With the new calendar year upon us, it’s time to think about improving ourselves, improving our teaching practices, and improving the teaching materials we use in our classroom. I like to take this time to reflect on the teaching resources that I’ve created. I like to reflect on my favorite resources, and always strive to create better, more thorough, robust, and engaging materials that teachers can use in their classrooms. Here’s a look at my favorite 10 secondary ELA resources I created and published in 2018.
Literature Response Task Cards
My favorite thing about this resource is its versatility and usability. Since I created this resource, I’ve already used it in my classroom several different times, each time with a different novel. The reason why this resource is so versatile is that there are two different sets of cards in this resource (one for pre-reading and one for during/after reading) that can be used with any piece of fiction.
Editable Writing Rubric Bundle for Secondary ELA
These writing rubrics are on this list because they are so versatile! This resource includes a variety of writing rubrics for common-core writing, and since they are delivered on the Google Docs platform, they are 100% editable. Teachers can either use these rubrics as they are, or use them as time-saving templates for their own rubrics.
Rhetorical Analysis Sticky Note Unit
One of my favorite things to teach is rhetorical analysis because I can incorporate a wide variety of texts into my curriculum. In 2018, I set out to find a way to teach rhetorical analysis in a new and engaging way that hooked my students, and this unit was a hit with my students. This resource includes engaging and interactive student materials that include spaces for sticky notes, and it also contains an editable PowerPoint presentation to use for direct instruction.
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| Sticky Note Rhetorical Analysis |
ELA Test Prep Nonfiction Escape Room
If there was one educational trend in the past couple of years that has completely transformed student engagement, it is the incorporation of the escape room into the classroom. I wanted to combine escape room excitement with necessary test prep activities, and that is why I created this activity. This escape room includes a nonfiction reading passage and several challenges and tasks for students to complete. The question stems mirror state-testing question stems. My students had so much fun with this activity.
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| Nonfiction Reading Test Prep Escape Room |
MLA Format Escape Room
There’s a reason why there are quite a few escape rooms on this list! They are so much fun. My MLA Format Escape Room is another one of my favorite resources that I created in 2018 because it combines MLA instruction with fun and engaging activities. Your students will love competing against one another as they demonstrate their MLA Style skills!
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| MLA Format Escape Room |
ELA Test Prep Listening Skills Escape Room
Here’s another test prep escape room activity on the list! This one focuses on students’ listening skills, but it could also be used for nonfiction reading comprehension. Similar to the nonfiction reading escape room, this one includes a nonfiction passage that I’ve also included as a professionally-recorded audio file and several challenges that focus on comprehension, analysis, and vocabulary development.
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| ELA Listening Skills Escape Room |
Grammar Task Cards Bundle
I love using task cards in the classroom because they can be used in many different ways. In addition to having students work on task cards in small groups, I also like incorporating them into stations. It is quite easy to use task cards to fill up one station. This grammar task cards bundle includes 240 unique grammar task cards for parts of speech, pronouns, and coordinating conjunctions.
Parts of Speech Escape Room
The last escape room to make it to this list is my Parts of Speech Escape Room. I enjoyed creating this resource, and it is a fun and challenging classroom activity for students to complete when they are learning about the parts of speech. You can use this escape room to introduce, practice, or review the parts of speech.
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| Parts of Speech Escape Room |
Lord of the Flies Self-Grading Quizzes
I teach the Lord of the Flies to my sophomores every year, and sometimes I need a quick quiz to assess whether or not my students read. These quizzes are delivered via Google Forms and are entirely self-grading. Converting these quizzes to Google Forms this year was a huge time-saver for me.
Secondary ELA Curriculum Map and Pacing Guide
Over the summer I mapped out my entire curriculum and offered my curriculum map as a free download in my store. While it does include quite a few resource links, I also provided a copy of this curriculum map as a Google Doc copy so that teachers could use the formatting and make the necessary modifications to suit their own classroom needs. This curriculum is included in my Secondary ELA Curriculum resource.
