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April 17, 2022

Literary Analysis with Quotable Quickies

Literary analysis is difficult for most students, and I believe it's mostly because they get overwhelmed with the process. That's why I do my best to scaffold the steps they need for success. Today, I'd like to share one of my favorite (and most successful) strategies: literary analysis with … [Read more...] about Literary Analysis with Quotable Quickies

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April 9, 2022

Active Learning Strategies: The Write-Around

One of the my favorite active learning strategies is the write-around. It's quick and easy to use, and it is perfect for building the skills that students need for analysis. Let me show you how and why it works. Start with an open-ended question A successful write-around starts with a question … [Read more...] about Active Learning Strategies: The Write-Around

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April 6, 2022

Strategies for Successful Classroom Book Clubs

There's nothing better for an English teacher to walk around the classroom, listening to multiple groups of students excitedly talking about the books they are reading. That's what can happen when you run a book club with your middle or high school students. But how do you plan one? How do you keep … [Read more...] about Strategies for Successful Classroom Book Clubs

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March 25, 2022

Scaffolding the process of literary analysis

Here's a quick tip for you that will help your students improve their ability to analyze and write about text. The best part is that you will be scaffolding the process of literary analysis with assignments that take minutes to grade! Sound good? Read on! I kid you not when I say that I spent … [Read more...] about Scaffolding the process of literary analysis

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Questioning strategies

January 9, 2022

Questioning Strategies in the Classroom

What's the best way to get our students to engage in deep and meaningful learning?  I don't have the answer, but I do have a lot of questions.  And it's my curiosity and desire to learn that drives my search for that answer. One method I use to get my students' heads in the game are question … [Read more...] about Questioning Strategies in the Classroom

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January 2, 2022

Hexagonal thinking activities in ELA

I'm always looking for ways to get kids engaged in critical thinking and higher order discussions. I've tried a lot of things over the years, and hexagonal thinking has emerged as a favourite for me and my students. Read on to find out how to use hexagonal thinking activities in ELA … [Read more...] about Hexagonal thinking activities in ELA

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Teaching Dystopian Fiction

December 31, 2021

Dystopian Fiction

If you're wanting a meaningful unit that your middle or high school students will get into, you should seriously consider doing one that features dystopian fiction. Why? Dystopian fiction is a genre that has long fascinated readers - and movie-goers.  Stories set in dystopian worlds became very … [Read more...] about Dystopian Fiction

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The writing process

November 13, 2021

The Writing Process

Have you ever experienced this? You announce to your class that they are going to start writing an essay, and the mood in the room shifts. Arms cross. Faces close off. Groans and grumbles are heard. This is what happens in my classroom the first time students write an essay, but then we embark on a … [Read more...] about The Writing Process

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Analyzing text

November 9, 2021

Teaching students to analyze text

I'm a huge believer in the power of the habit. The more a person practices something, the more it gets embedded in the brain. That's why I put a lot of energy into building the habit of using the right terms when I'm teaching students to analyze text. And that means that even when students are … [Read more...] about Teaching students to analyze text

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October 12, 2021

Book Talk Hacks for Secondary Teachers

Let's get real here. Reading workshop is the greatest thing for getting students hooked on reading, but there are a lot of moving parts that can get hard to juggle, right? There are mini-lessons to give, and conferences to have, and close reading to be modelled. And, on top of all that we're … [Read more...] about Book Talk Hacks for Secondary Teachers

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Halloween Writing

October 2, 2021

Halloween Writing for Secondary English

'Tis the season for pumpkin lattes, cozy sweaters, and the fun of the spooky season of Halloween. We secondary teachers tend to think that Halloween is just for the little kids, but middle and high school students love to dive into writing spooky stories too. So today, I'm sharing some ideas for … [Read more...] about Halloween Writing for Secondary English

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Reading workshop and full class texts

October 1, 2021

Reading workshop and full class texts

How do I find time to use full class texts with reading workshop? This is a question that I get at least once a week, so I thought it was time for a new blog post that explains that reading workshop and full class texts are NOT mutually exclusive. I say "new post" because I've written about this … [Read more...] about Reading workshop and full class texts

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