I remember the first set of Walt Whitman Lesson Plans I used. They were given to me by Mr. DrillandKill. It was more like "I Hear America Yawning" in my classroom and "Beat! Beat! Drums" followed by me beating my head with a … [Read more...]
American Literature: Colonial Period, 1607-1783
August 31, 2016 By Leave a Comment
If you're like me, you spend hours contemplating the colonial period in American History from an historical perspective. But there's a literary perspective as well.In fact, if you're a teacher of American Literature, … [Read more...]
How Many of These 5 Start of the School Year Lesson Plans Have You Tried?
August 29, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Remember how excited everyone was about the new school year during the first week of school and then week 2 came along and reality set in? Let's not lose that enthusiasm.These 5 lesson plans are engaging for student and … [Read more...]
“Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” Analysis and Lesson Plan on Poetic Form
August 24, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night" is one of the most oft read poems in the English language. A YouTube search alone produces a myriad of readings.In fact, here's Dylan Thomas himself reading his … [Read more...]
19 Popular Poems Taught in High School Lesson Plans
August 22, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Remember the first time you taught a poem to your high school English class? If you're like me, it went something like this: Me: Read poem (30 seconds) followed by an open-ended question, something like "What do you think of … [Read more...]
A Book Report Lesson Plan for Poetry
August 18, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Remember the last time you assigned a book report and you got 273 book reports with the exact words: "I read ________. I liked some parts. I didn't like some parts. Here is my book report" in the introduction followed by a … [Read more...]
Start of the Year Time Saving Tips for Teachers: Read This During Your Next Meeting
August 15, 2016 By Leave a Comment
A Cautionary Tale about Teacher Time Management Ms. Needtogetready had been working hard during the two days of "teacher instruction" leading up to the start of the new school year. Then she realized—seconds before her … [Read more...]
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter” Lesson Plans, Summary, and Analysis
August 10, 2016 By Leave a Comment
There's a fairly good chance you came across this post because you were searching for a "Rappaccini's Daughter" Lesson Plan, so I'll just get it out of the way. Of course, you're welcome to peruse the entire post. It's pretty … [Read more...]
First Year Teacher Tips: How to not Want to Drive Your Car into the Side of a Building
August 1, 2016 By Leave a Comment
My first year teaching was nearly 20 years ago. And although I've suppressed many of the horrors that accompanied it, I get uncontrollable tremors from time to time.If only I had first year teacher tips like these, I … [Read more...]
