Symbolism is one of those things. We want our high school English students to know about it and be able to identify it, but… (There is always a but, right?) Sometimes, it is really hard. That’s why starting by teaching symbolism in poetry might just be the way to go.
As high school English teachers we often find ourselves challenged to engage our students in reading and discovery. One of the best ways I have found for this is teaching the original bad boy: the Byronic Hero. Students love exploring this character because they are familiar with this brooding character
As high school English teachers, it is our job to get our students to think more deeply about the texts we read together. In fact, on the AP Literature exam, students are often tasked with writing about the complex ideas of a text. Yet, it is often difficult for students
When I went to college, back in the dark ages, I don’t think that teacher preparation programs did enough to focus on the importance of having opening and closing routines. So here is a list of exit ticket ideas to get you started. The More Things Change, the More they
As high school English teachers, I don’t think we spend enough time looking at how poets develop characters. Yet the College Board suggests its importance as it lays out the essential skills for AP Literature. In Poetry Unit 1 (Unit 2 of the year), they suggest that teachers include the
When you thought of becoming a high school English teacher, you probably had this vision of students sitting around, diving into deep literary discussion which they then turned into a fantastic literary analysis essay. But the reality is some of our students are still asking the question: “What is a
Characterization is one of the most basic skills we teach students about reading. And it is a darn important one. It is actually a life skill as students will at some point transfer these understandings to film, TV and actual people. This is why it is so important for them
One of my favorite units to do in AP Literature is a Hybrid Book Club Unit based around the theme of coming of age. Seniors love exploring this topic through songs, short stories, poetry and choice novels. Here is a list of AP Literature books about coming of age that
Literature Circles, sometimes called Lit Circles or Book Clubs, can be a powerful motivator in the classroom. They allow students choice in their reading and the opportunity to read and discuss on a smaller scale. But honestly, literature circles can also become stale once students have done them a few
Do your high school student struggle with vocabulary acquisition? How often have you looked at your high school English students and realized that a major issue they have with reading, writing and test taking stems from a lack of vocabulary? My students have this problem too. That is why this
I help AP Literature and High School English teachers create engaging classrooms so that students will be prepared college and beyond.
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