It’s no secret that students in both middle school ELA and high school English struggle with grammar. However, not all hope is lost, and it isn’t too late to bring meaningful and effective grammar instruction into your classroom. Here is a look at five must-teach grammar lessons and resources that will help your students improve their grammar skills and become stronger writers in the process! 1. Sentence Combining Bell Ringers If you are looking for a quick yet effective daily grammar and writing routine, these sentence-combining bell ringers are just what you’re looking for! After teaching students what sentence combining looks like, it takes less than five minutes a day to practice this skill. This sentence-combining bell ringer bundle includes enough bell ringers for a year of practice! Students will begin each class period by reading the group of simple sentences on the projector, combining them, and writing them into complex and compound-complex sentences. To add more value to th...

Give modern spins to classic reads. While the classics are classics, they are also outdated and there are so many modern titles that are worthy of classroom time, so I've been creating a paired list of modern novels to classic works. Read on to see my suggestions for The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Classic Focus Angst and alienation prevail in this novel. The Catcher in the Rye has become a timeless coming-of-age story focusing on Holden Caulfield and the process of leaving childhood behind.  When students begin their study of this novel, I focus on a few major themes that I can mirror in my modern selections. Dealing with a phony world, and navigating the end of childhood are two central ideas, but there’s also alienation and the general angst Holden feels. Modern Pairings There are many options for this novel. That’s one of the best reasons to still teach classics; we still use them as inspiration! Depending on your class culture, the skill level of your students, and...

Teaching and incorporating creative writing in the secondary ELA classroom is oftentimes something that gets left out. Between all of the other content -reading novels and nonfiction, writing argument papers and analysis papers, and including vocabulary and grammar- it can be tough to include creative writing. However, it is important to dedicate some time to creative writing. Creative writing is a valuable skill that can help students express their ideas, emotions, and experiences in a unique and artistic way. Plus, it helps students access a different part of their brains that require imagination and creativity. Teaching creative writing can be a rewarding and challenging experience, as it requires a combination of imagination, technique, and guidance. When I teach creative writing in my classroom, I like to use this Narrative Writing Teaching Unit and assign my students a fictional narrative. Narrative Writing Teaching Unit   Here are some tips for teaching creative writing: Create...

Active learning promotes knowledge retention. Student-centered learning improves student efficacy. Cooperative learning contributes to classroom community. Increased engagement helps classroom management. Recently, I completed this Long Way Down Symbolism Analysis Stations activity with my sophomores, and the day was magical. My students actively participated in literary analysis and high-level discussion. They were engaged. As I stepped back and observed my learners, I made a mental note to incorporate more station work in my classroom. As I heard bits and pieces of my students discussing Reynolds’ use of symbolism and why it was effective, I also started thinking about some of the benefits of the activity. Setting up learning stations in the secondary ELA classroom, whether the high school English class or the middle school ELAR class, has many benefits for students. 1. Active Learning Incorporating station work into your instructional methods is a great way to get students up, out...