Teaching grammar ain’t fun. Sorry, just a little use of irony to get you to keep reading. Okay, if you’re like most teachers, you probably know you should be teaching more grammar. But what’s the best method? And how can you teach it in a way that students are not so bored with the instruction …
5 Grammar Stations For High School English Your Students Will Love Read More »
What Are Essential Questions? This term, like so many others, has become a buzzword in education over the last several years, but in secondary ELA, essential questions truly can be helpful for you when developing your units and curriculum. Typically open-ended, essential questions are thought-provoking questions that will allow your students to connect the literature …
Let’s talk about 9th 9th-grade English curriculum. Whether you are a seasoned teacher who has been assigned a new prep or you are brand new to teaching 9th-grade ELA, your situation is the same: you need a plan for what you’ll teach this year, stat. Fortunately for you, I love teaching 9th-grade ELA, and I’ve …
What To Teach In 9th-Grade ELA (Full Curriculum Map) Read More »
We often associate picture books with young children, but using picture books in high school can be an amazing way to review or teach literary concepts. Plus, have you spend much time looking at picture books recently? There are some AMAZING ones out there. I’m only focusing on 3 picture books in this post, but …
Three of My Favorite Picture Books To Use In World Literature Read More »
Irony can feel like a tricky concept to teach and for students to learn, but it definitely doesn’t have to be. I’m going to walk you through a simple lesson plan to use to teach the 3 types of irony in a high school English class. Short on time? Scroll to the bottom of this …
Sentence frames have transformed my writing instruction, and I now use them with every grade level (9th-12th). Let’s chat about what sentence frames are and how you can use them to support your students. Sentence frames are a key component to scaffolding writing instruction, and one of the best tools I’ve found to guide students in …
What Are Sentence Frames (and How Do I Use Them In Secondary ELA)? Read More »
You probably know that Latinx Heritage Month is September 15th through October 15th, but I imagine you want to celebrate Latinx voices all year long in your high school English classroom. Here are some super simple ways to bring in works from a few amazing authors no matter what unit you’re teaching, and no matter …
The beginning of class is crucial for getting your students settled, warmed up, and ready for that day’s learning, and bell ringers can be a great way to accomplish all of those objectives. Scroll to the bottom of this post for a free download of 15 bell ringers your high school students will love! What …
15 Bell Ringers Your High School Students Will Love Read More »
You may have heard your students groan about not knowing what to write about when given a general topic, which is why it’s critical to give them engaging, specific writing topics, and these quick write topics for teens have worked for hundreds of teachers! Allowing your students to practice writing in small chunks of time …
Using choice boards in ELA (English Language Arts) is not a new concept, but for many teachers it might seem new because it has not become common practice in many schools. Whether you learned about choice boards in college or the concept is brand new, you’ll find this post incredibly helpful to give you more inspiration …
Some grammar concepts might be a tough sell to convince your students why they matter. We’ve all experienced the glazed over eyes staring back at us during a grammar lesson. However, teaching sentence types is a grammar concept that definitely matters because by knowing it, students will have a clear tool for better writing. Short …
How And Why To Teach Sentence Types In High School Read More »
Love them or hate them, adverbs are a part of the English language, and teaching students how to use them well (and sometimes sparingly) can give students another tool in their writing toolbox. Read on for some insight on how to teach students about the well-placed adverb. What Is An Adverb… …and why do students …
I don’t teach grammar because I want my students to memorize a bunch of definitions. And it isn’t because it will show up in their standardized tests. In reality, I want my students to have an understanding of grammar concepts because I want them to become better writers.This is the skill that will last them …
You’ve taught the grammar lesson. Now what? The thing about teaching a grammar lesson is that we can’t just be “one and done”. We need to give our students that follow-up in order for them to really bridge that gap between “heard it” and “learned it”. This post is actually a part two and follow …
Three Outstanding Follow-Up Activities for a Grammar Lesson Read More »
I was not prepared to teach grammar. My grammar lesson plans were not that great at the start of my career. Student engagement was about what you would expect from the old-school “drill and kill” lessons we’re all accustomed to. It was a struggle to not only keep my students’ attention but also make my …
How To Get And Keep Your Students’ Attention For A Grammar Lesson Read More »
What Is Theme In A Short Story In a short story, the theme refers to the central idea or underlying message that the author wants to convey to the reader. It is the broader concept or universal truth that the story explores. Scroll to the bottom of this blog post and get a complete free …
Teach Theme In A Short Story With This Step-By-Step Lesson Read More »
Teaching appositive phrases is a simple way to give your secondary students one more tool for writing with more intentionality. Teaching any type of phrase can help your students add rhythm and cadence to their writing when used well, and appositive phrases are a great place to start. Real quick: if you’re short on time–scroll …
Teaching action and linking verbs at the secondary level is critical for students to review strong writing and craft. Although it might not seem necessary to go over verbs at this level, the fact is that many high school students need to work with verbs in the context of their own writing. Short on time: …
A Step-by-Step Strategy For Teaching Action and Linking Verbs To Secondary Students Read More »
