Background How often do you feel the "Sunday scaries"? You know that feeling that starts creeping in around midday every Sunday that's followed by all out panic by Sunday night? That's the Sunday scaries. For me, the Sunday scaries came on because it meant another week was about to start with ...
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A Real Solution to Deal with Cell Phones in the Classroom
If you're like me, you hate dealing with the distraction of cell phones in your classroom. You'd rather be spending your energy on your lessons and activities than worrying if students are misusing them in your classroom. Still, whether we like it or not, the reality is that cell phones are in ...
How and Why to Teach Literary Theory in Secondary ELA
I have been passionate about literary theory since I took a literary theory class class as an undergrad. It truly was an awakening for me. As a high school teacher, I knew I wanted my students to have the same experience that I did. Literary theory, also known as critical lenses, can ...
How to Teach Shakespeare with Success
Last week, I attended a county-wide Edcamp, and I had the opportunity to meet with English teachers from all of the school districts in our county. Not surprisingly, one of the major topics of concern was the challenge of teaching Shakespeare, and I get it. Like many teachers, I struggled to get my ...
How to Create a Digital Vision Board
My love for vision boards started a long time ago, though I'm not exactly sure when I started practicing the art of visualization. It might have been my gymnastics' coach way back in 3rd grade who told me to "see yourself landing the perfect back handspring," maybe my dad (the genius behind my pro ...
5 Hauntingly Fun Halloween Activities for Secondary ELA
Halloween can be a major distraction for high school students and even more frustrating for teachers. For a while, I tried (unsuccessfully) to carry on with business as usual, despite the costume contests, treats, and even some tricks. It usually wasn't very successful though. Then, I realized ...
