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Lesson Plans

Books

Lit Circles

Projects

Reading

Writing

Lesson Plans

5 Independent Reading Activities for Before You Read

Do you want to create a robust independent reading program in your classroom, but you aren’t sure how to introduce independent reading? Let me help! One of my favorite things about independent reading is getting excited about books and sharing that excitement with my students. Having taught an entire course using independent reading alone, I’ve come up with many ways to introduce new independent reading units. There are many ways to introduce independent reading, but here are a few ideas. #1: Make sure to get a parent letter signed BEFORE you start! Many teachers might avoid independent reading for fear that books contain objectionable material. Here is the truth: you CAN’T read every book ever written. It’s impossible. So, you

continue reading

5 ELA Bulletin Board Ideas for Your Classroom

There are so many ELA bulletin board ideas out there for your classroom that it can be overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I love browsing Pinterest and seeing all the beautiful, put-together bulletin boards, but let’s be honest: who has the time? Let me put on my veteran teacher hat for a minute and tell you with 100% certainty that bulletin boards are a nice added bonus, but they should not be the focus of your classroom. Below I’m going to give you my best tips for bulletin boards that are attractive and functional and will not add stress to your already overflowing plate. #1: Display an Evergreen Bulletin Board One of my favorite bulletin boards is my “Why Study

continue reading

How to Rate a Book from a High School English Teacher

If you’re a casual reader, you might not even be aware that there is a standard for how to rate a book. In fact, you probably think that most ratings are purely subjective. In a lot of ways, they are. I could do a deep dive into Reader Response Theory and the fact that it’s the reader that makes meaning of any text, but that’s probably a different post for a different day. If this is what you think, for the most part, you’re right. However, it’s only one side of the story. People rate books for many reasons. Sometimes they base it on whether or not they liked and could relate to the characters. Maybe they hated the ending.

continue reading

5 First Day of School Activities for High School English

I know it’s tempting to run to your old standby when you’re looking for first day of school activities for your high school English class, but I’m here to tell you: there is another way! You don’t need to read the syllabus to your students OR voice any expectations at all during your first lesson. You can certainly do those things, but they don’t need to be done on the first day. Let the first day be all about community and connection. I have 5 great ideas for you to kick off your year cultivating your best classroom culture yet. #1: Review Email Etiquette In my 15 years of teaching, this was almost always my go-to first day lesson for

continue reading

How to Organize Your High School Classroom Library

You might think organizing your high school classroom library isn’t a significant task, but today I want to convince you otherwise. If you have been following my blog for a while, you know I’m passionate about choice reading for high schoolers. Having a robust classroom library is a cornerstone of creating a strong culture of reading. It can be a lot of work to find the right books for your classroom library, but the time and effort you put into it will reflect in your strong classroom culture. Read on for ideas on how to organize your classroom library. Label Your Books Before you actually set up your classroom library, it’s a good idea to label your books. You can

continue reading

10 Best Short Stories for High School English Class

Finding the best short stories for high school English classes can feel like a challenge, but it’s one well worth taking on. Short stories bring so much value to the classroom, and I wholeheartedly believe they deserve a bigger spotlight in high school curricula. For reluctant readers, short stories are often the perfect middle ground—they’re approachable, engaging, and still packed with literary depth. From exploring complex themes to mastering literary analysis, short stories align seamlessly with every ELA standard I’ve encountered. These versatile gems are ideal when you’re pressed for time but still want to cover a variety of topics, or when you’re aiming to dive deeply into a single theme or concept. Whether you’re looking to reinforce skills, introduce

continue reading

20 Podcasts for High School English Class

Podcasts in the high school English classroom are a great way to bring some surprise into your lessons. Using podcasts in the classroom provides an easy way to hit those speaking and listening standards and can be especially helpful to enhance a unit or add an additional standalone lesson at the end of the unit or end of the year. You can assign these for hybrid learning, send links for remote learning, or just use them to enhance lessons. Read on for 20 podcasts you might like to use in class. #1: This I Believe People from all walks of life share their core personal beliefs through this NPR podcast.  #2: The Daily by The New York Times Keep students

continue reading

During Reading Strategies for Secondary ELA Teachers

Is it really important to focus on during-reading strategies at the secondary level? Of course! We have to remember, at any level, reading and comprehension requires a lot of mental processing. Reminding students of strategies and taking time to focus on during-reading strategies is how you help students with comprehension in the long game. Read on for ideas to help students self-monitor their comprehension and be more active in their reading.  1. Doodle Notes This isn’t just for little kids. Doodle notes (or sketch notes) are a great way to keep students on task, help them focus, and unleash creativity. I have a full blog covering why students should use doodle notes in secondary ELA here. Check out my Doodle

continue reading

ELA Classroom Decor for Secondary Students

It is often difficult to find suitable ELA classroom decor when searching for the secondary classroom. You can’t go 10 seconds into a search for classroom decorating ideas without running into the elementary crowd. It makes sense that the oodles of cute and fun decorations are geared towards the younger grades, but I’m honestly bummed that there aren’t more readily available items for my ELA classroom. That’s why I created this list of ideas to decorate your secondary ELA classroom complete with some of the resources I’ve used in my own room. 1. Choose basic bins and bulletins. Choosing “classic” items for your classroom seems logical. Your tastes might change, or if you’re anything like me, you love all of

continue reading

5 Independent Reading Activities for Before You Read

Do you want to create a robust independent reading program in your classroom, but you aren’t sure how to introduce independent reading? Let me help! One of my favorite things about independent reading is getting excited about books and sharing that excitement with my students. Having taught an entire course using independent reading alone, I’ve come up with many ways to introduce new independent reading units. There are many ways to introduce independent reading, but here are a few ideas. #1: Make sure to get a parent letter signed BEFORE you start! Many teachers might avoid independent reading for fear that books contain objectionable material. Here is the truth: you CAN’T read every book ever written. It’s impossible. So, you

continue reading

5 ELA Bulletin Board Ideas for Your Classroom

There are so many ELA bulletin board ideas out there for your classroom that it can be overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I love browsing Pinterest and seeing all the beautiful, put-together bulletin boards, but let’s be honest: who has the time? Let me put on my veteran teacher hat for a minute and tell you with 100% certainty that bulletin boards are a nice added bonus, but they should not be the focus of your classroom. Below I’m going to give you my best tips for bulletin boards that are attractive and functional and will not add stress to your already overflowing plate. #1: Display an Evergreen Bulletin Board One of my favorite bulletin boards is my “Why Study

continue reading

How to Rate a Book from a High School English Teacher

If you’re a casual reader, you might not even be aware that there is a standard for how to rate a book. In fact, you probably think that most ratings are purely subjective. In a lot of ways, they are. I could do a deep dive into Reader Response Theory and the fact that it’s the reader that makes meaning of any text, but that’s probably a different post for a different day. If this is what you think, for the most part, you’re right. However, it’s only one side of the story. People rate books for many reasons. Sometimes they base it on whether or not they liked and could relate to the characters. Maybe they hated the ending.

continue reading

5 First Day of School Activities for High School English

I know it’s tempting to run to your old standby when you’re looking for first day of school activities for your high school English class, but I’m here to tell you: there is another way! You don’t need to read the syllabus to your students OR voice any expectations at all during your first lesson. You can certainly do those things, but they don’t need to be done on the first day. Let the first day be all about community and connection. I have 5 great ideas for you to kick off your year cultivating your best classroom culture yet. #1: Review Email Etiquette In my 15 years of teaching, this was almost always my go-to first day lesson for

continue reading

How to Organize Your High School Classroom Library

You might think organizing your high school classroom library isn’t a significant task, but today I want to convince you otherwise. If you have been following my blog for a while, you know I’m passionate about choice reading for high schoolers. Having a robust classroom library is a cornerstone of creating a strong culture of reading. It can be a lot of work to find the right books for your classroom library, but the time and effort you put into it will reflect in your strong classroom culture. Read on for ideas on how to organize your classroom library. Label Your Books Before you actually set up your classroom library, it’s a good idea to label your books. You can

continue reading

10 Best Short Stories for High School English Class

Finding the best short stories for high school English classes can feel like a challenge, but it’s one well worth taking on. Short stories bring so much value to the classroom, and I wholeheartedly believe they deserve a bigger spotlight in high school curricula. For reluctant readers, short stories are often the perfect middle ground—they’re approachable, engaging, and still packed with literary depth. From exploring complex themes to mastering literary analysis, short stories align seamlessly with every ELA standard I’ve encountered. These versatile gems are ideal when you’re pressed for time but still want to cover a variety of topics, or when you’re aiming to dive deeply into a single theme or concept. Whether you’re looking to reinforce skills, introduce

continue reading

20 Podcasts for High School English Class

Podcasts in the high school English classroom are a great way to bring some surprise into your lessons. Using podcasts in the classroom provides an easy way to hit those speaking and listening standards and can be especially helpful to enhance a unit or add an additional standalone lesson at the end of the unit or end of the year. You can assign these for hybrid learning, send links for remote learning, or just use them to enhance lessons. Read on for 20 podcasts you might like to use in class. #1: This I Believe People from all walks of life share their core personal beliefs through this NPR podcast.  #2: The Daily by The New York Times Keep students

continue reading

During Reading Strategies for Secondary ELA Teachers

Is it really important to focus on during-reading strategies at the secondary level? Of course! We have to remember, at any level, reading and comprehension requires a lot of mental processing. Reminding students of strategies and taking time to focus on during-reading strategies is how you help students with comprehension in the long game. Read on for ideas to help students self-monitor their comprehension and be more active in their reading.  1. Doodle Notes This isn’t just for little kids. Doodle notes (or sketch notes) are a great way to keep students on task, help them focus, and unleash creativity. I have a full blog covering why students should use doodle notes in secondary ELA here. Check out my Doodle

continue reading

ELA Classroom Decor for Secondary Students

It is often difficult to find suitable ELA classroom decor when searching for the secondary classroom. You can’t go 10 seconds into a search for classroom decorating ideas without running into the elementary crowd. It makes sense that the oodles of cute and fun decorations are geared towards the younger grades, but I’m honestly bummed that there aren’t more readily available items for my ELA classroom. That’s why I created this list of ideas to decorate your secondary ELA classroom complete with some of the resources I’ve used in my own room. 1. Choose basic bins and bulletins. Choosing “classic” items for your classroom seems logical. Your tastes might change, or if you’re anything like me, you love all of

continue reading

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