Category: english

Building Better Thesis Statements

A thesis statements is the road map through an essay. It’s important, yet many students struggle with them. Here are some tips for building better thesis statements.

Word, or sentence? Teaching Theme

Theme. It’s one of the most difficult topics to teach students in language arts classes. And theme is never something they master. They have to work hard to get better at it every year. But is a theme a word, or a sentence? The goal of close reading and annotating

2 Ways to Analyze a Passage From Literature

All ELA teachers want to develop their students into good readers. That not only involves building the love of reading but also involves developing critical reading skills in the classroom. We want our students to be able to read critically and analyze a passage, which involves taking a passage apart

5 Things Teachers Should Do Over the Summer

What should teachers do over the summer when they aren’t in the classroom? Here are five things every teacher should do.

Othello: Comics and Activities to Use While Reading the Play

Othello is a great play to teach in high school. Iago is a great villain. Desdemona is a perfect innocent victim, someone who doesn’t deserve the treatment she received from a jealous significant other. They can relate to the play because they have all missed out on a leadership position that

Macbeth: Comic Activities to Use While Reading the Play

I don’t think there’s a more fun Shakespeare play to teach than Macbeth. It moves quickly (it’s one of Shakespeare’s shorter plays) and has it all: bloodshed, valor, all wrapped up in a play about what happens when the temptation to get what you want present itself. And it has witches! I

5 Reasons You Should Be Teaching More Poetry

I’m frequently asked by other people what books I teach. No one ever asks what poems I teach. There’s no question that language arts curriculum centers around novels and our classroom can get pretty novel heavy if we’re not careful. We all know about the need for non-fiction. But let’s

Silent Discussions in the Classroom

We all know the benefits of discussion in the classroom whether it be teacher-led, Socratic, or any of the other effective strategies for getting kids talking. However, silent discussions can also be a powerful tool for active reading and learning. Silent discussions work well because: All students participate. Classroom discussions

Building Better Topic Sentences

My students struggle with topic sentences. It’s something we always want to get better at because nothing improves their writing faster than crafting topic sentences that guide the reader through their writing. Students typically have one of the following problems with their topic sentences when writing about literature. They don’t