I’m a high school English teacher. I have a student looking for books/novel that feature transgender issues. We are a small town school with a very limited library and I would love to increase my representation of different perspectives on my classroom bookshelf for my LGBTQ+ students.

Looking for any title recommendations you may have!

Thanks in advance!

Does anyone else think that The Devil’s Arithmetic is poorly written and find the plot difficult? I just need someone out there to feel like this with me. I feel terrible for disliking this book- but ugh- I just need to vent. So much telling, too much dialogue, an excessive number of characters, lots of stereotypes, a rushed and confusing plot…

Hi there brilliant ELA teachers,

I currently live in Spain and my daughter attends 9th grade public school there so all instruction is in Spanish. Her entire education thus far has been in Spain. Her English class has always been a woefully inadequate ESL class for grades 1-9. Both I and her father are native English speakers and she has always been an avid reader in both languages. In the past, we’ve just had her read English books during her 4 hours of weekly class instruction time and occasionally I’ve assigned her some short answer questions. Her teachers let her do this and provide no additional support. Spain gives a lot of homework in general so I haven’t wanted to burden her too much with extra work, but she’s in 9th grade now and I’d like to challenge her a bit and have her not be totally ignorant in regard to English literature and writing.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? We tried commonlit last year and it worked pretty well, but she only read one novel. I’m not great at writing myself, but I think it’s important she be able to write papers in English. Her Spanish language arts classes don’t really have her writing essays either. It’s mostly 1 page short answer type stuff. I think she wrote a single 2 page argumentative essay in her 8th grade Spanish class.

I’m not opposed to hiring someone to teach her, but a couple of the group programs I’ve found online haven’t seemed worth the money- ie minimal feedback from an actual teacher and lots of mindless multiple choice. And we‘re quite rural so in person teaching isn’t possible.

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!

Hello!

I live in Illinois and am working to hopefully become a full-time junior high ELA teacher for next school year. I currently have a bachelor’s degree in English and a sub license; I’ve been working alongside my school’s retired ELA teacher in the classroom this year to teach junior high literature and have loved it (I’m half an aide, half a long-term substitute teacher). The goal is for me to be able to fully take over her position next school year.

After talking with other teachers I know and who are in my district, I’m planning to go the content knowledge pathway to try and get my teaching certification for next school year so that I can start my pay rate as a first-year teacher while finishing up whatever classes I need through an online program (I should then have 3 years to complete those classes though). 

I’ll be taking the Middle Grades (5-8) Language Arts (201) test sometime in the spring, hopefully. I want to try and study as best as I can this winter. 

My main question is: how difficult would you say the test is? I’ve worked in a school for 3 years now and have been in the classroom for almost half a school year, along with graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2021. Is there going to be a lot of material I’m unfamiliar with? What do you recommend for studying and for practice guides/tests?

I greatly appreciate any insight or help anyone could give me! I’m normally a good test-taker, but I’m just feeling a bit intimidated by this test in particular. 

I do Magi with my 9th graders but I’m trying to think of another activity that will take a class or two before holiday break. Something laid back, fun, related to the holiday season. Any good articles, readings, short stories, activities that have worked for you?

I wanted to shoot everyone a question on here real fast. I am new English teacher. I graduated with my BA this year, and I have somehow nabbed a job this past fall. I have been teaching in a school with a great staff and administration team. I have obviously been keeping my head above the water, as most newbies seem to do, but one question has been plaguing me for a while. See, I have six classes. I teach 9th-10th and each grade has an AP class. Should my tests/materials be looking identical between the advanced and standard classes? How can I better supply my honors students with what they need? Any feedback would be appreciated!

I'm taking the Praxis 5039 in two weeks on December 14th and I am so nervous. Is it super hard? It's going to be super hard for me to have to repay to take the test if I fail.. I need a 168 is that hard to achieve?

Hi!

Looking for some thing to do the day before and after state testing?! My 9th/10th students all test this next week, Wednesday/Tuesday/Thursday, and Im lost as to what to do.

We have these lovely observers who like to "pop in" and make sure we aren't "slacking off" (like having a walk through the day right before the break).

We already did 10 days of reviewing concepts commonly seen in the STAAR they are taking.

Our classes are 90 minutes long, so I dont know how to do something during that time because I also want it to not be super stressful (since they're already going to plve plenty of that for the next three days) and also want it to be able to be done for sure in a day with no subsequent lessons (since they will be gone for three days and will probably not remember what we did).

Hey all,

I’m in my first year of an M.Ed. program with a focus on Curriculum & Instruction (C&I), but I’m feeling a bit torn and would love some advice. I’ve been teaching secondary ELA in the Houston area for 6 years (7th-12th grade, mostly intervention and a handful of Pre-AP/GT), and I do reallly love teaching, especially the lesson planning/creative/instructional design part of it. I would love to write curriculum for a school or something. I haven't returned to the classroom in a couple years, but after working remotely in freelance writing for a bit, I decided to go back to school, but I wasn’t sure if I should pursue an MA in English or an M.Ed. in C&I. There are also C&I programs that have English specializations but I ultimately didn't choose those. Since I’m passionate about curriculum design, lesson planning, and data analysis (and not as much about classroom management), I went with M.Ed. C&I instead of MA in English

Now, here's the kicker: I’ve also got a strong passion for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (HGS)—specifically, teaching and preventing genocide and empowering HS students to be more involved in human rights awareness, etc. Surprisingly, I found an M.Ed. program (the one I'm in now) that offered a concentration in HGS within the M.Ed. program as an option, in addition to a C&I option, but I had to only choose one. So I decided on the M.Ed. with an HGS concentration. But early on, I met with my advisor adn told him it would probably be more practical to do the C&I concetntration instead. He was super nice and let me subsitute about half the C&I courses for HGS courses so that I could still get the best of both worlds, even if on paper it was only C&I.

The HGS courses have been incredibly fulfilling for me, and I’m really enjoying them. My goal is to eventually write a curriculum that teaches genocide and the Holocaust in a more interdisciplinary, impactful way that truly engages kids.

But here's where I'm stuck: At the end of the day, I'm an English teacher. I would probably need a plan B: the MA in English or at least 18 hours of it, so that if my grand plan fails, I can at least teach DC or adjunct. My current grad program doesn’t offer grade-level English courses, so I can’t work toward a PLAN B now, which would be taking the 18 graduate hours in English needed to teach Dual Credit or adjunct college English classes (which a Plan B I'm totally ok with!). I’m also realizing that the HGS-focused M.Ed. might be a bit niche, and I’m wondering if that’ll limit my job prospects in the future, especially since my certification is in ELA and not in HGS.

I’m just concerned about not being able to go with Plan B of teaching college-level courses unless I somehow get those 18 hours in English somewhere, somehow. Ideally, I’d love to work on that while finishing the M.Ed. I'm already in now with C&I (and secretly HGS), but without seeking a terminal degree for a different program, I can’t get financial aid for those 18 hours only, and I certainly can’t afford them out-of-pocket.

So, should I stick with this current but uncertain (even if rewarding for now) path, focus on finishing the M.Ed., and/or find a way to get the 18 English hours later (if needed), or is there a way to combine my current program with something else to get those credits sooner? Is there a way to do both simultaneously, or should I just finish the M.Ed. and hope the C&I (but mostly HGS) concentration opens up its own opportunities? I might just be naive.

Any advice or similar experiences would be so helpful-whether anyone else has experienved anything similar or any C&I or admin that might have some insight into this? I'm in TX by the way.

Hey everyone,

My teaching community is wildly comprised of “third culture” kids. We’re debating a unit with our 8th graders to cover the questions of identity, culture and place to support our students. Does anyone have any texts they might recommend or ideas they would cover in such a unit? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

EDIT: Just need to say, wow! Thank you all for such incredible options. I can’t wait to dig in and explore further. I’m also at an international school, so I love the diversity of these texts. What a community!

First time teaching Sophomores. Any recommendations for drama units? Plays, TV shows, movies.. open to anything. I did Twilight Zone when I taught middle school, but thought that might be too elementary for High School.

I was crouched between row 1&2 helping a student who was seated at the desk. Two girls between rows 2&3 didn’t want to take down the two stacked metal chairs. Instead, they shoved them on top of me, hitting my neck and thoracic back area… What would you do? Ela/6th

Hello friends. I am a newbie here. Currently considering including Maus in my Holocaust unit. Can any of you who have taught it give me pointers or direct me to some content I could incorporate into my unit? Pulling from scratch here and would love to compare ideas. Many thanks!

Hi!

I’m teaching Macbeth for year 10 English (have done so for a few years) but we always just watch the Christopher Eccleston version and then do some themes and scenes in class. We finish with a speaking task in which students perform a soliloquy and analyse their dramatic and language choices.

Next year I want to take my kids to a production and Sport for Jove are doing Macbeth at a local theatre right around the start of term 2.

My question is - do you think it’s best to go to a production at the start of term to set the tone of the unit and give them some experience with the performance of Shakespeare straight away? Or is it best to wait until a bit later in the term, perhaps as a capstone to the term after they’ve already read and understood the play?

Also - anyone who has seen Sport for Jove’s production of Macbeth - is it text-accurate?

Hi!

I’m teaching Macbeth for year 10 English (have done so for a few years) but we always just watch the Christopher Eccleston version and then do some themes and scenes in class. We finish with a speaking task in which students perform a soliloquy and analyse their dramatic and language choices.

Next year I want to take my kids to a production and Sport for Jove are doing Macbeth at Seymour Centre right around the start of term 2.

My question is - do you think it’s best to go to a production at the start of term to set the tone of the unit and give them some experience with the performance of Shakespeare straight away? Or is it best to wait until a bit later in the term, perhaps as a capstone to the term after they’ve already read and understood the play?

Also - anyone who has seen Sport for Jove’s production of Macbeth - is it text-accurate?

What is your favorite unit that you’ve taught? Especially units centered around a thematic idea (like courage, resilience, etc) or that have a thought-provoking essential question? Feeling like I’ve hit a roadblock and need some inspiration. I teach 7th grade ELA.

THANK YOU to everyone who took time out of their day to offer insight into their experience as secondary educators. Your in-depth responses and your general willingness to support a [college] student/future educator is a testament to the dedicated teachers and advocates that you are for your students...and likely anyone seeking guidance and/or academic support.

I'm excited and genuinely grateful to be in community with y'all.

Student reading "The Great Gatsby" in my sophomore English class asked, "Why are the chapter numbers in hieroglyphics?”

At my previous school, I was on block schedule so 90 min was perfect to not only do extensive vocab instruction but do SSR and our usual lesson plans. I got so much done.

Now, I'm on 50 min class periods and am struggling with how to do my vocab. I like to do root words as I feel they're more applicable. This is my second year here and I am down to them just studying words and taking a quiz/test. I don't like that. We're at "it is what it is" level right now but I want to make changes.

I don't have time to do direct vocab instruction anymore. Not between the announcements I have to make because they won't read fricking Canvas, our spiral review warm up, and any shenanigans that happen, there is no wiggle room in the lesson plans. Our quarters are 8 weeks long and it takes me 4-5 weeks to get through a literature unit. I am locked in for every single day.

I've used things like vocab journals in the past but that was for AP. I am dubious at best that my standard students would complete it. What are some ways you address vocab? In talking to my colleagues it appears as if they just assign words on vocabulary.com and have the kids practice to mastery and put that in the gradebook. Not much better than what I'm doing now, unfortunately.

We’re adopting 9th graders Odell curriculum for advanced 8th graders. I have some concerns that hopefully are being addressed. However, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by how the materials are (dis)organized. I’m looking specifically at the photography unit.

Does anyone have any advice on the “delivery” method for students. Does anyone use packets? Good Drive? I want to avoid the “Go do this…” “Now, click this…” task oriented structure purchased curriculum tends to follow.

Thanks for helping me wrap my head around it.

I am starting a technology and nature unit with my 7th graders after the Thanksgiving break that will carry over Winter Break and through January (which has a whole bunch of interruptions, so difficult readings will be best done when there are less interruptions to the school schedule). My goal is to teach some context readings for the first half of December and then start on The Wild Robot novel study, which the kids will finish reading over break. The unit focus is on the climate themes and nature v nurture themes in the novel as well as the consumerism from Trashtalk in my obligatory HMH assignment.

They will have a week in class to start reading before the break, which will hopefully hook enough that they will finish reading over break. My incentive is that I will show a related movie provided the class can pass a final reading check with an 80% or better, and we'll make a party out of it (if they don't pass, it's fine, we'll just move on to the next thing).

I initially planned for watching Wall-E, but when I did the unit overview, the students all groaned and complained they had seen it like a million times. Only, I can't think of another title that combines technology, nature, and conservation/consumerism as well.

So I turn to you, my lovely support people. What are some 7th grade level movies that haven't been played a billion times for them that also fit the themes of the unit? The newer version of The Lorax?

I spent a year coming up with material for my classes after a 12-year break. I got praise and results. (10th grade, in CA)

This year, I've been told to strictly use StudySync, talk less, and use Equitable Grading.

I'm learning Equitable Grading. I can adapt to StidySync via their novel units, but as far as my rapport/instruction style goes, can a principal dictate that?

I polled students from this year and last year, and all said they look forward to my class. They like the vibe and feel like they can ask questions, whereas with other teachers, there's no space for that.

I will have 4 days between finishing my unit on A Raisin in the Sun and the December break. I'm looking for a movie or mini activity that either extends on the Harlem Renaissance or nicely sets up starting The Great Gatsby (what we will be reading when we return) with my 11th grade students. Anyone have thoughts or ideas of engaging activities or movies that fit this description. Many thanks!

What are your thoughts / opinions on the stressed implementation of using textbooks over reading whole novels in high school ELA?

I'm in my second year of teaching. My first year I had a lot of freedom with choosing from the approved novels, but this year my curriculum specialist and district are cracking down on novels and want every English teacher in the district to use the new textbooks they purchased to ensure "every student reads at grade level."

Personally, I hate teaching out of textbook. I don't find the content engaging or exciting for students. I find that I can teach the same skills from the textbook by just applying the same focus points to a novel.

Hi!

So I teach 7th grade ELA and admin is having all core subject teachers teach an intervention class. There is no curriculum or really any guidelines other than it has to be at a 7th grade level and not below so I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to be doing. They’re also having us ELA teachers create the lesson plans for the rest of the core team so I’m kind of at a loss for what I’m supposed to create. Does anyone have any good resources that you find helpful?

I attended NCTE 2024 this year. I have searched everywhere online for a recording of Bryan Stevenson's speech because I would love to share it with my dept, faculty, students, and family. Did anyone record or does anyone know where there is a recording? I have already emailed NCTE.

Thank you!

I’m going to be teaching a year long sci-fi elective next year. I’m doing some procrastination on this year’s correcting to think about next year’s class.

It’ll be for seniors so I have a decent amount of flexibility. Depending on the length it’ll be 4-5 books. It’s not an honors class or anything…I’m looking to teach it thematically rather than a survey course and I’m thinking that each book would cover a different type of science fiction or at least different themes. Any recommendations?