5 Spooky Stories for Your Secondary ELA Classroom This October

October is the perfect time to lean into the spooky side of literature. Middle and high school students love a good chill, and spooky stories offer just the right mix of suspense, intrigue, and teachable moments. Whether you’re looking for classics that pack a literary punch or a creative activity that gets your students writing,Continue reading “5 Spooky Stories for Your Secondary ELA Classroom This October”

3 Essential Authors to Read for Hispanic Heritage Month in Middle School

Hispanic Heritage Month is on September 15-October 15. It’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate the voices, stories, and perspectives that have shaped American literature. As English teachers, we have the unique chance to highlight authors who not only reflect diverse backgrounds but also connect with students on themes of identity, honesty, growing up, and findingContinue reading “3 Essential Authors to Read for Hispanic Heritage Month in Middle School”

Five ELA Activities for Early Finishers

It’s the reality in most secondary ELA classrooms with heterogenous populations that you’re going to have some students finish their assignments earlier than others. What do you usually have these students do?? Most ELA teachers will say, “I just have them read,” but if you want to kick it up a notch with some ideasContinue reading “Five ELA Activities for Early Finishers”

5 Ways to Motivate Students to Read in Secondary ELA

Motivating some students to read at the middle and high school students can be a monumental task. How can you expect to compete with technology that delivers on-demand dopamine hits? There’s no real tried and true answer to that question, but my best advice to just try a variety of strategies to reach as manyContinue reading “5 Ways to Motivate Students to Read in Secondary ELA”