by Kristin | Oct 13, 2022 | Reading Comprehension, Poetry, Short Stories, Teaching the Standards
What do you remember reading in high school? Maybe it’s Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet? Or perhaps it’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Poe? I’m guessing that whatever you remember, it was good literature and you enjoyed it because your teacher utilized various strategies...
by Kristin | Oct 1, 2022 | Reading Comprehension, Short Stories, Teaching the Standards, Writing
Long story, short… that’s exactly what a summary is! But how often does someone who uses that statement actually make their story short?! Whether in school or in life beyond the classroom, summarizing is a skill that needs practice, repeated practice. Writing a...
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 | 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 | Sep 4, 2021 | Short Stories, Teaching the Standards
Langston Hughes’ “Thank You M’am,” also known as “Thank You Ma’am,” should be on your list of MUST-TEACH short stories! It has so much to offer not only to teachers who love literature but also to middle AND high school...
