Making an inclusive space for all students: 3 ways to celebrate Pride Month in your classroom

Bring the celebration of Pride Month in your classroom all-year long! Check out these 3 tips on how to make your classroom a more inclusive space for all students. How do you create an inclusive classroom space for all of your students? Although some folks may think classroom decorations hold little weight, the tone of your safe-space classroom can be determined by what symbols are displayed around the room. According to the National Education Association (NEA), symbols of diversity and inclusivity lets your students know that your classroom will be a safe and welcoming place for them. This is especially important for students who make up marginalized communities, like those in the LGBTQIA+ community. Of course, the access to do so depends on your school, district, and county culture. Please prioritize doing what is safest

Carina Assayed June 4, 2023

Use any of these 7 short texts for Immigrant Heritage Month in the class to honor and highlight immigration stories often left untold. Image of Muslim adults holding two small children on their laps smiling

Include 7 unforgettable short texts for Immigrant Heritage Month in the class this June

As a child of Lebanese and Syrian immigrants, I understand the power of sharing (and listening to) immigration stories. So often, immigrant families have learned to live in fear and, therefore, in silence; as a result, their powerful voices and rich history don’t often find their way into mainstream curricula. That’s why I am encouraging you to incorporate any (or all) of these 7 short texts for Immigrant Heritage Month this June! In doing so, you can honor and highlight immigration stories often left untold and give space to help your students and their families feel seen and celebrated! Where do you START? Depending on your students, pose the questions below as an anticipatory entrance ticket. Then, you can have students research facts about Immigrant Heritage Month in the class or use the facts on

Carina Assayed May 24, 2023

Improve your students' high school reading comprehension skills with this bundle of nonfiction guided reading activities that don't suck! Image includes a pile of various nonfiction texts that are included in this bundle.

10 ultimate nonfiction guided reading activities for effective high school reading comprehension

I am going to be completely candid here… teaching nonfiction reading comprehension has never been my strong suit as an educator. In my five-year career as a teacher, I have often wondered: how do you engage students with nonfiction texts? In a search to answer this very question, I have tried several nonfiction guided reading activities to better support my students. Regretfully, these attempts resulted in my students showing mastery in apathy and disengagement rather than high school reading comprehension. This year I used several of the resources in Danielle’s nonfiction bundle and FINALLY feel as if I am on the right track! My students showcased an interest in the nonfiction guided reading activities, and the best part is… I didn’t have to prep or plan any of it. Boost your high school reading comprehension

Carina Assayed May 10, 2023

"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=oYZKEOzvE5IWhat is

Carina Assayed March 14, 2023

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

Carina Assayed February 28, 2023

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

Carina Assayed February 21, 2023

emergency middle school sub plans for ELA written above a blank laptop

3 Fun Middle School Sub Plans for ELA

Need a digital lesson for a snow day? Fun emergency middle school sub plans? Or an enrichment session to review basic skills? This independent writing activity bundle has got you (and your students) covered! It’s THAT time of year again when us teachers are facing the perfect storm: If you’re anything like me, these teaching days feel like survival mode. The best part is these ELA middle school sub plans require ZERO planning needed on the teacher’s end. What Each Activity Includes I want to ensure my students are using classroom time efficiently, even if I am buried in too many tissues to create middle school sub plans myself. Provide them with engaging activities they want to do to ensure this. With each of the activities in this resource, students have the opportunity to tap

Carina Assayed January 10, 2023

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)

Carina Assayed January 3, 2023

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

Danielle Hall October 11, 2022

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

Danielle Hall July 5, 2022

A brightly lit room with a wall of windows and bookshelves on either side. There is a white border at the top with black text that says "Short Story Unit Assessment"

Short Story Unit Assessments Made Easy

There are a million and one ways to do a short story unit, and they’re all awesome! Short stories are a great way to teach the elements of literature. Also, if students aren’t enjoying a short story, there’s always a new one in a couple of days. Short Story Unit Plan I like to do several short stories at the beginning of the year. My short story unit is a great way to make sure that students understand the elements of literature before we deep dive into analysis in later class novels and plays. I like to focus on one element of literature per short story. If you need a ready-made Short Story Unit, check out this resource! Teachers are saying: “This is one of the best items I have ever purchased. The unit is

Leila Hobbs June 14, 2022

An illustration of a lady in a light blue lacy dress, standing in front of an old fashioned parlor. There is a white border at the top with pink and white text that says "Lamb to the Slaughter teaching ideas"

Teaching Lamb to the Slaughter

Looking for new ways to use this classic short story? I’m sharing tips and activities I’ve learned while teaching Lamb to the Slaughter. Usually, I’m all about finding contemporary short stories to teach in middle and high school. However, one classic short story my students adore is Roald Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter.” In Lamb to the Slaughter, Mrs. Maloney is a pregnant housewife whose husband announces he wants a divorce. In a stupor, she gets a frozen leg of lamb out of the freezer for their dinner, but ends up bashing him over the head with it. The police come to investigate and she plays innocent. Then, she insists they stay for dinner (it’s lamb!). Lamb to the Slaughter pre-reading activities One of my students’ favorite activities of the year is the pre-reading activity

Danielle Hall March 1, 2022

A photo of a blue door with a rusty, antique lock. There is a white border at the top with pink text "Escape Rooms for Secondary ELA"

Over 20 Escape Rooms for ELA and Beyond!

Whether you’re a pro at escape rooms or a total newbie, this post will help you find a game that your students will love! I’ve blogged before about using escape rooms in ELA, and I’m here to tell you I still believe in the power of these sorts of games. Whether you’re using digital or paper escape rooms, students have the chance to practice collaboration and critical thinking. Since I’ve been creating escape rooms for five years now, I wanted to make a “home base” where you could find out about them. This post is a round-up of the work I’ve done. Burnbridge and Terminus If you’ve been following me for a while, you’re probably familiar with my two original escape room series, Burnbridge Breakouts and Terminus. Burnbridge came first. My time spent teaching in

Danielle Hall January 11, 2022

An open book on a wooden table. There's a pink box in the center of the image with the white text reading "Short Stories for Secondary ELA" for a post that will contain short story ideas for english class

Comprehensive Short Story Ideas for English Class

All my favorite short story ideas for English class – teaching tips, story recommendations, timesaving resources, and much more! I’ve thought a lot about teaching short stories over the years. I’ve designed and redesigned my short story unit, I’m always on the hunt for the latest and greatest short story anthology, and I’m constantly striving to make sure that I’m including not just one perspective, but a chorus of voices. I think that by having a wide range of contemporary short stories, embracing alternative media (like songs and film), and giving students the tools to embrace their own creativity, you can make short stories relevant, engaging, and memorable for your students. I tried to make sure that this post has short story ideas for English class that every ELA teacher can use, but if you

Danielle Hall November 9, 2021

A young girl reading under a tree with the text overlayed "Teaching Short Stories"

New Ideas for Teaching Short Stories

Whether you love them or hate them, short stories are a vital part of the curriculum. Today I’m sharing new ideas for teaching short stores. Raise your hand if you LOVE teaching short stories (me, me, me!) But if you (or your students) aren’t quite so enthusiastic, that’s okay too. Today I am going to be sharing my new ideas for teaching short stories that are sure to engage even the most reluctant of readers. New Ideas for Teaching Short Stories Ditch the classics “The Necklace” and “The Lottery” are great stories, with tons of literary merits. But do you ever find your students falling asleep when you try to get them to read the classics? Well, we all need a change sometimes. Sometimes all students need is a fresh story. Something that

Danielle Hall July 27, 2021

A sepia toned photo of a stack of antique leatherbound books, pink text at the top reads Rethinking the Classics Tips and Resources

Rethinking the Classics in Secondary ELA

Want to include more diverse voices in your ELA classroom, without sacrificing rigor & standards? My “Rethinking the Classics” series was made for you! Do you feel stuck teaching the “dead white guys” and feel you don’t have a way out? You CAN make your curriculum more inclusive, even if your district mandates the reading lists or your budget confines you to teaching certain texts. I’ve been working with Dr. Sheila Frye (from Teaching Literacy) on a project called “Rethinking the Classics” to help teachers find supplemental texts and curriculum updates. For each title, we identified potential Essential Questions and literary devices that you may want to explore with students. Then, for each of these, we researched supplemental texts and discussion techniques you could include to make your curriculum more diverse. For

Danielle Hall July 20, 2021

A brick wall with the text overlayed "The Outsiders. Engaging ideas for in-person, hybrid, or digital."

Teaching The Outsiders

Are you teaching The Outsiders? Read this post for tips and projects to help students analyze literary themes. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a staple of many ELA curriculums. It has plenty of literary merit, but very little diversity. You can change that! Today I’ll share resources to help with teaching The Outsiders that work for distance, hybrid, or classroom learning. In this post you’ll find resources to help students understand and analyze themes in The Outsiders. Plus ways to bring in some more, diverse voices. You can find many more ideas in our full Rethinking The Outsiders resource. Resources for teaching The Outsiders with increased flexibility and inclusivity Explore the theme of Self-Expression In this TED Talk, Kaustav Dey, marketing lead for Tommy Hilfiger in India, delivers several interesting examples of people

Danielle Hall June 29, 2021

A cup of coffee next to a laptop with the text "Romeo & Juliet. Engaging ideas for in-person, hybrid, or digital."

Teaching Romeo & Juliet

How do I teach Romeo & Juliet? Let me count the ways! To me, it’s a timeless classic, but I know that many students struggle to connect with with story. Some students tell me it’s “corny” and “unrealistic.” Sometimes they’re thrown off by Shakespeare’s language. (More on teaching Shakespeare’s language here!) But that doesn’t mean we should just give up on the bard! In this post I’ll give tips for teaching Romeo & Juliet that make it more inclusive, engaging, and relatable to your students. And as a bonus, all of these ideas will work for virtual, hybrid, or in-person learning. (And these are just a few of my Romeo & Juliet ideas, you can find the rest in my full Rethinking the Classics: Romeo & Juliet resource.) Teaching Romeo & Juliet: Play

Danielle Hall April 27, 2021

Teaching The Odyssey During Distance Learning

Are your students struggling to connect with The Odyssey? I get it. Somehow “It’s over 3000 years old!” isn’t a significant selling point for teens and tweens. Today I am going to be sharing resources to help with teaching The Odyssey during distance learning. Teaching The Odyssey during distance learning While the literary merits of The Odyssey are timeless, it’s not very inclusive. I’m not suggesting that you remove it from your curriculum, but that you bring in some additional voices. Contemporary supplemental texts will not only make your lessons more inclusive, they will help students to connect with the original story. Many teachers are working to diversify their curriculum to include more voices. I’ve been working with Dr. Sheila Frye (from Teaching Literacy) on a project called “Rethinking the Classics” to help

Danielle Hall April 13, 2021

How to Sell on TPT – Tutorials for aspiring teacher-authors

Do you want to learn how to sell on TPT? If you have an existing store needing TLC or you’re planning to start one, this post is for you! How to Sell on TPT – Tips & tutorials for aspiring teacher-authors Are you considering opening a TpT store (or dusting one off), and you’d like to feel like a friend has your back? This post, and this resource, is for you! Whether you already have an online shop, or you have been wanting to get started designing secondary ELA resources, but feel too intimidated, I can help! You deserve someone in your corner. For the last few months, I’ve been putting together a resource to help teachers translate their awesome ideas into sellable resources. My new resource, “Design Like a TpT Seller,”

Danielle Hall February 8, 2021

Terminus – Digital Breakouts for ELA

Are you looking for new digital breakouts for ELA? Look no further! I’d like to introduce you to my newest game series, Terminus. Terminus is a four-part digital adventure series geared towards 8th and 9th grade students who read below level. This story is a post-pandemic, found-text adventure. Playing as Rania, students work to solve the mystery of the MILSA outbreak by reading letters, memos, manuals, and emails left behind. Behind the game This game was a labor of love by myself and my wife Amanda Thrasher. Amanda wrote the storyline, and I designed the puzzles. Then, we combined it all with incredible original art by Lily Chan. Amanda began writing Terminus in the summer of 2019 (while I was at the TPT conference!) and finished it later that year. Little did we know that

Danielle Hall December 8, 2020

Teaching The Odyssey with an Interactive Escape Room

Take a look inside my completely updated and redesigned Odyssey interactive escape room. New art, new hints, and a brand new digital platform for teaching the Odyssey. Have you played my Odyssey Escape Room? In this interactive adventure, students play as Telemachus, trying to solve Eumaeus’ puzzle and get access to Odysseus’ famed bow. It’s an introduction to the Greek gods and goddesses, the characters in The Odyssey, and life and customs on Ithaca. Since I first shared this resource in 2017, it has been in constant evolution, improving for the better based on amazing feedback from students and teachers. One teacher told me that her class needed hints, so she set herself up as the Oracle at Delphi. I worked this into an update in late 2018, adding four hints in verse for the

Danielle Hall January 9, 2020

A photo of golden maple leaves in the sunlight. There is text overlaid that says "Engaging - Rigorous - Creative - Halloween Activities for Secondary ELA

10 Halloween School Activities for Secondary ELA

Looking for engaging and rigorous Halloween school activities for your Secondary ELA classroom? Look no further! These mini-lessons will build close reading skills, practice inferencing, and get students thinking creatively. Whether you are a Halloween lover or a Halloween tolerate-er, it will be on the forefront of your students’ brains this time of the year. They are likely dreaming up their costumes, gossiping about the hip parties, and totally ignoring your lessons! Here are 10 Halloween school activities for secondary ELA that will allow you to use that excitement in your classroom: 1. Analyze Symbolism & Allegory with Candy It seems like, as soon as the calendar flips to October, students have candy on the brain! You can “lean in” to this energy. If you’re reading a story with heavy symbolism (such as “Masque of

Danielle Hall October 3, 2019

15 More Songs for Teaching ELA

Song lyrics can be so versatile in the classroom: Creative writing inspiration, making non-fiction more engaging, etc. Here are 15 more songs for teaching ELA, and suggestions on how to use them. Ask and you shall receive! My other post, 15 Songs to Use in ELA has gotten so much positive feedback that I decided to make a sequel 🙂 Like before I am linking to these songs on YouTube, but it’s not necessary for students to watch the videos. And as always, not all songs for teaching ELA will be appropriate for all classrooms; you know your students best 🙂 More Songs for Teaching ELA 1. “Poor, Unfortunate Souls” (The Little Mermaid) “Poor, unfortunate soulsIn pain, in needThis one longing to be thinnerThat one wants to get the girlAnd do I help them?Yes, indeed!”

Danielle Hall September 5, 2019

Engaging Reluctant Readers with a Digital Adventure Game

We know that our reluctant readers have a skills deficit that grows over time. Whereas a student may be just one grade level behind in elementary school, that gap can grow if we don’t address the problem. By high school, a student who can’t read at grade level faces significant difficulties across content areas. Moreover, it becomes challenging to find age-appropriate texts to support that student’s progress. But, fear not! We’re going to work together to improve student reading! Let’s give the issue a human face. Malcolm is a smart and charismatic 8th grader. He’s the class diplomat; whenever the class wants something from you, they delegate Malcolm to come forward and persuade you. It’s Malcolm who sees through all of your gimmicks – you thought you could bribe them with candy? Hah! It’ll take

Danielle Hall August 1, 2019

Teaching Executive Functioning with Escape Rooms

Have you been told you should be teaching executive functioning? Is this a totally overwhelming proposition? Where do you even start? Let’s break it down. Teaching Executive Functioning Executive Functioning is the complex way the brain ‘works’. We use these skills to make decisions, choices, and plans. When we use strong executive functioning, we work smarter. We can delay gratification when working towards a goal, plan for the future, and avoid feeling stuck when our plan hits a snag. A lack of executive function skills leads to impulsive/reckless behavior, poor planning/time management, and an inability to stick with a task from start to finish. Sound familiar? Of course, it’s normal human behavior to be occasionally careless with our time, or to make a rash decision. But if students are struggling

Danielle Hall July 18, 2019

A girls hand writing in a journal with the overlaid text "TED Talks to inspire Young Writers"

TED Talks for Young Writers

Have you ever used videos to inspire your students to write? Here are some TED talks for young writers you’ll be able to use at different moments in your curriculum. As I‘ve mentioned before on this blog, I love the Writer‘s Workshop model! Each day includes a focusing mini-lesson, time to write and ponder, and time to share or conference. Videos can be an excellent opportunity for students to choose a concept they’ll focus on in their writing that day. TED Talks for Young Writers Nnedi Okorafor – Sci-fi stories that imagine a future Africa (9:21) Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor didn’t grow up reading science fiction. As a child, she says, it didn’t appeal to her. She wasn’t able to ‘see’ herself in the characters. But now, by writing Afro-futuristic science fiction, she

Danielle Hall June 6, 2019

Teaching Social Justice with Literature Circles

We read a lot of books with social issues for the YA Cafe Podcast, and I feature a lot of these books on my own Instagram. Because of this, teachers often ask me for resources for teaching social justice books. Today, I want to share some specific resources for teaching social justice literature circles. Literature circles are classroom book clubs that give students a chance to read a selected novel with a small group of their peers. You can set this up several ways, but I typically choose enough books so that there are 4-5 readers per group. I have students meet twice per week over four weeks. Students make a reading schedule during their first group meeting and they generate focus questions for their reading. I like to have group presentations at the

Danielle Hall May 21, 2019

Teaching LGBTQ+ Rights

Teachers on Instagram often ask me for tips on teaching LGBTQ+ rights. You want book recommendations, teaching resources, and ideas for increasing visibility and advocacy. Well, I’m here today to highlight one collaborative resource to get you started. When my friend, Matt, from Surviving Social Studies shared his LGBTQ Painting Recreation, I knew I wanted to share it with you. In this collaborative project, students work together to recreate an inspirational painting advocating for LGBTQ+ civil rights. I love this idea! It’s touching to ask students to each complete one piece of this painting since their actions on this earth work cumulatively towards peace and equality. There’s plenty of flexibility with this resource, too – you could have students fill the white space with thoughts and reflections on this topic.

Danielle Hall May 7, 2019

Teaching the Great Gatsby: Building Background

Teaching The Great Gatsby can be transportive and engaging. Students explore a whole new era (Flappers! Jazz! Speakeasies!) while still making modern-day connections. To get the full impact of this American classic, however, students need to situate it within its historical context. Building Context: The Post-War Era Before teaching The Great Gatsby and the quirks of the 1920s, you should share context with students for the American spirit right after World War I. in 1917, we were reeling! Depending on how your school sets up your history curriculum, students may already be familiar with this. Activating prior knowledge creates a bridge between their history class and your novel unit. 4-Corners Brainstorming Separate students into four groups. Give each group one of the following questions. What are possible difficulties faced by

Danielle Hall April 23, 2019

Our BLOG ARCHIVE

SEARCH BY TOPIC