Articles
- Gift Of Words–I love using this on the last day of class, before winter break. I am so grateful to Jane Hancock for this idea.
- Linda Christensen is one of the true goddesses in the world of English teachers, and I don’t why there are so many who don’t know her name. All of the activities here come from one of the most important magazines on social justice and teaching: Rethinking Schools. What’s Linda does, that no one else ever seems to do is explain exactly all the steps to her lesson plan. Also, I’ve never seen lesson plans that truly touch student’s hearts and make them loving writing poetry. Her husband Bill Bigelow, a former history teacher also has essential books for teachers, and if you’ve ever been interested in simulations, this is guy. Here’s just of my favorite Linda Christensen articles. In her books there are too many great lesson. Here’s just a couple.: The Forgiveness Poem–Linda Christensen has so many great articles with poetry ideas that touch kids’ hearts, but this is my favorite. Get ready for the tears. 2. I Am From Poem--A lot of teachers know about this, but the lesson has never been so well fleshed out as it is here. The book I go to the most out of her collection is Rhythm and Resistance.
- PowerPoint Party–My students had a blast with this, and it provided a way to begin the discussion on argument writing.
- Kelly Gallagher’s Article of The Week–For years, I had students write about one article per week, based on what was posted here. There’s definite value in this, I just started to find it took up too much of my time.
Books
180 Days by Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher — This is the only book I’ve ever found that attempts to show how a year of reader and writers workshop might look. Apart, some of their books are more just great ideas mixed into a talk on teaching Together, they created a must read.
The English Companion by Jim Burke–So much good advice on how to structure an English Classroom.
The Literature Workshop by Sheridan Blau — I read this ten years ago, and I still use many of the ideas in the book when teaching students about close reading.
In The Middle by Nancie Atwell–Nancie Atwell is the matriarch of writers workshop. This is the book, in my opinion, that began it all.
Everyday Editing by Jeff Andersen–So much passion and lessons on how to teach grammar without making it tedious. I want so badly to use this in my classroom, but I just can’t find the time.
Voice Lessons by Nancy Dean–Nancy Dean covers diction, syntax, tone and figurative language by showing strong models and having students analyze them. Yes, teaching can sometimes be simple and brilliant.
Poems, Poets, Poetry by Helen Vendler–I really needed this book to understand how to read and analyze a poem. Vendler goes in depth on such poems as (In Just-) by E.E. Cummings and We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks. The books opened up for me this beautiful world of poetry analysis
Websites
First Book Marketplace–You cannot find better prices on young adult literature.
Ms Effie’s AP Site–Such an incredible resource for AP teachers. I feel like there was a time when Ms. Effie was really the only great website for AP teachers
Learner.org – My whole career has been a search to truly understand writers workshop. There are so many books that give activities, but can’t give an overall picture, day to day, of how it looks. From the Annenberg Association, this is about as close as it gets. Lots of videos and lesson plans here, all organized, for the most part, in units.
Much Ado About Teaching – Susan Barber and Brian Sztabnik are rock starts and their website is my daily go to, welcoming anything they post. These two give Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle a serious run for the money.
The Multigenre Paper–My students love the multigenre research paper. There’s a major learning curve for students and teachers, but once they get it they take off. Tom Romano is the guy who started all this. There are lots of books on Amazon and websites to help.
Living Poets–Such well-organized lesson using hyperdocs. My biggest regret is that I only use this on sub days.
Activities
Penny Kittle, most of this is from 180 Days. Here are 2 of of my favorite activities from the book:
Hands–Sarah Kay poem and drawing activity, works really well during a narrative unit.
Full Body Drawing — A way to look at two sides of a character in a creative manner.
Others
Slip or Trip–Solve the crime. My students really enjoy this during the argument unit
Altered Books — I’m not sure why, but I have had so many students who love making altered books, especially when asked to package a project creatively. Not easy to explain. Check out this website, look at examples on google images. It’s addictive once you get started.
Favorite Mentor Models
Something You Should Know by Clint Smith
Opening of Bright Lights, Big City by Jay Mcinerey–best example of second person writing ever.
Foul Shot by Edwin Hooey– the power of verbs
Soda Crackers by Ray Carver
Wish List by Pearl Jam – I use as an introduction to metaphors. Since it’s Pearl Jam, I show the music video and also discuss with students the grunge movement
Favorite Seminar Texts
Little Things Are Big by Jesus Colon
The Children’s Story by James Clavell
The Hangman by Maurice Ogden
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Passing by Langston Hughes
Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jamaica Letter by Simon Bolivar
The Interlopers by Saki
Content of The Dead Man’s Pocket
History Lesson by Arthur C. Clarke
The Split Cherry Tree by Jesse Stuart
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman