Student choice. Genuine investment. Low-stakes writing practice. Poetry analysis. Digital citizenship. Personal engagement. Empowering student voice. A few years ago in the nascence of #TeachLivingPoets, I (Melissa) was brainstorming ways to get students invested in not just poetry, but poets. Reading individual poems wasn’t offering the kind of long-term appreciation I was hoping to nurture. … Continue Reading
When I was in my teacher preparation program, a few experiences stand out, none more than the day when my methods professor told us that we had to plan an entire novel unit. You would think that this would make aspiring English teachers all giddy. The training wheels were coming off. We were moving past … Continue Reading
True confessions of an English teacher: I am not a Shakespeare lover. Shakespeare is not on my syllabus yearly, but this year when I took Frankenstein out of this year’s curriculum, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to bring back Hamlet. This was confirmed when I got a call from Peggy O’Brien at … Continue Reading
My basketball season ended a week ago. Even though our record wasn’t that impressive, I am proud that we, as a team, made a concerted effort each day to enjoy basketball. The season spans four months and can be so taxing mentally and physically. If you don’t find ways to make it fun, it can … Continue Reading
Every now and then we all need a refresher. All of us. We need to step out away from the speed at which life whizzes past and avoid the monotony of death-by-checklist. We need to escape the din and discordance of bells dictating our lives, emails, GroupMes, Facebook boards, and Instagram reels by grounding ourselves … Continue Reading
One of the secrets to acquire knowledge is to read a lot. And so I try. But whenever we get close to a New Year, the Influencers that inspire me on YouTube and Instagram are cashing in on my inadequacies. They are gloating about how they read over 100 books this year + you can … Continue Reading
How do you get students to identify and write lines of reasoning? — Kendra M. Susan: I am often my own worst enemy in teaching line or reasoning because I tend to overcomplicate the concept; line of reasoning is simply an order to an argument. I love the analogy David Miller uses to explain a … Continue Reading
Chalk it up to too much pressure. It’s the weight of the world. There is all this anxiety about taking the first step. The old Head & Shoulders advertising slogan lingers in the back of my mind — you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This is what I feel every … Continue Reading
Greetings from the Columbus airport where I’m awaiting my flight home from NCTE. By the time this is sent out, Thanksgiving plates will be cleared, the Iron Bowl will be decided (Roll Tide), and our thoughts will be turning to Monday morning. Before time gets away, I wanted to leave a few observations from this … Continue Reading
A recent study revealed that only 12% of teachers are “very satisfied” with their jobs. That number has dropped 27 points in the past decade. It is staggering to think that 88% of teachers are not “very satisfied.” The symptoms of this discontent are pervasive, but the root causes go beyond the typical explanations such … Continue Reading
