Taking the Fear out of Teaching Frankenstein
by Melissa Smith To make Frankenstein relatable to our world today, I have students read and discuss various science articles. I do this lesson within the first couple of weeks of reading as an...
View ArticleEscape from the Ordinary Unit
Are you getting bored teaching the same works but don’t have the resources to trade out novels? Or perhaps you are just looking to create a different unit from scratch? Look no further. The following...
View ArticleLiterary Analysis via Student Blogs
My classes have started blogging this year, and we are loving it. We participate in a blog exchange of AP Lit classes nationwide and read other student blogs monthly and comment on them. This has been...
View ArticleOn Writing Conclusions
Writing an introduction can be hard; writing a conclusion is even harder. How does a student close a paper without summarizing what has already been said or introducing new material without time to...
View ArticleWhat Happens in St. Louis Shouldn’t Stay in St. Louis
One week ago yesterday, I was on my way home from NCTE 2017 which gave me several strategies to take back to my classroom but also the inspiration to do the work of teaching. There’s no way I can put...
View ArticleChristmas at The New Yorker
It’s no secret: I am a fan of The New Yorker. I began my subscription to The New Yorker a couple of years ago when I decided to be intentional about learning how to write. If one wants to write well,...
View ArticleHappy New Year from APLitHelp
2017 has been a great year for APLitHelp and its community. We have posted 45 blogs by 11 different contributing authors offering teachers ideas and inspiration for instruction. The number of hits on...
View ArticleArticles of the Week – 1.3.2018
Each Wednesday, I will be posting five articles related to ELA instruction. Since most of us are easing back into work, still reflecting on 2017, and planning for 2018, the first post is all about...
View ArticleArticles of the Week – 1.17.18
One of my goals for the year was to make this site better by posting five articles to the site every Wednesday related to ELA instruction. Imagine my dismay last Friday when I realized I had failed to...
View ArticleBack to Basics – Essay Writing
I don’t know about you, but I usually end the first semester somewhat in a frenzy, jump into the holidays without (rightly) thinking about work, and begin the second semester with thoughts of...
View ArticleArticles of the Week 1.24.18
Happy Wednesday! Here’s to a great week of instruction in the classroom. Citations and Citing Your Work (Common Craft Video) from Richard Byrne is a good resource for students to understand what needs...
View ArticleIdeas to Push Learning Forward When Motivation is Lacking
The mid-year slump. That summarizes how teachers of year-long classes feel in the late January to early February time period. We’re settled back into a routine from our holiday break (even though my...
View ArticleArticles of the Week 1.31.18
Do you use Writing Checklists? My freshmen are starting a writing checklist today and will be adding to it the rest of the semester. This article provides practical ideas for creating and using them....
View ArticleAOW 2.7.18
Multiple Types of Assessments with Whole Class Texts by Julie Swinehart has some great ideas if you’re stuck in an assessment rut. I especially loved the graded video discussion and will be trying this...
View ArticleAllusions that Allude
I remember when Mrs. Roby, my high school English teacher, told our class on the first day of junior English that we would never understand literature until we had a firm grasp of allusions and...
View Article2.14.18
Faster Feedback: Creating Shortcuts in Google Docs has a GREAT tip allowing for more efficient feedback! Thanks, Catlin Tucker! 3 Teacher Stances for Writing Conferences by Rebekah O’Dell breaks down...
View ArticleArticles of the Week 2.28.18
The Rhyme Equation: 1+1=3 by Melissa Smith shows how rhyme scheme in poetry can reinforce the overall meaning of a poem. This helps from sending students on a scavenger hunt in poetry but rather...
View ArticleTeaching Grammar
March 4th is National Grammar Day – the day to march into good usage, command of writing, and strengthen stylistic choices. The teaching of grammar has brought about much research and debate in the...
View ArticleArticles of the Week 3.14.18
Students Learn More When They Do The Work by Catlin Tucker details how teachers can shift the workload from themselves to students. I use this approach from my lowest to highest levels; we should not...
View ArticleSonnet Structure and Meaning
This post by Kelly Herrera is the first in a four-part series on poetry to align with NCTE’s emphasis on poetry in preparation for National Poetry Month in April. Join the NCTE Twitter chat tonight at...
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