YouTube Channel Recommendation: Overly Sarcastic Productions
I remember when YouTube came out in 2005. I was in 8th grade and to us, it was like a supplement to MTV—you watched music videos. By the time I started teaching, I really...
Tagged: students
Building Reading Skills: Dr. Seuss for Allegory Analysis
As teachers, we strive to get students to perform at the highest level of the pedagogical taxonomy. Personally, I follow Bloom’s and cross-reference with Maslow’s psychological needs hierarchy. But, why…? It’s complicated. I’ll hit...
Common Errors to Correct When Editing Your Draft: Shifting Tense
As writers, we have a tendency to change up how we refer to time as we progress through our work. It’s a pain to go back and change all that; but, you gotta do what you gotta do to ensure your writing is understood how you intend it to be. Tense can have a major effect on just that.
How to Write Dialogue: Formatting
As I started to work on my character development, I had to keep in mind that dialogue is a key feature to understanding a character. How they speak can reveal much of their demographics–let alone the content of their conversation. If you didn’t know that, you know it now.
How to Foster College & Career Ready Students, according to Common Core
The type of student that we want to send to college is nothing new. When Common Core compiled their college and career ready list, all teachers–young and new–recognized those descriptions of what we have...
What’s the Difference Between Theme & Motif?
I get it–it’s easier. But, that doesn’t mean it should be done. It kills me when my high school freshmen mix up motifs and themes. Thinking they’re interchangeable, it makes it almost impossible to...
Videos & Lessons for High School Studies
Reviewing all of the video creators below, I found that these would be the most engaging, helpful, and appropriate for 9-12th graders.
Building Community in Your Secondary Classes
The difference between finding a place to live and finding a home is the community around it. It’s so important to find others with the same lifestyle as you. Yet, as they get older,...
Essential Literary Elements for Better Storytelling: Character
There are 350+ literary elements, depending on how you define it. When telling a good story, you only need to focus on conflict, context, and character.
How to Student 359: What Class Grades Actually Mean
This post includes affiliate links that will lead you to other websites that I do not own. Read the full disclosure here. What started as a way to measure student mastery became a way to...
How to Student 223: How to Do Better in Class
This post includes affiliate links that will lead you to other websites that I do not own. Read the full disclosure here. I was an honors kid growing up. Not gifted, but honors. I...
5 Cheap Classroom Investments for Learning and Lovable spaces
Okay, there are 5 things that stood out to anyone who came into my classroom. I will address these below: Accent Wall Home staples Alternative Seating Lighting and Aromatics Something Living This post includes...
4 Stories that Changed My Life Philosophy, and how it can change yours, too!
If you ask the right questions, you get the right answers. These 4 stories made me question life philosophy, and I’ve never been the same!
Essential Literary Elements for Better Storytelling: Setting Context
These are key setting context details that affect our writing and how the readers will then picture the setting (because imagery is essential), make sense of the conflict (because obstacles to one person may...
How to Adult 101: 7 Skills for Adults to Thrive in the Real World
While this post is geared toward youth becoming legal adults, I encourage all ages to read it to get an idea and consider something new about their skills. While doing so, remember that I...
