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”
Category Archives: miscellaneous
5 Classroom Management Essentials for the Secondary Classroom
Looking for simple tools that make a big difference in your classroom? These six everyday essentials—from a sticky note seating chart to a Redcat microphone—help keep my secondary ELA class running smoothly. Practical, affordable (well, mostly!), and teacher-tested. Grab ideas you can start using tomorrow to simplify your routine!
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”
How to Get Students Excited About the State Test
In my state (California), we administer the CAASPP state test to students. No matter where you teach, if you teach in a public setting, you probably have a state test to get your students ready for. Going over the content of the state test is all well and good, but getting them in the rightContinue reading “How to Get Students Excited About the State Test”
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”
How to Reset a New Semester for Secondary ELA
Winter break is the perfect time to reset everything. Spending more time with family and friends and doing more of what makes you happy can clear your head of the school year so far. Once you’ve had a chance to reflect about what went well and what could have gone better, here are a fewContinue reading “How to Reset a New Semester for Secondary ELA”
White Elephant Book Exchange In Your Classroom
Why do a white elephant book exchange in my classroom? Doing a white elephant book exchange is a fun holiday and community building activity for students! If you’ve never done it before, it can be amazing to get students in the holiday spirit while refreshing their home libraries. Every student who brings a book, getsContinue reading “White Elephant Book Exchange In Your Classroom”
Thanksgiving Activities for Secondary ELA
With the changing weather and the excitement of winter break just around the corner, this time of year means that students can get pretty squirrelly! Luckily, teaching students about Thanksgiving and the meaning of gratitude translates well into the secondary ELA classroom and there are plenty of important lessons to be had (and keep themContinue reading “Thanksgiving Activities for Secondary ELA”
Halloween Writing Activities for Secondary ELA
This time of year can bring out the writer in anyone, provided they have the right inspiration. My students love anything Gothic, spooky, and mysterious and definitely have their own ideas for a good ghost story. Here are some of my favorite Halloween resources for this time of year. Each of these require no prepContinue reading “Halloween Writing Activities for Secondary ELA”
Favorite Poe Stories to Teach for Secondary ELA
One of my favorite authors to teach this time of year is Edgar Allan Poe. My 8th grade students are absolutely fascinated with the macabre and spooky – and I’ll admit it, I am too! There’s a reason why Poe has been taught in English classrooms for decades – he’s the master of mystery andContinue reading “Favorite Poe Stories to Teach for Secondary ELA”
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