Of course we should fold in some extra poetry lessons in April, but who has the time? With state testing and AP exam prep, this month is a bullet train, whipping by with scary speed. But what if we slowed that roll just a bit? April’s also supposed to bring to mind warmth and new growth, the perfect time to dig some rhyme. I know we all have a lot to do, but here are a few easy options to help us celebrate National Poetry Month. 6 Painless Ways to Add Some Poetic Goodness to Your Class: 1. Post a fresh poem each day on your classroom door, white board space, or projector as kids enter the room ..read more

It’s the biggest night in American football and, if you’re like me, you’ll be watching to see which logical fallacies appear in which million-dollar advertising spots. (Note: The word “S-uper 80wI” is trademarked and this blog post has no connection to the Big Game featuring T@ylor’s 8oyfriend.) As a tie-in to this National Day of Snacking, I thought I’d round up my favorite logical fallacy video clips, a combination of commercials and TV/film clips I’ve shared with my students over the years. I’m hoping we can start a collection in this post of the greatest hits of logical fallacies that work ..read more

Taylor Swift announced this week her newest album, The Tortured Poets Department, will be released on April 19 – smack-dab in the middle of National Poetry Month. The online hype will grow as we get closer to the album launch, so let’s pull some of that TikTok excitement into the classroom by highlighting the lives and works of 13 (*wink) famously tortured poets. Lesson idea: • Break your class into 13 teams. Each team chooses one of the following poets to research in your computer lab or on their own 1:1 devices as they complete the assignment grid: 1. Edgar Allan Poe 2. Sylvia Plat ..read more

TpT’s annual February sale is on! Today and tomorrow (Feb. 6 & 7) you’ll save 25 percent off EVERYTHING in my shop (yes, even the already-discounted bundles) when you enter code “FEBSALE24” at checkout. (I slashed my prices 20 percent for the event and then TpT will take another 5 percent off when you use their discount code. Don’t forget to use the code!) Here are a few of my all-time favorites that’ll take you through this spring semester: Literature Supplement Bundle – I know you know that mid-novel dead zone when everyone’s just slogging through the chapters, waiting to get to the clim ..read more

Need a fresh bulletin board or hallway display that’ll take you from February through March? I’ve got you covered with these print-and-post materials: This interactive bulletin board features 24 examples of famous women who’ve created successful careers in the fields of politics, science, and entertainment. Just print and post. Even better? Have a student volunteer or T.A. build this for you. This display is appropriate for Black History Month in February, Women’s History Month in March, or any time in the year you want to promote inclusion with your students. Designed to work year-round in a ..read more

You can read a book, but you can also read a room. You can read someone’s body language. You can read the subtext of an email (Per our previous discussion, see attachment = Are you really so useless that I have to send this to you for a third time?) or the actual motivation behind a social media post – an important skill since so many influencers are ignoring FTC disclosure guidelines. Just sayin’. Careful readers are reading all the time, looking to glean the message behind the message. Yesterday, I mentioned over on TikTok that literary analysis has seeds that are planted all around our stud ..read more

On the first day back after winter break, do you really want to slam your students with core curriculum? Let’s consider a softer launch.  Click here to download a set of station rotation materials that’ll help ease your students back into their work and strengthen your classroom community. Call it a “Welcome back” activity. Similar in format to my popular First Day of School Stations Activity, these materials will get students on their feet discussing class-related topics with their peers. As the teacher leader, you’ll keep time and lead students through the step-by-step slide inst ..read more

So you’re a veteran teacher who’s thinking about leaving the classroom, but you feel stuck. Maybe you’re near the top of your district’s salary scale and it feels impossible to not only replace your salary but also find a new job that’ll fund your retirement at the same level as your state’s pension program. You know, you’re right. You might be stuck.  Only you know your situation, so I’m not telling anyone what they should do. I will, though, tell you what I would do if I was in Year 23 of my teaching career and had one eye on the door. (Full disclosure: I left the classroom after teachi ..read more

For me, it began with Wordle. Then I found the Spelling Bee. Now, Connections has me snared. The New York Times games section has become my morning coffee-meets-brain ritual and today, thanks to the awesome folks at the High School ELA Teachers Support Group on Facebook, I was just alerted to an easy way we can make our own Connections game boards to use in the classroom and access an archive of the NYTimes’ game boards. If you haven’t played Connections, the premise is simple. Sort 16 words into groups of four; each group has its own connection. An easy-ish example: Want to see the game in a ..read more

“The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry’s tale of gift giving and self-sacrifice, is the perfect December short story, and friend of the blog Kate McCook shared a link to a 15-minute film that beautifully modernizes the classic short story. “I came across this lovely short film set during the Greek economic crisis,” she emailed. “I’m thinking of showing it to my class for a little treat and exposure to world culture.” Thanks, Kate, for sharing the good stuff! You can view Ismene Daskarolis’ “The Gift of the Magi” (yes, it is in Greek and subtitled) on Vimeo here: Warning: A frustrated Della mutters ..read more