Category: Teaching English
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Why Teach Fahrenheit 451 in High School?
There are so many reasons to teach Fahrenheit 451 in 10th or 11th grade. Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 in nine days. He rented a typewriter in the basement of the UCLA library for 10 cents per 30 minutes, and this forced him to focus solely on writing the book without interruptions. Critics claim that…
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Teaching The Road: Cormac McCarthy Part II
I’ve been really encouraged by the positive feedback on my previous post about teaching The Road, so I wanted to share even more ideas and activities from my unit. This novel has sparked some of my favorite classroom discussions, and I’m excited to pass along what’s worked well for me. Anticipation Guide To introduce The…
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The Lessons of ‘By the Waters of Babylon’ for Today’s Society
As I was running by my daughter’s house, I spotted some pieces of concrete jutting out of the grass. It’s funny how my mind works; that image immediately reminded me of the short story “By the Waters of Babylon.” I took a photo of the concrete and labeled it “Babylon,” adding it to my list…
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Why English Teachers Assign Narrative Essays
School is in! Every September, many English teachers assign a narrative essay. Why do teachers do this? A narrative is an easy way to get to know our students, albeit not a particularly enjoyable assignment for some. Some students tell me they dislike narratives, but for the most part, most students want a chance to…
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Teaching Cormac McCarthy’s The Road: Engaging Reluctant Readers
“Then they set out along the blacktop in the gunmetal light, shuffling through the ash, each the other’s world entire.” I taught 12th grade for a couple of years. Here is an exaggerated list of the types of students in my class during that time: I am exaggerating a bit of the list above, but…
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Fun Ideas to Teach Much Ado About Nothing
English teachers, like myself, find immense joy in teaching novels and plays. Some of my most cherished teaching moments have been introducing a Shakespeare play. Today, I am excited to share some engaging and fun ideas I used while teaching Much Ado About Nothing. One of the first techniques I use when teaching a new…
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“No Such Thing”
When I taught in the classroom, sometimes I used lyrics for Bell Work. I would play the song while students answered the questions I provided about the song. One of my favorites was “No Such Thing” by John Mayer and Douglas Cook. This song has many layers; students relate to the themes and allusions. “Welcome…
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Book Review: Literature and the New Culture Wars by Deborah Appleman
Last year, I wrote about the importance of reading challenging texts and mentioned a new book on my list called Literature and the New Culture Wars by Deborah Appleman, published 2022. I finished the book in November, and I highlighted so many passages! In classrooms nationwide, movements such as cancel culture, #METoo, and trigger concerns…
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Why Students Struggle with Classic Literature
I received an interesting email from a teacher, Carrie M. Santo-Thomas, who writes on Substack called “The Atlantic Did Me Dirty.” Santo-Thomas is responding to an article in which she was interviewed by Rose Horowitch, who writes for the Atlantic, about the dying number of students not willing to read longer novels in college. After…