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Lesson Plans

Books

Lit Circles

Projects

Reading

Writing

Lesson Plans

15 Young Adult Mystery Novels to Add to Your Classroom Library

In my experience, adding high-quality mystery novels to your classroom library is a surefire way to get more students reading. In today’s post, we’re diving into the thrilling world of YA mystery novels—perfect for engaging your students and sparking their imaginations. Whether they love puzzling plots or uncovering dark secrets, these 15 captivating titles are sure to keep your classroom library buzzing with excitement. Each book offers not only an intriguing storyline, but also relatable characters and valuable themes that resonate with today’s readers. From solving whodunits to navigating complex relationships, these novels provide rich narratives that will inspire students to think critically and immerse themselves in the reading experience. Mystery novels have a unique way of drawing readers in,

continue reading
book-talk-sample

How to Get Your Students Excited About Reading with Book Talks

You can get your students excited about reading with book talks. Igniting a passion to read is sometimes daunting. A book talk is a great way to engage students and encourage them to try new books recommended by their peers. If you’re looking to spruce up your usual essays and book reports, or just need an activity that will get students excited about reading, check out this post of suggestions to get started.  What’s a Book Talk?  A book talk is a short conversation students have about their reading. Think of an infomercial or sales pitch. A TikTok, if you really want to keep up with the kids. Don’t think of it as a formal presentation. In fact, I think

continue reading
lesson-plan-english-example

How to Write English Lesson Plans for Secondary ELA Teachers

Oh, the lesson plan. Some people swear by detailed lessons that are carefully written in elaborate planners and color-coded. Others jot down a few things onto a post-it in their desk drawer. I’m not here to tell you what system to use, but I do think every teacher should be committed to a system. If you’re struggling with putting something together, take a look at these steps to write English lesson plans for secondary ELA. Start with the end.  This means focusing on the objectives. The standards and objectives are there to help guide our lessons. They are the end goal. It is helpful as you plan everything else to remember what is the “point” of the lesson. I find

continue reading
narrative-writing-lesson-plan-pdf

Transform Your Narrative Writing Unit: A Comprehensive Guide for Secondary ELA Teachers

Narrative writing feels like it should be easy. I mean, isn’t it “just writing”? We do an awful lot of it in secondary ELA. The trouble is, we take for granted that our students know how to take the “what” of a good story and recreate it for themselves. If you need to transform your narrative writing unit, look no further. Read on for suggestions and goodies that will help you help your students navigate narratives.  What is Narrative Writing? Simply put, narrative writing is story-telling. There are different genres and creative liberties that can be applied to the story, but at its core, it’s another form of writing. We encounter narrative every day of our lives, even if we

continue reading
reader's-workshop

How to Find Age-Appropriate Books for Students

Building a classroom library of age-appropriate books for ELA students can be exhaustive. Not all books that are labeled as “Young Adult” are actually age-appropriate for all students. One of the most popular questions I get is, “How do I know this book will be appropriate for my students?” I could do an entire post on the level of appropriateness currently in the Young Adult genre. That may come at another time. The fact is, not every YA book will be appropriate for every family. It would be great if there was some kind of uniform system to help you figure out exactly what kind of content is inside the book, but unfortunately, it doesn’t exist yet. So instead I’m

continue reading
independent-reading

5 Tips for Helping Secondary Students Find “Just Right” Books

When it comes to teaching secondary ELA, our primary focus often revolves around grammar lessons and literary analysis. However, an equally crucial aspect of our teaching is guiding students in finding “just right” books. This skill extends beyond the classroom, empowering students to independently select reading material that aligns with their interests and reading levels, fostering a love for reading and lifelong learning. By helping students discover books that are just right for them, we encourage a deeper engagement with reading and equip them with the tools they need for personal growth and academic success. Here are five essential tips for helping secondary students find “just right” books. What are “just right” books? “How do I make sure students are

continue reading
english-language-project-ideas

Unique ELA Project for Middle School or High School – Character Yearbook

Creating a character yearbook is a unique ELA project you can try with your students to shake up your routine. It’s the perfect resource for middle school or high school English Language Arts teachers looking to infuse creativity into their end of the year, semester, or unit reviews. You don’t need to settle for dull character summaries that simply list character traits. Instead, invite your students to embark on a unique journey of literary exploration with this creative project.  This post will cover what you need to know to implement a character yearbook analysis in your secondary ELA classroom. Read on for info, tips, and links to helpful resources.  What’s a Character Yearbook? A character yearbook project is a unique

continue reading
end-of-the-year-review

End of the Year Review Activity for Secondary English Language Arts – Soundtrack Project

Have you ever considered using a soundtrack project as an end of the year review activity for your secondary English Language Arts classes? It’s an engaging and meaningful opportunity for students to practice analysis skills while incorporating an art form students often love- music! This project is a great way to incorporate reading and writing skills while still having fun and celebrating the end of the school year. This post will cover what you need to know to implement a soundtrack project within your secondary ELA classroom. Read on for info, tips, and links to helpful resources.  What’s a Soundtrack Project? This end of the year review activity asks students to create a playlist of songs highlighting the year in

continue reading
article-of-the-week-featured

Why You Need a Strong Article of the Week Close Reading Routine

If you’re teaching English Language Arts you need to consider combining articles of the week and close reading into your classroom routine. Articles of the week help you bulk up prior knowledge and also give you an outlet to add a deeper understanding of a variety of topics. Close reading is incredibly effective at teaching students to engage with text. By combining the two, you expose students to a variety of topics and the process of engaging meaningfully with text. Read on to get some ideas and resources to ramp up your articles of the week.  What is an Article of the Week? An article of the week involves introducing students to high-engagement articles and excerpts that they interact with.

continue reading
literary-field-trip-end-of-year-review-ela

End of the Year Review Activity for Secondary English Language Arts – Literary Field Trip

Bring your students on a literary field trip as an end of the year review activity for your secondary English Language Arts students. This is a unique and engaging end of year review activity that can be used with any set of texts. This post will cover what you need to know for implementing a literary field trip within your end of the year activities in secondary ELA. Read on for information, tips, and links to helpful resources.  What is a literary field trip? A literary field trip is an engaging activity that helps students delve into different places studied throughout texts using a unique boarding pass and flight template. Students will help plan a trip to “travel” to settings

continue reading

15 Young Adult Mystery Novels to Add to Your Classroom Library

In my experience, adding high-quality mystery novels to your classroom library is a surefire way to get more students reading. In today’s post, we’re diving into the thrilling world of YA mystery novels—perfect for engaging your students and sparking their imaginations. Whether they love puzzling plots or uncovering dark secrets, these 15 captivating titles are sure to keep your classroom library buzzing with excitement. Each book offers not only an intriguing storyline, but also relatable characters and valuable themes that resonate with today’s readers. From solving whodunits to navigating complex relationships, these novels provide rich narratives that will inspire students to think critically and immerse themselves in the reading experience. Mystery novels have a unique way of drawing readers in,

continue reading
book-talk-sample

How to Get Your Students Excited About Reading with Book Talks

You can get your students excited about reading with book talks. Igniting a passion to read is sometimes daunting. A book talk is a great way to engage students and encourage them to try new books recommended by their peers. If you’re looking to spruce up your usual essays and book reports, or just need an activity that will get students excited about reading, check out this post of suggestions to get started.  What’s a Book Talk?  A book talk is a short conversation students have about their reading. Think of an infomercial or sales pitch. A TikTok, if you really want to keep up with the kids. Don’t think of it as a formal presentation. In fact, I think

continue reading
lesson-plan-english-example

How to Write English Lesson Plans for Secondary ELA Teachers

Oh, the lesson plan. Some people swear by detailed lessons that are carefully written in elaborate planners and color-coded. Others jot down a few things onto a post-it in their desk drawer. I’m not here to tell you what system to use, but I do think every teacher should be committed to a system. If you’re struggling with putting something together, take a look at these steps to write English lesson plans for secondary ELA. Start with the end.  This means focusing on the objectives. The standards and objectives are there to help guide our lessons. They are the end goal. It is helpful as you plan everything else to remember what is the “point” of the lesson. I find

continue reading
narrative-writing-lesson-plan-pdf

Transform Your Narrative Writing Unit: A Comprehensive Guide for Secondary ELA Teachers

Narrative writing feels like it should be easy. I mean, isn’t it “just writing”? We do an awful lot of it in secondary ELA. The trouble is, we take for granted that our students know how to take the “what” of a good story and recreate it for themselves. If you need to transform your narrative writing unit, look no further. Read on for suggestions and goodies that will help you help your students navigate narratives.  What is Narrative Writing? Simply put, narrative writing is story-telling. There are different genres and creative liberties that can be applied to the story, but at its core, it’s another form of writing. We encounter narrative every day of our lives, even if we

continue reading
reader's-workshop

How to Find Age-Appropriate Books for Students

Building a classroom library of age-appropriate books for ELA students can be exhaustive. Not all books that are labeled as “Young Adult” are actually age-appropriate for all students. One of the most popular questions I get is, “How do I know this book will be appropriate for my students?” I could do an entire post on the level of appropriateness currently in the Young Adult genre. That may come at another time. The fact is, not every YA book will be appropriate for every family. It would be great if there was some kind of uniform system to help you figure out exactly what kind of content is inside the book, but unfortunately, it doesn’t exist yet. So instead I’m

continue reading
independent-reading

5 Tips for Helping Secondary Students Find “Just Right” Books

When it comes to teaching secondary ELA, our primary focus often revolves around grammar lessons and literary analysis. However, an equally crucial aspect of our teaching is guiding students in finding “just right” books. This skill extends beyond the classroom, empowering students to independently select reading material that aligns with their interests and reading levels, fostering a love for reading and lifelong learning. By helping students discover books that are just right for them, we encourage a deeper engagement with reading and equip them with the tools they need for personal growth and academic success. Here are five essential tips for helping secondary students find “just right” books. What are “just right” books? “How do I make sure students are

continue reading
english-language-project-ideas

Unique ELA Project for Middle School or High School – Character Yearbook

Creating a character yearbook is a unique ELA project you can try with your students to shake up your routine. It’s the perfect resource for middle school or high school English Language Arts teachers looking to infuse creativity into their end of the year, semester, or unit reviews. You don’t need to settle for dull character summaries that simply list character traits. Instead, invite your students to embark on a unique journey of literary exploration with this creative project.  This post will cover what you need to know to implement a character yearbook analysis in your secondary ELA classroom. Read on for info, tips, and links to helpful resources.  What’s a Character Yearbook? A character yearbook project is a unique

continue reading
end-of-the-year-review

End of the Year Review Activity for Secondary English Language Arts – Soundtrack Project

Have you ever considered using a soundtrack project as an end of the year review activity for your secondary English Language Arts classes? It’s an engaging and meaningful opportunity for students to practice analysis skills while incorporating an art form students often love- music! This project is a great way to incorporate reading and writing skills while still having fun and celebrating the end of the school year. This post will cover what you need to know to implement a soundtrack project within your secondary ELA classroom. Read on for info, tips, and links to helpful resources.  What’s a Soundtrack Project? This end of the year review activity asks students to create a playlist of songs highlighting the year in

continue reading
article-of-the-week-featured

Why You Need a Strong Article of the Week Close Reading Routine

If you’re teaching English Language Arts you need to consider combining articles of the week and close reading into your classroom routine. Articles of the week help you bulk up prior knowledge and also give you an outlet to add a deeper understanding of a variety of topics. Close reading is incredibly effective at teaching students to engage with text. By combining the two, you expose students to a variety of topics and the process of engaging meaningfully with text. Read on to get some ideas and resources to ramp up your articles of the week.  What is an Article of the Week? An article of the week involves introducing students to high-engagement articles and excerpts that they interact with.

continue reading
literary-field-trip-end-of-year-review-ela

End of the Year Review Activity for Secondary English Language Arts – Literary Field Trip

Bring your students on a literary field trip as an end of the year review activity for your secondary English Language Arts students. This is a unique and engaging end of year review activity that can be used with any set of texts. This post will cover what you need to know for implementing a literary field trip within your end of the year activities in secondary ELA. Read on for information, tips, and links to helpful resources.  What is a literary field trip? A literary field trip is an engaging activity that helps students delve into different places studied throughout texts using a unique boarding pass and flight template. Students will help plan a trip to “travel” to settings

continue reading

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