The Joys of Teaching Literature

The epic battle of man vs. machine goes on and this time, it's the ELA teacher against AI.  Listen to my thoughts on what we can do about the robot that writes stuff.  

While it might be difficult to inspire students to love great novels, it's easier to ask them to think and write about things that are personally meaningful.  I'll go over different activities and pr…

Dr. Reed started Walkabouts, an educational technology that teaches students while they exercise.  This is an interview that should raise the eyebrow of any teacher looking for a new way to transform…

There are so many reasons to get stressed out at work, so here are a few ways to avoid burnout.  

Working outside school with students in sports and activities can be very rewarding but also demanding.  

Creative writing allows students to be free of all the rules and rubrics and now with modern technology, there are many ways students can express their view of the world.  

Help your students master the complex skill of close reading with these five easy steps.  

Teachers provide many opportunities for students to prepare for an essay or exam.  We must map out the process so it's not a mystery.  

Teaching literary techniques can be difficult, and intimidating to students, but there's a way to make it fun and easy.

There are many websites that feature poetry film and poets reading their poems in front of a live audience.  Students are more likely to get interested in poetry if they can see and hear it.  

The biggest challenge ELA teachers face year to year is how to get to students to not only read the novels we assign, but to love reading them.  Here are some tips to inspire students to love reading…

Starting the year strong is easy with a few straightforward, yet challenging poems.  

What makes a great novel?  What makes it great to teach?  What boxes should it check to make it into the curriculum? 

It's easy to get upset about plagiarism and cheating, and hard to find a way to reduce the desire to gain an unfair advantage.  I'll go over seven methods to discourage cheating in your class.  

Little distractions can add up to a lot of wasted classroom time.  Here are five little routines that will help you maximize learning time and eliminate time spent on stressful paperwork stuff.   

Free literacy blocks allow students to explore a topic or question of choice on a weekly basis for a set amount of time.  It's all about freedom, choice, and curiosity.  

Students love the creative process behind everything, not just literature.  Bringing the worlds of sports, science, visual art, and technology together with the world of literature can lead to exciti…

How does it feel to graduate?  What have you learned?  What is hope?  I complete the final assignment I give my seniors at the end of the year, and this is the short audio of my video essay for The H…

Fiction exists outside the world of history and at the same time, often gives a more accurate account of reality than textbooks.  When we discuss a novel, when is it appropriate to bring in a discuss…

It's nice to start fresh in the fall.  Here are five small things you can do that will help you truly love teaching.