Building a good worksheet is tricky.It has to be useful. No busywork.It has to guide students to do a lot…
lesson plans
Advice for a 6th Grade Writing Teacher
Today’s post is a question I received via email yesterday from a first-year teacher about to take on a summer…
Teaching Theme with Rock, Paper, Scissors
In order to grow more comfortable and confident when discussing theme, students need lots of practice. Early in the year,…
Gen Z + Satire = Video Gold!
Are you in on the joke? You are now. Based on the suggestion of a teacher friend (thanks, Darby!), I…
Five Classroom Essentials
I know, I know, it’s only the beginning of August, but it really is time to start thinking about the…
Free Writing Prompts & Inspiration
You want to add more current event materials to your classes, but you definitely don’t have the time to dig…
Weird lesson idea for English teachers
Learn what my messed up teeth (and a great podcast episode) taught me about why I judge other people and…
Readers’ Theater for Older Students
I know it’s vacation for a lot of my teacher-friends, so I’ll just set this here for you to explore…
The Next Chapter?
A global pandemic, a cross-country move, an identity crisis…yeah, it’s been a weird year. Everything’s upside-down and inside-out right now.…
Imagined Life: A Feel-Good Podcast about Failure
Life is hard. Plans fall apart. People disappoint you. And yet… My latest obsession – Wondery’s Imagined Life podcast –…