I think sometimes we discount asking students their opinions about what they are reading. I know I certainly have in the past. The thought is that if student’s are offering their opinion they are not really getting to the depth of thinking that upper levels of high school English require.
When I was in high school, the vocabulary program my teacher used was a study of Greek and Latin roots. We had a workbook and each week we learned a new set of roots or prefixes. This totally tapped into my Maven (Learner) Sparketype. I loved that I could see
Before I was in college (back in the 90s), I had never really heard of the Harlem Renaissance. I am not even sure that I had been exposed to any Harlem Renaissance writers. Maybe Langston Hughes? Probably not. Once I got to college, however, I took a class in African
Close reading may be the most important skill we can teach our high school students. It is a skill that can help them in almost any subject that involves reading and it is an essential life skill. These strategies for close reading are great way to ensure that our high
I recently took Jonathan Fields Sparketype quiz and learned that my primary Sparketype is the Maven. Mavens love learning for the sake of learning. They love taking a deep dive into topics that interest them. So it is no wonder I love reading books by English teachers for English teachers.
The first time my students participated in a poetry slam, I had been a teacher for less than three weeks. I was hired to replace a teacher who would be retiring in mid-September when he turned 55 and became eligible. In those few weeks, he was forced to “hang on,”
For years, I have used a Poem of the Week as part of my poetry instruction in AP Literature. Last year, because the pandemic resulted in hybrid instruction and only 50% (or fewer) of my kids were in class at a time, I wanted to be sure that I put
I don’t exactly know when I started using them, but warm up activities for high school English are key in my book. Over the years, I have called them a number of things: warm ups, bell ringer activity, bell work, and class starters. They all do the same thing. They
Long ago, I was introduced to the 3 2 1 strategy for the classroom. It is really such an easy fit for any classroom, elementary through high school because it is quick, easy and can require very little prep. What is the 3 2 1 teaching strategy? Simply put, the
As high school teachers we are always looking for ways to engage our students in authentic and creative ways. And we love engagement that has sneaky outcomes as well. Collaborative annotations is one of those tools we have that can really get kids thinking, while increasing the level of inquiry
I help AP Literature and High School English teachers create engaging classrooms so that students will be prepared college and beyond.
