An English teacher who is passionate about PBL and diverse world literature.
Looking to move beyond the traditional essay without sacrificing rigor? This post explores creative, standards-aligned ELA assignments—like Bloom Balls, short-form videos, PBL projects, and creative informational writing—that increase engagement while still requiring deep analysis, evidence, and purposeful communication. Continue reading Engaging ELA Assignments That Aren’t Essays (But Still Rigorous)
Test prep season doesn’t have to mean endless packets and disengaged students. Discover engaging ELA test prep ideas that build reading, writing, grammar, and analysis skills without burnout. Learn how to use escape rooms, quick writes, and structured writing strategies to prepare students for standardized tests. 👉 Read the blog to see how easy test prep can be. Continue reading Engaging ELA Test Prep Ideas for Middle and High School Teachers
Song of the Sea is a beautiful, award-winning, Irish animated film that your students are absolutely going to love! And you are going to appreciate how deep you can take ELA skills with it. Read the post to see why this absolutely belongs in your secondary ELA classroom! Continue reading Why Song of the Sea Belongs in Your ELA Classroom: Celtic Mythology, Symbolism, and a Powerful Mini Unit
Have you ever taught a short story that sparked an honest classroom conversation about belief, pressure, growing up, and disillusionment? Langston Hughes’ “Salvation” is one of those rare memoirs that hits students right where they are. It’s raw, relatable, and rich in narrative techniques that high schoolers need to master—especially when prepping for writing and … Continue reading The Perfect Short Story for Teaching Disillusionment and Author’s Purpose- Salvation by Langston Hughes
March is affectionately (or facetiously) known as test prep month around here. That’s because we start taking all the state mandated tests in April. Let’s be real—test prep season is exhausting. Your students are already stressed, distracted, and over it before they even sit down for the SAT, ACT, state tests, or final exams. And … Continue reading Engaging ELA Test Prep That Actually Works (Without the Eye Rolls!)
It is spring! And you know what that means…. The sun is out in all her glory. The flowers are bursting and….testing season is here. Yes, state testing is coming for many of us no matter how we may feel about it. So I thought this blog post would be the perfect way to share … Continue reading High School ELA Test Prep, but Make It Fun?
Around the World With Mrs. C 