Apr 62 minproject-based learningAutonomous, Relevant Learning and Good ConversationThis week, I asked students to connect the literature we study in class to the modern world. We had amazing, open-ended conversations ...
Jan 254 minproject-based learningFilmmaking Made Easy: 10 TipsAfter I taught the elective Filmmaking for the first time a few years ago, I realized how easy it is for students to quickly create a ...
Aug 23, 20213 minTechnologyTeaching Shakespeare Using Film: Romeo and Juliet from PBS Great Performances There is no challenge quite like teaching Shakespeare. Early modern English always poses challenges for teenage readers, and ...
Aug 18, 20213 minproject-based learning5 Ways to Have a Drama-Filled ClassroomNo, not that kind of drama. Performance. Few people know how to act, but everyone knows what a good performance looks like. The words...
May 30, 20213 minproject-based learningGraduation 2021: Love and StoriesEvery year, I complete the final assignment that I give my seniors. I ask them to talk about how it feels to graduate, what they've...
May 26, 20213 minclassroom managementNew Year, New IdeasIt’s hard to imagine that anything positive will come out of this year, but I’ve been thinking about what, if any, lessons I’ve learned ...
May 7, 20212 minproject-based learningWhere to Find Real Stories on the Web We’re finishing up a unit on Exit West by Mohsin Hamid this week so I’m asking my students to listen to a personal narrative of choice....
Feb 9, 20213 minTechnologyScreencast: The New Essay?It’s pretty typical for a teacher, or anyone for that matter, to feel like they are swimming in new tech tools. But this year, it’s...
Jan 31, 20214 minTechnologyTeaching Media LiteracyA lot of what we deal with in English language arts relates to strangers, people we don’t know. We read novels and non-fiction to immerse...
Jan 11, 20213 minnovelsTeaching the Novel in a Remote or Hybrid ClassroomI’m trying to get as creative as possible when it comes to being flexible with students. After finishing a few units ...
Dec 23, 20206 minpodcasts10 Creative Projects for Remote LearningMy colleagues and I recently had a conversation about the rest of the year and what we could do to keep our students engaged....
Dec 8, 20202 minproject-based learningRethinking ResearchI attended the virtual NCTE conference this past Friday and it got me thinking about the research paper, or really, rethinking it. Part...
Nov 11, 20202 minwritingSketchnoting in the Digital AgeLast week, I told my students to create sketchnotes on the poems we studied in class. I didn't really specify what I was looking for, I...
Oct 20, 20204 minclassroom management5 Tech Tools for Small Groups and PresentationsUnder normal circumstances, we try to steer kids away from socializing so they can stay on task and so that we can give our assessments and
Oct 2, 20203 minclassroom management5 Goals for Remote or Hybrid TeachingRight now, I’m keeping the focus on learning and not on assessment.
Aug 8, 20203 minclassroom management5 Rules of Thumb for Teaching During a PandemicBut instead of thinking about how sad and unfortunate we all are to be in our positions, I’m trying the best I can to think about how much b
Aug 4, 20205 minTechnologyEssential Virtual Tools for ELA TeachersMy school will start remote learning this Monday, and everyone is scrambling to find the best and easiest tools to make life easier.
May 14, 20202 minproject-based learningLibrary Vs. Web Browsing: 30 Sources for ProjectsWe become open-minded when ideas find us, not when we find them.
Apr 11, 20203 minTechnologyBringing Together Music and Literature in the Virtual ClassroomThis morning, as I listened to a song from Mikaela Davis, I thought, why not ask students to share their favorite song?
Mar 7, 20204 minTechnologyTradition and Technology: The Art of TeachingIf we let them go out into the world believing that there is a disconnect between literature and all of the language that surrounds them, th
Jan 31, 20203 minCreative WritingDemonstrating Understanding with CreativityThere’s something amazing that happens in a class when you ask students to write creatively.
Oct 31, 20194 minTechnologyThe Imaginary Reality of Technology and FictionMore and more, the screen determines who we are, and not our relationships with real people.