knew I needed to figure out a way to get students engaged with a unique creative writing activity. There are always so many excuses as to why students don’t want to write narratives. Most of the time, students tell me they just “don’t know what to write.” I knew it was essential that I incorporated a lot of activities that would allow students to think creatively and practice their writing skills. This activity is especially helpful in getting students’ brains moving when writing creatively. All you need is a few good creative writing options, some dice, and a little luck! Read

continue reading

5 Hygge Classroom Activities to Create a Cozy Environment

Finding winter reading and writing activities that I think my students might actually enjoy can be difficult, but hygge classroom activities provide just the thing to help with that. I am not a winter baby. Never have been. I can’t exactly pinpoint my disdain for winter, but I’m fairly certain it started rather early in life. Every time winter rolls around, I search for ways to make it more bearable. Enter: Hygge. This Danish term (pronounced “hoo-ga”) is the feeling of cozy contentment. While hygge is deeply embedded into Danish culture all year long, I find myself wanting to implement elements of hygge even moreso in the winter months. Nothing helps me cope with the dark winter months more than

continue reading

9/11 Activities for Students

September 11, 2001 is an incredibly significant date in American History and many teachers like to stop and honor the day with meaningful 9/11 activities for students. As the date slips further into history, it seems that less and less of our students are familiar with the specifics of the events that took place. (Most weren’t even born!) As ELA teachers, we use text to build character, resilience, and empathy. Using strategic, high-quality activities in your own ELA classroom can be an excellent way to commemorate the tragedy while still promoting literacy and compassion. Here are five ways to honor September 11th in your classroom. #1: Host a Day of Service Many schools are starting to shift towards a “Day

continue reading

Mood Boards: An Engaging Independent Reading Project for Your Secondary ELA Classroom

Teaching middle and high school ELA students about mood can sometimes feel like a challenge, which is why I’m such a fan of using mood boards in my independent reading project activities. Most students think they get mood right away, but it’s easy for them to confuse it with tone. That’s where the beauty of a mood board comes in— it gives them a chance to visually express what they’re learning, which makes it so much easier to understand. Teaching about mood is a valuable skill because it helps students dive deep into an author’s purpose and see how word choice shapes a text. By linking the emotional atmosphere with images and colors, you’re giving students a tangible way to

continue reading

6 Engaging Ways to Introduce Students to Your English Language Arts Classroom

As a middle school or high school ELA teacher, it can be hard to know which kinds of activities are best for the first week of school. Should you do some icebreakers? Get straight to the content? What about building classroom culture? All of these questions can be overwhelming, so six established ELA teachers are here to share their best tips and tricks for starting your year off on the right foot and making it the best year yet! #1: Plan the First Two Weeks There’s often massive overwhelm for teachers trying to decide what to do on the first day of school.  What’s worse though, is that once those initial days are over…there are still more days!  Amanda from

continue reading

How to Use One Pagers to Assess Student Understanding in Secondary ELA

The One Pager Project is a creative and engaging way to assess student understanding on a variety of topics. This blog will explain exactly what a One Pager is, how to use one, provide you with plenty of One Pager examples, and even give you the opportunity to grab a free One Pager template. While you may think this looks like a simple project at first, you’ll be surprised to find that the One Pager combines both artistry and analysis which can really help your students think creatively and deeply about a text. Let me show you how a One Pager can transform the way you think about assessing your students. What is a One Pager Project? The concept of

continue reading

5 Classroom Routines and Procedures for Secondary Students

Classroom routines and procedures are for ALL students. They can be especially effective at the middle school and high school level to help with classroom culture and management. If students know what to expect and they come to anticipate your high-interest lesson, your management issues will definitely decrease. Here are 5 classroom routines and procedures in my arsenal that I believe will help any secondary teacher run their own class more smoothly. #1: Review Email Etiquette Face it– you’re going to get a lot more email this year than you would probably like. Wouldn’t it be nice if those emails were professional and polite? I learned years ago that I have to teach (and re-teach) this process several times throughout

continue reading

10 Young Adult Historical Fiction Novels to Add to Your Classroom Library

Historical fiction is arguably one of my favorite genres. All of the stories that have really stuck with me throughout the years are all historical fiction. It was nearly impossible for me to choose ten novels to feature here because there are so many good choices, but I wanted to make sure I focused on the ones I felt really deserved a spot in your classroom library. Read these for a really rich experience as these authors expertly transport you to another time and place. #1: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Every time I think of this novel, I get chills. The story is haunting and timeless. Doerr’s flawless writing will strike you from the beginning,

continue reading

Using Visual Writing Prompts in the Secondary English Language Arts Classroom

As middle school or high school English Language Arts teachers, we know that visual support is more important than ever for twenty first century learners. Students are inundated with strong images from technology each day. Visual Writing Prompts provide one way teachers can engage students and encourage them to employ upper-level thinking skills with visually appealing prompts. Why Visual Writing Prompts? Writing prompts aren’t a new teaching tool. Every teacher has an arsenal of prompts they use to encourage writing and discussion about any text. As virtual learning took over the world over the past year, I realized that my writing prompts needed a serious upgrade in order to engage my learners from a distance. So, I started taking my

continue reading

How to Teach Close Reading in Secondary English Language Arts

Whether you’re teaching middle school or high school English Language Arts, close reading is an incredibly effective way to teach students to engage with a text. There are many ways to approach close reading, but I have found a method that works really well for me that I perfected over years of teaching. It is often hard enough to get our students to read a text once let alone multiple times, so these steps have really helped to create a predictable routine that students use throughout the year. Make Close Reading a Priority At the beginning of the school year, I teach my close reading process using an engaging text. I love to pick something inspiring like Barack Obama’s “What

continue reading

Creative Writing Activity for Secondary Students: Roll a Stories

When I was beginning my narrative writing unit this year for my 9th grade English Language Arts class, I knew I needed to figure out a way to get students engaged with a unique creative writing activity. There are always so many excuses as to why students don’t want to write narratives. Most of the time, students tell me they just “don’t know what to write.” I knew it was essential that I incorporated a lot of activities that would allow students to think creatively and practice their writing skills. This activity is especially helpful in getting students’ brains moving when writing creatively. All you need is a few good creative writing options, some dice, and a little luck! Read

continue reading

5 Hygge Classroom Activities to Create a Cozy Environment

Finding winter reading and writing activities that I think my students might actually enjoy can be difficult, but hygge classroom activities provide just the thing to help with that. I am not a winter baby. Never have been. I can’t exactly pinpoint my disdain for winter, but I’m fairly certain it started rather early in life. Every time winter rolls around, I search for ways to make it more bearable. Enter: Hygge. This Danish term (pronounced “hoo-ga”) is the feeling of cozy contentment. While hygge is deeply embedded into Danish culture all year long, I find myself wanting to implement elements of hygge even moreso in the winter months. Nothing helps me cope with the dark winter months more than

continue reading

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