Mentor Text: Rod Serling’s closing narration from the Twilight Zone episode ‘The Monsters are Due on Maple Street’ Techniques: Conclusion Background – In my Grade 11 course, we focus on a theme of Society: Power and Voice. Within that theme, we do a dystopian literature study. This year, we studied Fahrenheit 451 and Lord of […]
Mentor Text: from The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig Techniques: Introduction Background – I’ve really gotten back into horror the last couple of years. I’ve reclaimed my status a Constant Reader, (IYKYK) and been exploring the wonderful crop of new (and new to me) voices within the genre. The horror folks are eating […]
Mentor Text: Prologue from Life Hacks for a Little Alien by Alice Franklin Techniques: Voice via POV Adding detail in unique ways Background – I cracked myself up recently. Because I obsessively open my Libby app to see what books are new at my libraries, I’m perpetually placing holds on titles that grab my interest in […]
Each Spring as I begin to move into my final units of the school year, most of the summative assessments that I’ve designed for students have been written assessments. Some years I’ve added in Socratic Seminars or other discussion formats. Other years we’ve had presentations. But, often I’m looking for some other assessments that break from these molds […]
Mentor Text: ‘Here’ from Miles Morales: Suspended by Jason Reynolds Techniques: Setting Background – It’s April, so you know you’re only getting poetry inspired MTW posts. I’m writing this between parent conferences at school, and the last couple books of poetry that I’ve read are sitting on my desk at home, possibilities to share here flagged. […]
Mentor Text: ‘Younger Sister, Going Swimming’ by Margaret Atwood Techniques: Imagery Using Parentheses in Poetry Background – I’m writing this on the Monday of our Spring Break, which was actually extended by a snowstorm on Friday. I’m kind of hoping this will be the only time this week that I sneak into work mode, because I […]
March 25, 2025 The college entrance essay: Should we teach it or shouldn’t we? This year, the guidance department of our high school, New Directions Secondary School in the Bronx, NY, asked me if I could teach a unit on the college entrance essay in our Juniors English class. In my career, the college entrance […]
Mentor Text: from Indiana Jones and the White Witch by Martin Caidin Techniques: Characterization Background – If you’re a teacher and/or an avid reader, then we likely have some of the same habits. It’s likely that we haunt the same haunts – used bookstores and the book shelves of thrift shops. In my heart, I know […]
Back in the dark days of COVID school, my social studies colleague, Sam Futrell, and I started making videos for our students — the tiniest of mini lessons that may, perhaps, help them be able to write successfully on their own from home, or when they had an extended absence, or when they were sitting […]
Greetings this Monday morning. It’s March—the month of Spring Breaks—and teachers could not be looking forward to anything more after some long months to start the year. May your breaks be restful and productive for YOU, and may you find time to rejuvenate to make it all the way to the end of the school […]
