The Art of Reading Poetry
In fifth grade, my music teacher asked me to recite a poem during our holiday concert. This meant having to stand in front of my classmates, teachers, and parents, and, I guess, read? I practiced it,...
View ArticleSeven Icebreaker Ideas for the First Day of School
August is officially here, which marks the dreadful end of summer vacation. So, what can you expect on your first day back at school? Icebreakers, and lots of them. And if you’re anything like me, the...
View Article5 Reasons to Reread Moby-Dick
Herman Melville’s classic novel about the grand whaling voyage of the Pequod first landed on bookstore shelves exactly 167 years ago. Moby-Dick was widely panned in both England and the United...
View Article5 Creative Ways to Teach Story Elements to Middle Schoolers
Every time I tell my middle schoolers that we are going to analyze the elements of a story, I get a big groan from about half the room. Somehow, it’s gotten into their heads that writing stories is...
View Article5 Mary Oliver Poems to Use in the Classroom
Do you have a hard time getting students excited about poetry? The work of Mary Oliver has long been celebrated for its simplicity, beauty, and clarity. Her rich, sensory language, exploration of the...
View Article3 Tips for Teaching Reading
For many students, reading comes naturally. It’s possible your students probably don’t think about how they read—they just do it. So for those who speak and read English proficiently, taking extra time...
View Article5 Contemporary Poets to Teach in the High School Classroom
Poetry selections in high school are too often limited to a hallowed few—Shakespeare and Petrarch, Whitman and Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, and perhaps Billy Collins—if poetry is included...
View ArticleEssential Literary Elements, Part 2
Here at eNotes, we’re constantly reading and trying to figure out the myriad meanings found within our favorite texts. One of the ways we try to better understand what’s going on is to refresh...
View Article10 Useful Websites for Teachers This Fall
We're sharing several of our favorite websites and resources for you hardworking teachers out there.
View ArticleTeaching Poetic Devices Using “The Hill We Climb”
On January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman faced a unique challenge. The youngest inaugural poet in United States history, Gorman wanted her poem “The Hill We Climb” to “envision a way in which our country can...
View Article
