Blog

By the time I grab my books and I give myself a look I'm at the corner just in time to see the bus fly by. It's alright’ cause I'm saved by The Literary League! That’s right, we are at it again! It’s one of the biggest back-to-school give-aways courtesy of some of your favorite ELA … [Read more...] about The Literary League’s Back 2 School Giveaway

When we teach a whole class novel, we have several traditional assessments to use with our students: response journals, tests, essays, etc.  We know the novel very well, and we develop ways to keep our students accountable and on task.  Marking is never fun, but we are in control and know … [Read more...] about Reader’s Workshop Assessment

While I love the reader's workshop concept and what it does for student engagement, I also see the value in a full class study. But, there's only so much time in the semester, and we high school teachers teach with the incessant ticking of the clock in our ears, pushing us to get it all done before … [Read more...] about Balancing Reader’s Workshop with the Full Class Novel

Reader's Workshop is not as common in high school as it is in the earlier grades.  One reason for this is the pressure to prepare students for post secondary studies.  English teachers in the upper grades spend a lot of time on literary analysis, teaching kids to understand author … [Read more...] about Reader’s Workshop: Planning and Skill Building

One of the best things about reader's workshop can also be seen as one of its biggest obstacles: you need a classroom library with a variety of books at a variety of reading levels, so your students can have lots of choice. Teachers envision themselves having to spend their own money to stock the … [Read more...] about Five ways to stock your classroom library

(This is a repost from last year)I like to start the year with a bang, with activities that not only set the tone for the semester, but also ones that students find engaging and relevant. This year I will be doing Reader's Workshop three days a week, but the other two will focus on specific genres. … [Read more...] about Get Your Students Engaged Right From The Start

I am so very lucky to teach in a district that is promoting a reader's workshop approach in our high school English classes. In fact, over the last two years, they have stocked our classroom libraries with multiple copies of many best selling YA books.  We have different genres, different … [Read more...] about Three Reasons You Should Do Reader’s Workshop in High School

It would happen every summer, just a few weeks before I'd head back to school: the recurring dream. I'd be in front of an out of control class, trying desperately to speak and no words would come out of my mouth.  I'd wake up with an uncomfortable feeling that would stay with me all day.It's … [Read more...] about Tips to Prevent Behavior Problems in the Secondary Classroom

I like to have a "theme" for the year, a guiding idea or question that keeps students focused on a reason: why are we doing this?  With my twelfth grade class, most of or texts and activities centre around the power of persuasion. We read non-fiction articles with the intention of discovering … [Read more...] about Create a Guiding Question for the Year

I know.  No one wants to go back to school yet.  Everyone would rather have more days to relax and recharge...but wait...you can have a few more days!!  Head on over to the TpT sale and let us do the planning for you! Check out the TpT stores of these amazing secondary ELA … [Read more...] about We’re back!! The Literary League Celebrates Back to School

We love back to school time here in secondary! Join us to celebrate with the TpT Sale, August 3rd - 4th and get those lessons you need for up to 28% off! Check out the top secondary teachers below for some great deals on top lesssons!A Space to CreateThe Classroom SparrowRoom 213Darlene Anne’s ELA … [Read more...] about Off to School with Secondary!