As a 3rd year teacher, I had to teach As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, a book I never read up to that point. Plain and simple, I hated that book. It was such a struggle to teach a book that I could barely force myself to pick up. As much as I hated it, it was a pivotal learning experience ...
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8 Strategies for Successful Test Prep in the ELA Classroom
Is your test prep game in need of a rebound? Sure, March Madness is starting this week, but for us teachers, it's testing season. With standardized state assessments and AP exams right around the corner, I worked on my game plan for test prep, and I'm sharing it today. 1. Escape Room Review My ...
How To Wow Your Students with QR Code Word Walls
I've tried so many ways to teach literary terms. I'm up for anything that doesn't involve me standing in front of the room dictating the definitions to a room of unengaged students. Some of the ideas worked and others not so much. Thankfully, we finally found a winner! Our QR Code Word Wall is a ...
Hosting a Panel Discussion in Your Secondary Classroom
One Friday night, I was watching Real-Time with Bill Maher, a political show that brings together people from all political views to discuss topics of the day in a panel format. I suddenly had a vision of my classroom with my students as the expert panelists and the quick-fingered audience ...
How to Earn Your Doctorate While Teaching Full Time
"You really went to college for nine years?" - every student I've ever had. It's true. I was in college for a total of nine years, and I finished my Ph.D. in 2013 from Robert Morris University of Pennsylvania. People often ask me how I earned my doctorate while I was teaching full time as a high ...