The dark arts that can conspire against a teacher typically manifest for me when the clocks are changing. I start the year hyper-focused on knowing every student’s name by the second day because I want them to know that I genuinely care about them as individuals. I’ve set it up so that each day brings … Continue Reading
Maybe it is all just clickbait, luring us into a paranoia for an impending doom. In the past few months, The Atlantic has published America is Sliding Toward Illiteracy and The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books. The New York Times has its own doomsday submission with 12th Grade Reading Skills Hit a New … Continue Reading
To kick off this series on reading, we asked fellow teachers what they’re reading and how they’re reading. Here’s what they had to say: Leland Bene Valhalla High School El Cajon, California 1. What are the last three books you finished? The last three books I read were The Handmaid’s Tale (Maragret Atwood), Norwegian Wood … Continue Reading
We’re one of two months into the school year (depending on where you live), and the ideas from this summer’s APSI (if you were able to attend one) are jumbled together, the enthusiasm of a new year has melted into a stack of essays, and reality has set in for new AP English teachers (and … Continue Reading
I was on the phone with Susan Barber, my teaching buddy, earlier this week about my frustration with my writing and my need for a creative breakthrough. I’ve grown weary of writing the listicle: Six Ways to a Spectacular Thesis Statement, The Seven Poems I Can’t Live Without, Four Ways to Invigorate a Dull Classroom … Continue Reading
Midtown High School hosted its annual Curriculum Night last Wednesday night where parents rotated through their student’s schedule and attended each class for 15 minutes. Teachers are asked to introduce themselves, cover the basics of the class, and field any general questions (but this time is NOT to be used for parent-teacher conferences). We’re a … Continue Reading
I realized I was no longer young when my phone had trouble recognizing my face. At the grocery store, I want to “pinch and pull” to enlarge the produce-code numbers when checking out, but that is fruitless. I worry that if I can’t decipher those numbers, how on earth will I read novels aloud to … Continue Reading
The poor short story – overlooked, under-appreciated, and neglected. Ask an English teacher what they teach, and a litany of novels is sure to follow. Poetry has more prestige as well. Six poets have recited poems at presidential inaugurations, but no one has embraced the podium to read a short story. I, too, have brushed … Continue Reading
Thanks to Brian Hannon for creating these lessons and sharing with our community! If this is the first time seeing his site, I’d encourage you to also spend time checking out the poetry lessons and novel pairings. These resources are AMAZING! We hope you all have had a relaxing and restful summer! We’ve noticed an … Continue Reading
Brian and I truly count ourselves blessed as we work in the best of both worlds: classroom teachers and consultants for teachers. Once the school year ends, we work with teachers from across the country (actually the world) during the summer, and our lives are the better for this. Here’s our list of what we … Continue Reading
