by Kristin | Aug 29, 2022 | Poetry, Reading Comprehension, Short Stories, Teaching the Standards, Writing
In my years of teaching, I have found that the best way to get students learning AND retaining concepts and skills is by using thematic units. By integrating reading and writing together by focusing on a major topic and/or using a specific theme, you can incorporate...
by Kristin | Aug 15, 2022 | Reading Comprehension, Rhetorical Analysis, Teaching the Standards, Writing
In elementary school, the question of the author’s purpose tends to tie into pie. Not a delicious pie to eat but rather P.I.E., an acronym of the three purposes for any given text: Persuade, Inform, Entertain. However, we know as readers and teachers that things are...
by Kristin | Jul 16, 2022 | Short Stories, Back To School, Reading Comprehension, Teaching the Standards
Making the shift from middle school to high school can be a challenge for 9th graders and for the teachers of those 9th graders! But stacking your short stories for 9th graders with selections from Edgar Allan Poe, Ray Bradbury, Langston Hughes, Roald Dahl, etc. is an...
by Kristin | Jun 6, 2022 | Short Stories, Reading Comprehension, Teaching the Standards
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is by far one of my favorite short stories to teach in high school! The irony of the title, the mysterious setting, and the subtle characterization of the unassuming town always seem to shock students by the end of the story. No matter...
by Kristin | Mar 2, 2022 | Rhetorical Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Teaching the Standards, Writing
Sojourner Truth’s speech “Aint I a Woman” epitomizes the fight for equal rights for all, no matter the race or gender of a person! Isabella Baumfree, the original name of Sojourner Truth, was born into slavery but escaped in 1827. She became a voice...
by Kristin | Aug 14, 2021 | Short Stories, Reading Comprehension, Teaching the Standards
O. Henry’s classic short story “The Gift of the Magi” should be on your list of MUST-TEACH literature! And including Questions for The Gift of the Magi is VITAL! It has so much to offer not only to teachers but also to middle AND high school...
