Alright, the countdown’s over. We’ve survived the return from holiday break (barely) and are back in the trenches with our favorite frenemies: teenagers and grammar. Woo hoo. But before we plunge back into the world of dangling participles and existential angst, let’s talk about your classroom. Because if that beige box of fluorescent despair is … Read moreNew Year, New Classroom: Revamping Your ELA Space
It’s that time of the year again – the start of a new semester. And if you’re anything like me, you’re probably thinking, “How the fuck am I going to make Shakespeare and grammar drills exciting this time around?” I’m pulling at straws at this point. But here’s what I’m trying. Let’s compare notes later. … Read moreShaking Things Up: Innovative Strategies to Kick-Start Your ELA Semester
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The weeks before a break always seem like the longest. The kids are restless, I’m restless, and we all understand that all we’re really doing is biding our time until that last bell before break. Thanksgiving is a different type of beast altogether though. My district gives an entire week, the first real break … Read moreWhat I Teach the Week Before Thanksgiving
We can’t have enough lessons over speeches or the rhetoric within those speeches. There is no end to it. The least we can do is have fun. So… I created a lesson, analyzing Trump’s victory speech and Obama’s victory speech. I wanted to give students a look at a speech that is heavy in rhetoric … Read moreTrump vs. Obama: Analyzing Rhetoric
Before I create a unit, I always create a Pintrest board to generate ideas. I find that it’s the easiest way for my chaotic mind to organize something as complex as lesson building. Anything and everything I find that relates to the topic goes onto the board. I then filter through relevant materials and start … Read moreResources for Teaching Anthem by Ayn Rand
Wes Anderson. Le Sigh. Here’s the trailer. When this movie came out I was a freshman in high school and I fell in love. This movie is whimsical and quirky and my teenage brain didn’t understand how the story worked but I knew that it just did. And I knew that it was brilliant. And … Read moreIf I Could Get Away With It: Movie Edition | The Royal Tennenbaums
So, this is the second edition of this series. I really wish that I could show Buzzfeed’s Unsolved. Here’s the trailer for season 4. (Warning: it is NSFW) I absolutely love this internet show. Two guys (Ryan and Shane) who work for Buzzfeed, go to notoriously “haunted” locals all around the world and try to … Read moreIf I Could Get Away With It: TV Edition | Buzzfeed’s Unsolved
When it comes to evaluating students at the beginning of the year, I find that analysis is one of those topics that get swept under the rug. We assume that by high school, students have already learned these skills, and yet we find out, year after year, that that is not the case for some … Read moreAnalysis Overview
Am I the only one that finds that kids don’t remember what they’ve read through the year? Also… who out there is a Supernatural fan? Warning: When I thought of this idea, I had been watching a whole lot of Supernatural. And I had become pretty absorbed in all things Supernatural. Like… it bordered on … Read moreHelping Students to Remember What We’ve Read