Menu

Our BLOG ARCHIVE

"5 short texts to introduce any dystopian unit" reads atop a white background. below the title is a completely gray and desolate city. one remaining building has a heavy fog and fume cloud arising from it.

Introduce any dystopian unit using these 5 important short texts

I have to admit…I am biased toward teaching any dystopian unit.  I find any opportunity I can to have students evaluate how a society becomes a dystopia and whether they can break free from one. This analysis builds a bridge of understanding to real-world dystopian examples–past and present. As a result, I typically have students engage in a summative mock trial where they convince a jury of their peers whether America is a modern-day dystopia. Although America gives its citizens plenty of dystopian evidence to dissect, this essential question can guide students to be critical of any place.  No matter how you decide to end your unit, I have five compelling dystopian literature examples students can analyze for any dystopian unit! Resources to introduce your dystopian unit TERMINUS – a digital adventure series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYZKEOzvE5I What

Read More »
Activities for Women's History Month titles above an image of 3 young teenage women--one wearing a green top, another a white blouse, and the last a blue

Class Celebrations: 6 Activities for Women’s History Month with Our Discount Resource Bundle

How do you celebrate women’s history month in the classroom? Make space in your curriculum to celebrate women who forged paths of possibility. If you need no-prep activities for Women’s History Month, look no further. This comprehensive bundle has a variety of activities and resources that will leave your kids engaged and informed.  Even better? It’s discounted 20% when you use the code EMPOWHER at checkout! This discount is available until the end of March and can apply to any activities for Women’s History Month available on the blog. What to do for Women’s History Month in school? Before you start with any activities for Women’s History Month, give students the opportunity to learn about it. See some ideas and resources below for how to do so! Media Literacy Analysis Have students practice their media

Read More »
teaching about cultural appropriation using Elvis

A Dynamic Exploration of Cultural Appropriation Through Literature and Pop Culture

Having conversations in your classroom about cultural appropriation can feel challenging. It doesn’t always have to be, though! With the right resources that are standards-aligned, your students can engage in evidence-based discourse.  For this post, I share a teaching idea you can implement to help students explore and understand the unjust practices of cultural appropriation. This relevant teaching idea centers on Elvis Presley’s appropriation of Black music and culture. Since the Elvis film recently came out, your students will immediately buy into this heavy, but necessary conversation. Essential Question: How does cultural appropriation negatively impact the marginalized communities involved? Please note: it is VITAL that you have established a respectful classroom culture. Without positive norms and relationships, any difficult conversation may not turn out as efficiently. Suggested Starting Points ✨ As students enter class, have

Read More »
7 LGBTQ YA Books is written atop a group of diverse individuals huddles and staring down at a camera with a pride flag above them

7 Mesmerizing LGBTQ YA books every young adult should know

With love in the air, I have been reading a ton of LGBTQ YA books this February. Whether it’s a YA romance pick or a coming-of-age, I love when complex LGBTQ+ protagonists fall in love (with themselves, especially).   For this month’s round-up, you’ll find 7 of my favorite recently read LGBTQ YA books. I listed them in no particular order, and you truly could not go wrong reading any of these! Or even better, reading them and then adding to your classroom library #representationmatters. 🏳️‍🌈 7 must-read LGBTQ YA books 🏳️‍⚧️ The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School (HS) by Sonora Reyes ❤️ I teach at a school whose demographic is predominantly Latine students. I wish I could give every one of my students this LGBTQ YA book because so many would feel seen in a

Read More »
Inclusive Literature for a Short Story Unit with a teacher helping 3 students

Guiding Students to Success in an Inclusive Short Story Unit for Secondary ELA

For the last five years, the first unit I teach is always a short story unit. Every year, I spend countless hours researching engaging, inclusive literature to include in my short story unit. Every year, without fail, I feel exhausted after having little success finding just the inclusive literature I am looking for.  That is–until I found the Inspiring & Inclusive Short Story Unit Ideas & Recommendations. This product is a living document that offers standards-aligned, categorized inclusive literature to guide and diversify your short story unit. What to expect in this resource? Forever Relevant All the inclusive literature suggestions for your short story unit exist forever on a living document! It gets updated with new short story suggestions, so all you need to do is bookmark the tab. It will always be there for

Read More »
3 songs to pair with Romeo and Juliet activity - two pages of a book fold to shape into a heart with a red background

3 Aligned Song Pairings for an Innovative Romeo and Juliet Activity

How do YOU introduce students to Romeo and Juliet? Are you looking for an engaging Romeo and Juliet activity to start, center, and end your unit?  If you are like me–tired of fighting the never-ending battle of AirPods in my students’ ears–then, I have advice for you. Stop fighting it, and embrace it. Incorporate activities where students have the chance to analyze music.  Using music will boost student engagement AND give you a much-needed break from pleading, “Put away your headphones!” It will also help demystify Shakespearean language and the stigma that all of his works are difficult, boring, or irrelevant to our students’ worlds. Use the 3 contemporary song pairings below to incorporate music when teaching Romeo and Juliet. Each diverse song is used as a Romeo and Juliet activity to start, center, and

Read More »

7 MORE YA Fantasy Book Recommendations

New year, new bookshelf goals! A personal goal of mine this school year is to add more diverse genres and, of course, more diverse YA books to my classroom library.  When I conducted a bookshelf audit to find what was missing on my shelves, I realized I was low on YA fantasy books and YA sci-fi books. After reading Danielle’s post for 12 diverse YA fantasy books and YA sci-fi books, it inspired me to curate a list of seven more to add to my shelves this year.  Diverse YA Fantasy Books & YA Sci-Fi Books 1. Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano (MS) If you’re a fan of…  ✨ Coco (who isn’t?), ✨ The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (or Sabrina the Teenage Witch for us older folks),✨or Harry Potter (sans

Read More »
this picture has a scorpion atop a blue background with the post focusing on Steinbeck's The Pearl Activities

Comprehensive Bundle: Steinbeck’s The Pearl Activities

Looking for The Pearl activities that excite your students’ creativity and critical thinking skills? The Pearl Unit Bundle will keep your students hooked from start to finish. The Pearl Lesson Plans included in the Bundle Pre-Reading: The Pearl Activities & Unit Calendar Before you begin, The Pearl Activities bundle includes an editable unit calendar. You can expect… ⭐️ Suggested lesson plans designed for 40-50 min. classes ⭐️ A total unit length of 4 ½ weeks (adaptable to be shorter or longer) ⭐️ Minimal homework throughout (homework-free option if unit length is extended) ⭐️ Students will engage in an anticipatory activity that provides resources (2 videos and 2 articles) to conduct research on John Steinbeck and Cortez Pearl. There are SO many benefits to using these activities as your anticipatory set! During: The Pearl Reading Guide

Read More »
A photo of headphones on top of musical notes in blue and white with the title "Song Pairings for The Odyssey" to use while teaching the Odyssey

3 Focused Song Pairings for Teaching the Odyssey

Are you teaching The Odyssey and looking to diversify your unit? Engage your students with contemporary song pairings! How do I start teaching The Odyssey? If you are about to start teaching The Odyssey, you might worry about its lack of diversity. You might also worry that your struggling readers will check out. You are most definitely not alone in your concerns!  Below are three contemporary songs you can use as a part of your introduction to The Odyssey. You can also choose to use these song pairings as an Odyssey activity to reinforce popular themes.  Pair these Odyssey activities with the “Introduction to The Odyssey” Escape Room, which includes all the pre-work students need before they read!  The Odyssey Activities Introduction to The Odyssey Idea Song: “How Far I’ll Go” by Auli’i Cravalho (2:36)

Read More »
A stylized drawing of a saxaphone, a keyboard, and musical notes. At the top there is a white border with purpe and black text that says "7 Harlem Renaissance Artists to teach in Secondary ELA"

7 Important Harlem Renaissance Artists to Teach in Secondary ELA

Teaching the Harlem Renaissance is essential for any English class as it provides a wide variety of lessons on culture, artists, poets, and literature. Here are some key Harlem Renaissance artists, facts, and teaching tips to make your lesson planning a breeze. What is the Harlem Renaissance? The Harlem Renaissance was an artistic movement of African American writers, artists, musicians, thinkers. The epicenter of this movement was in Harlem, New York, but its impacts could be felt widely in the Northern cities and across the world.  What was the goal of the Harlem Renaissance? The Harlem Renaissance was also known as the “New Negro Movement.” African American thinkers wanted to remake their image instead of being cast into racial stereotypes created by and for white people. They wanted to use art to change how Black

Read More »
A photo of books in front of a blue wall. At the top of the image there is a white border and pink and blue text that says "Best YA Books of 2022 for the Classroom Library"

Best YA Books of 2022 for the Classroom Library

Looking for the best YA books of 2022? Look no further! These new releases are all great choices for your classroom library. Are you looking for book recommendations for your classroom library? I polled my Instagram followers and got their picks for the best YA books of 2022. You’ll love the variety of stories. Best YA Books of 2022 for the Classroom Library The Getaway by Lamar Giles “Welcome to the funnest spot around . . . Jay is living his best life at Karloff Country, one of the world’s most famous resorts. He’s got his family, his crew, and an incredible after-school job at the property’s main theme park. Life isn’t so great for the rest of the world, but when people come here to vacation, it’s to get away from all that. As

Read More »
A small pile of brown gift boxes with multicolored ribbons. There is a white border at the top with pink and blue text that says "Free Student Gift for Middle & High School"

Free Student Gift for Middle and High School

Are you looking for a free student gift for middle and high school? Do you need something that’s easy on the budget and easy to assemble? Free Student Gift Below! Here are my free holiday bookmarks for students! Just add a Jolly Rancher™ for the pun and you’re good to go! I’ve used these bookmarks for several years because it’s awesome to have an easy student gift for middle and high school. Everyone loves a fun gift, but it’s just not practical to make decorated mugs of hot chocolate for 120 students! When you teach middle and high school, a free student gift is really important. You can print these bookmarks on bright paper or in black & white for an added coloring activity! If you’re interested in other free student gifts, here are other

Read More »
A photo of a pair of ear budes on top of a piano keyboard. There is a white border with pink and blue text at the top that reads "Analyzing songs in Secondary ELA"

6 Fresh Ideas for Analyzing Songs in Secondary ELA

Analyzing songs can help students practice vital ELA skills, and injecting some pop culture into your curriculum can be a great way to get students engaged and excited! If you’re familiar with my blog, you probably know that I LOVE using music in the ELA classroom. I think it’s such a powerful tool. Not just for learning ELA skills, but for building classroom community, and enacting student choice. I also have a new resource (2023) that has 15 lesson plans analyzing pop culture short texts, like songs, TV episodes, short films, and more! Check out the 15 Pop Culture Analysis Activities resource here. In addition to today’s post, you’ll love this free list of songs and how to use them in ELA: Analyzing songs can help students view the familiar through a critical lens It’s

Read More »
A photo of multiple pieces of blue-shaded paper. At the top of the image there is a white border with pink and blue text that says "Free ELA Worksheets"

3 Free ELA Worksheets for Middle and High School

These free ELA worksheets will help you engage students in drama, poetry, rhetoric, and more! Perfect for middle AND high school ELA. Teachers, you pour so much of yourselves into your classroom. Your time, your experience, your love, and unfairly, your own money. So today I’m going to share 3 free ELA worksheets that you can use with little-to-prep, and without spending any money! Without any further ado: Free ELA Worksheets for Middle & High School Poetry Bell Ringers  Are you looking for poetry activities that engage and inspire? These poetry warm-ups will totally hook your students during your poetry unit! Each task has a different snippet from a classic poem, so you’ll keep things fresh and fun. The original format for these bell ringers is individual slides, but a free ELA worksheet like this

Read More »
A photo of a student in a light green shirt writing with a yellow pencil. At the top there is a white border with pink and blue text that says "Nonfiction Writing Activities for Secondary ELA"

Memorable Nonfiction Writing Activities for Secondary ELA

Nothing says nonfiction writing has to be boring, and yet, that’s what many middle school and high school students think. If you’re looking for nonfiction writing activities to engage this crowd, here are some great ideas. Nonfiction Writing Examples Nonfiction writing examples are EVERYWHERE and part of showing students that this isn’t an umbrella term for “boring writing” is showing them engaging examples.  In addition to AMAZING nonfiction texts like Radium Girls by Kate Moore and Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi (both available as young reader editions), you can show students exemplar blog posts, self help articles, and tourism brochures. The sky is truly the limit. I’ve blogged before about my favorite nonfiction books for the ELA classroom. Here are 8 Nonfiction Excerpts Worth Teaching from a post over at the Secondary

Read More »
Brightly colored hard cover books arranged in a circle in rainbow order. At the top of the image there is a white border with pink and blue text that says "Native American Heritage Month in Secondary ELA"

ELA Texts & Resources for Honoring Native American Heritage Month

Looking for text recommendations and engaging resources that you can use during Native American Heritage Month (and year round!), look no further! How many Native American/First Nation voices are present in your curriculum or your classroom library? If you aren’t sure, I have a free tool that allows you to see what’s missing, representation-wise, from your classroom library. Indigenous stories aren’t just underrepresented in schools, they are vastly underrepresented in publishing as well. According to data compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, only 1% of children’s books released in 2018 were written about Indigenous characters. That number deteriorated even further when we looked at how many books were written BY Indigenous authors. Even though there are hundreds of nations and tribal affiliations across Turtle Island – with a variety of diverse experiences, customs, and practices

Read More »
A photo of a stack of books and a students hand writing in a notebook. At the top of the image there is pink and blue text that says How to Teach Haiku in Secondary ELA

6 Tips for Teaching How to Write a Haiku

Fun and easy-to-implement tips and activities to help your your students understand, appreciate, and learn how to write a haiku. I’ve blogged a lot about teaching poetry in Secondary ELA, and today I’m focusing on a specific kind of poem – teaching haiku. Your students probably learned how to write a haiku in lower grades, but I think it’s worth revisiting in middle or high school ELA to help students gain a deeper appreciation. Activities and Ideas for Teaching Haiku Start with a brief history of haiku Evolving from earlier forms of Japanese poetry that featured the alternating 5-7 syllable pattern, the haiku format as we know it has been around for over 400 years! In traditional Japanese haiku, there is more to the art form than just the syllable structure, like the inclusion of

Read More »
A photo of a woman with brown skin and red-painted nails reading a book. There is a white border at the top of the image with pink and black text that says Reader's Theatre for Secondary ELA

Why I Love Reader’s Theatre in the ELA Classroom

Reader’s Theatre is a fun, low-stress way for students to learn about drama, practice public speaking, and embrace their creativity. What is Reader’s Theatre? Reader’s Theatre is the lowest-risk way you can bring drama into your ELA classroom. Students have the support of a script, but you encourage them to add vocal inflection and potentially some light blocking. You want to see some emergence of characterization and fluency. Reader’s Theatre, however, doesn’t have to be super-rehearsed. In my classroom, Reader’s Theatre replaces our in-class reading for that day. I try to choose scenes so that we have a mix of RT and reading/discussion days. If you want students to become super familiar with the script and have rehearsed blocking and even costumes, you’re in the realm of a Staged Reading. What does good Reader’s Theatre

Read More »
Escape room questions and answers

Top 10 Escape Room Questions and Answers

Do you need escape room questions and answers? Whether you are a student who’s stuck or a teacher who needs more info, this post is for you! Nouvelle ELA Escape Room Questions and Answers Are you considering playing an escape room, and you have questions? Are you currently playing, and stuck on a level? Here are some common questions and answers (FAQs) for Nouvelle ELA escape rooms. Are you a student who’s stuck?  If you’re here because you googled “Nouvelle ELA escape room answers” in the hopes of finding your way out of this classroom task, I strongly encourage you not to try to break the game.  These games are meant to be fun, and your teacher put a lot of work into finding a great game for you. I know it can be frustrating

Read More »
A photo of an apple next to a cup filled with multi-colored pencils, in front of a stack of books. At the top of the image there is pink and blue text that says "Student-Centered Reading Guides in Secondary ELA"

Adaptable Class Novel Study Activities

These class novel study activities will help increase student participation and strengthen their critical analysis! Even if you’ve got the most incredible unit ready for your core novels, having some generic class novel study activities in your pocket is a great idea. I once had three students in my class not allowed to participate in our Speak unit, and I had to come up with something QUICK! Having activities for any high school class novel ready to go will help you weather changes. Class Novel Study Activities I break my activities for high school reading into four verbs: remember, understand, create, and analyze.  Remember What are some basic ways you want students to show that they remember portions of your class novel? The key here is to stay out of the nitty-gritty and focus on

Read More »
A stack of newspapers. There is a white border at the top of the image with pink and blue text that says "Short and Sweet Media Literacy Activities"

3 Quick Media Literacy Activities for Secondary ELA

These quick and low-prep media literacy activities will help you improve your student’s critical thinking skills, teach rhetorical analysis and persuasive techniques, and even practice public speaking! To me, teaching media literacy goes hand in hand with teaching Secondary ELA. After all, understanding and interpreting a novel, or analyzing an author’s purpose isn’t so different from critically reading a news article or blog post. Media literacy is especially critical if you’re teaching about current events or exploring topics like immigration or social justice in ELA. I also have a new resource (2023) that has 15 lesson plans analyzing pop culture short texts, like TV episodes, songs, short films, and more! It is a fantastic, standards-aligned resource that builds media literacy skills. Check out the 15 Pop Culture Analysis Activities resource here. What is media literacy? 

Read More »
A stack of pastel colored books against a yellow background. There is a white border at the top with pink and blue text that says "Short Stories for Hispanic Heritage Month"

4 Short Stories to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

From sci-fi to fantasy to historical fiction, this list of short stories has something to interest every reader during Hispanic Heritage Month! Happy Hispanic Heritage month, y’all! I LOVE using short stories to help make a curriculum more diverse! Why? Because I think their length makes short stories uniquely helpful for helping students gain insight into new perspectives. A student could read several short stories in the same time as one novel, and being exposed to those different authors and different POVs helps emphasize the diversity within a culture or nationality. (If you are familiar with the amazing TED Talk “The Danger of A Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie you’ll know exactly the point I am making.) There isn’t one singular Latinx story or one universal Hispanic perspective, but many. But of course, there

Read More »
A photo of a woman blowing the dust off of a hardcover book. Above the photo there is a white border with pink and blue text reading "Teaching Classic Literature in Secondary ELA"

Teaching Classic Literature in Secondary ELA

Teaching classic literature doesn’t have to be boring! These tips, lesson plans, and low-prep resources will help engage every student. Does your required reading have even *you* yawning? Chances are your students are getting bored too. I’m here to help! Should classic literature still be taught? With only a few exceptions, my answer is yes! Or more accurately, “yes, and…” I absolutely believe classic literature still has a place in the Secondary ELA classroom, and I think we can make it even more impactful to our students by pairing it with other, modern texts. Many teachers are working to diversify their curriculum to include more voices, and it’s been a big focus for me this year. I’ve been working with Dr. Sheila Frye (from Teaching Literacy) on a project called “Rethinking the Classics” to help

Read More »
A book lying open on a wooden table with a sunny lawn in the background. There is a white border at the top with pink and blue text that says "Reading Response for Any Novel"

Creative Reading Response Activities for any Novel

Are you looking for ways to make your independent reading more engaging? Try these reading response activities! Using reading response activities is a great way to give students choice and help them connect to the texts they read. Middle and high school students want to share their opinions in addition to learning to analyze, and these activities can develop both skill sets. Creative Reading Response Activities for Secondary ELA What are reading response activities? Reading response activities ask students to refer to the text as they make an observation, argument, or prediction. These are useful for independent reading activities and class novels because students ground their writing with supporting details from a fiction or nonfiction text. Example reading response prompts: Reading response activities are great informal daily writing. They can be short – perhaps 4-6

Read More »
An image of a teal wall with white rectangles hanging from the wall. In the center of the image there is a white rectangle with blue and black text that says "Designing a museum exhibit in secondary ELA"

Creating a Museum Exhibit in Your ELA Classroom

Creating a museum exhibit in your middle or high school ELA classroom is easy and fun with these step-by-step tips and ideas. Let’s talk about how to turn a classroom into a museum! Creating a museum exhibit is a great way to provide student choice in any subject area, and Secondary ELA is no exception. A classroom museum project can hit so many standards, all while transforming your classroom for the day.  What does a great classroom museum project accomplish? Any museum project asks students to zoom in on a person, object, or event and showcase it in a way that’s interesting to a passerby. This means that students are researching and curating information. Since they can’t say everything in their museum exhibit, they’ll be selecting the main idea and choosing important supporting details. Sounds

Read More »
A photo of a girl in a light purple longsleeve shirt and a link vest. There is a white border at the top with pink and blue text reading 5-Minute Activities to Build Writing Skills

Easy Prompts to Improve Writing Skills in 5 Minutes

Yes, you can improve writing skills in five minutes! I’ll share some tips and a FREE resource to get you started.  How these prompts improve writing skills These journal prompts have students respond to a wide variety of topics and build confidence, endurance, creativity, and enthusiasm for daily writing. Designed to be completed in five minutes or less, these journal prompts are perfect for middle school bell ringers or exit tickets. Want to enjoy a week’s worth of these prompts for ✨FREE✨? You can access the downloadable freebie in the product preview section of the resource!  The full resource includes:  These low-stakes, short journal writing prompts will boost struggling writers’ stamina and confidence. Each prompt asks about personal experiences, meaning there’s no “right or wrong” answer.  Middle school writing prompts with pictures Including writing prompts

Read More »
A photo of sheet music with a pink filter on it. At the top there is a white border and blue text that says "Broadway Songs to use in Secondary ELA"

Teaching with Music – My 4 Favorite Broadway Songs for ELA

Teaching with music is a great tool for engaging students, and the Broadway canon has so much great material to choose from. Here are my 4 favorites for ELA. I think that by providing our students with a wider variety of texts we can engage every student in the classroom, and music is a big part of my teaching toolbox. Check out my posts 15 Songs and 15 More Songs for even more ideas. Today I want to talk about one specific genre of music: Broadway showtunes. With the popularity of recent musicals like Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and tick, tick, BOOM, musical theatre is growing in relevance to teens and tweens. Let’s use that interest to help them engage with their Secondary ELA lessons 🙂 Teaching with Music – Broadway songs “My Shot” from

Read More »
Teacher tips for making your own worksheets, color coding your classroom, having emergency sub plans, and succeeding as the new teacher. An image of a brightly colored and organized classroom with orange school desks.

4 Easy Tips for Making Your Own Worksheets, Color Coding Your Classroom, Succeeding as the New Teacher, and Having Emergency Sub Plans

Are you making your own worksheets this school year? Are you starting at a new school site or entirely new to the teaching profession? Are you feeling the tickle in your throat and planning your sub plans just in case? No matter what brought you here, we’ve got tons of helpful easy-to-implement advice on color coding your classroom, succeeding as the new teacher, having emergency sub plans, and making your own worksheets (that are cute, too)! Making Your Own Worksheets Have you ever wondered how to make cute worksheets like the ones you find on TeachersPayTeachers? Even if you don’t want to know how to be a TpT seller, you can still make your own worksheets for your classroom. Here are 4 easy-to-follow tips: Don’t design worksheets using Microsoft Word Most of the worksheets that

Read More »
A photo of a wooden table in front of a snowy mountainside. On the table there is a coffee cup, a book, and a pair of reading glasses on top of the book. Above the image there is a white border with pink and blue text reading "Contemporary Poems by Black Authors"

7 Contemporary Poems by Black Authors for Secondary ELA

These contemporary poems by Black authors will help diversify your poetry unit, help students process current events, and even help engage reluctant poetry readers. Listen y’all, I’m not hating on the classics! Groundbreaking and hugely influential Black poets like Gwendolyn Brooks, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, etc. all deserve a place in the ELA curriculum. However, it’s not enough for us to only teach the classics, especially when it comes to poetry. It’s easy for students to feel like poetry is “boring” or irrelevant, so today, I’m sharing seven contemporary poems by Black authors to help your students connect with the voices and experiences of their peers, not their grandparents. Contemporary Poems by Black Authors: “In This Place (An American Lyric)” by Amanda Gorman “There’s a place where this poem dwells— it is

Read More »

9 Summer Bucket List Ideas for ELA Teachers

It’s summertime, and that (hopefully!) means rest and relaxation! Here are nine things for every English teacher’s summer bucket list. These suggestions include some super fun and super enriching activities. Summer Bucket List for Teachers – 9 Ideas What are your summer goals? For me and my wife, Amanda, our summer is all booked up spending time with the newest addition to our family. Maybe you, too, have your summer all planned out. But if you’re stuck in a rut, or having analysis paralysis, here are 9 ideas to get you started 🙂 Grow your teaching toolbox Read a book for professional development. And no, it need not focus on reading strategies or teaching writing! For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood by Christopher Emdin is a critical look at how we relate to our

Read More »