How to Create Engaging ELA Review Games That Spark Classroom Excitement
ELA review games: my secret weapon for the post break blues. I know the struggle—coming back from a break, students feeling the lingering holiday joy, and the challenge of reigniting their focus. That were ELA review games save teh day. These aren’t your ordinary games; they’re my answer to turning the struggle of refocusing into […]
Create Your English 10 Short Story Unit in 5 Easy Steps
Looking for a refresh on your English 10 short story unit? Still, trying to figure out where to start? Maybe the thought of a short story unit rewrite seems too daunting. Friend, I am here for you! I want to make your life easy. In this post, I will give you my English 10 short […]
How to Teach a Novel Unit That Engages High School Students
As English teachers, we know we should teach a novel but the question is “How to teach a novel unit?” There seems to be so much to consider when planning a novel unit. And it always seems like a daunting task. Sometimes it feels easier to just keep doing what we are doing. And keep […]
Five First Week of Class Activities for High School ELA
If you are like me, you might be starting the second semester which means planning your first week of class activities. Having to start over can be a great thing but at the same time, you just don’t have that same excitement that the beginning of the year brings. So, what better way to get […]
Five Ways Reader’s Notes Can Transform Your High School ELA Book Clubs
Looking for a new way to invigorate your book clubs: try reader’s notes! Allowing students to choose their own novels and have time to discuss them is something my kiddos always love to do. However, you want to bring in some accountability without overwhelming them with classroom book club activities. That’s where reader notes can […]
Teaching Students How to Write Literary Analysis Paper in Six Easy Steps
How often do you hear your students ask how to write a literary analysis paper? When you get to writing in your curriculum, do you get excited? Maybe you have heart palpitations? Perhaps you love the idea of teaching writing or you feel lost in the lesson ideas. Whatever you are feeling related to essay […]
Using Google Forms to Write a Literary Analysis Essay
My favorite element to teach my students is writing especially by using google forms to write. My students struggle the most with writing their literary analysis essay. After trying numerous methods and tweaking my curriculum each semester, I feel that I have found a better way to teach my students how to write their essay: […]
Teaching Theme with “The Sneetches”
The Importance of Theme and Literary Analysis Teaching theme is one of the most important concepts I teach in my class. Themes are something that students have learned before but this unit is the first time that they will have to apply literary analysis to theme in a formal essay. I find that students grapple […]
Making Inferences: The First Step in Literary Analysis
If you need a good place to start with analysis then making inferences is the perfect solution for you. As we embark on our first unit of study and tackle writing our first literary analysis essay, my students always struggle with how to elevate their writing from summary to analysis. In order to help them […]