April is National Poetry Month, but many teachers work to infuse poetry into their high school ELA classrooms all year long. However, if your students are anything like mine, even the slightest mention of poetry can make students cringe. I just got finished a two week poetry unit with my Honors ...
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The Hidden Hands of Literature: Female Writers in the Literary Shadows
Last year, a male relative mentioned to me that he was reading a new novel, called Salt to the Sea. I told him I enjoyed that novel quite a bit and recommended its partner, Between Shades of Gray. When he finished that one, he texted me a picture of the book and said, “This guy is my new favorite ...
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12 Book Recommendations By Women, For Women
I’m currently writing this in 2025, and I feel like I don’t need to say more than that. I’ve found myself reading to escape a lot more these days, so here are 13 book recommendations if you need to escape today’s ever-growing dystopian political climate.
It’s worth noting that I am a middle aged ...
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7 More Short Stories to use with Grades 9-10
Over the past year, my top viewed blog post has been this one, 7 favorite short stories for grades 9-10. I find this surprising, since most of the traffic to this blog is from AP Lit teachers. But it also tells me that many other teachers are looking for new and engaging short stories to use with ...
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Tips for Teaching Animal Farm to High School English Students
Teaching Animal Farm by George Orwell provides an excellent opportunity to discuss themes like power, corruption, propaganda, and societal dynamics. With American politics growing more contentious by the day, its also a timely opportunity to discuss power and corruption in American leadership. ...
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Tips for Teaching Frankenstein to High School English Students
One of my favorite books to read in high school was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which is probably why I enjoy teaching it so much. Whether you're teaching it as a stand-alone text or integrating it into a larger unit, here are some practical tips to make the novel engaging and meaningful for your ...
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