Want to love walking into your ELA classroom each day? Excited about innovative strategies like PBL, escape rooms, hexagonal thinking, sketchnotes, one-pagers, student podcasting, genius hour, and more? Want a thriving choice reading program and a shelf full of compelling diverse texts? You're in the right place! Here you'll find interviews with top authors from the ELA field, workshops with strategies you can use in class immediately, and quick tips to ignite your English teacher creativity. Love teaching poetry? Explore blackout poems, book spine poems, I am from poems, performance poetry, lessons for contemporary poets, and more. Excited to get...
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Sep 30, 2026 · 14:56
As a fairly constant reader for the last few decades, I sometimes forget how challenging reading can be. But then I get into, for example, a dense thirty page research write-up…
Sep 23, 2026 · 34:41
It's easy to think of hexagonal thinking as a one-and-done. But it's not. It's a strategy you can tailor to a thousand different situations. Andi Jackson, veteran teacher,…
Sep 16, 2026 · 12:48
We've all had the experience of planning a detailed activity meant to take thirty or forty minutes, and then watching a student close their book or notebook after five. It's…
Sep 9, 2026 · 12:07
I've been the first one to school a lot lately, and I'm spending a lot of quiet moments in my classroom, thinking about what's working well, what I can tweak, and how I can best…
Sep 2, 2026 · 12:10
"What's this?" I was crouched alongside a student on the first day of school as she filled out her reading profile. She pointed her pink highlighter at the section of genres,…
Aug 26, 2026 · 43:09
There are so many ways to grade students. You can avoid zeros, use a standards-based approach, allow iteration, tweak your late policy, experiment with different categories and…
Aug 19, 2026 · 17:21
Recently I listened to Daniel Wilingham's book, Why Don't Kids Like School? , about how we can use what we know about how the mind works to make school work better for kids. And…
Aug 12, 2026 · 7:41
You know how I love to share a great find, and this week I've got a real winner for your vocabulary program. On this episode of "Highly Recommended," I'll tell you about a new…
Aug 5, 2026 · 10:02
If you joined us for Camp Creative last week, you know we spent one of our days focused on AI. I shared a variety of activities to help students consider, discuss, and write…
Jul 29, 2026 · 18:11
My first first day of school, as you probably know, did not go well. Unless you count laying on the floor of my office crying at the end of the day "going well." It was the first…
Jul 22, 2026 · 11:13
So here's the thing. I know I talk a lot about reading. It's pretty important to me. But all week I've been trying to prepare a different podcast, one NOT about the uncrackable…
Jul 15, 2026 · 11:47
I'm not going to lie, the prospect of getting to set up a classroom space after years of dreaming about that very task is one of the reasons I'm headed back into the classroom…
Jul 8, 2026 · 6:34
So I've been working on the materials for Camp Creative: Your Back-to-School Kickoff Kit, this year's iteration of the free summer PD I run every year. (By the way, you can get…
Jul 1, 2026 · 15:24
Design thinking is a framework for creating things. And creating things, as Semour Papert argued in his theory of constructionism, is the kind of "hard fun" that engages people…
Jun 24, 2026 · 10:25
Recently I was invited to give a poetry workshop on a reflection day at a local school. They wanted the writing element of the day to help students understand themselves better,…
Jun 17, 2026 · 6:33
So maybe you already know I'll be teaching a section of ninth grade next year to help a local school fill a hole. Want to know what I was doing at 11 pm the night after I agreed…
May 28, 2026 · 17:36
Walk into an expensive "Innovation Lab" or High Tech Cutting Edge University Makerspace, and you'll probably see a laser cutter, a 3D printer or two, all kinds of expensive…
May 20, 2026 · 17:22
I often see conversations online at this time of year about PD books worth reading over the summer. Maybe your PLC is looking for a good read, or you want to take something…
May 13, 2026 · 10:37
The countdowns are on all over the place, and that means in many classrooms, it's time to review. So let's dive into a lightning round of review ideas to help you come up with…
May 6, 2026 · 11:40
Years ago, Teri Lesegne wrote a book called Reading Ladders, about meeting readers where they are and then guiding them to new heights. It's a lovely image. I've got my own twist…
Apr 29, 2026 · 9:37
The countdown started yesterday in my kitchen, as my daughter flipped the calendar forward for something and realized she had less than thirty days of school left. She loves her…
Apr 22, 2026 · 11:32
When my daughter was a baby, she was a terrible sleeper. I spent many early morning hours trying to find advice online from research, experts, and parents in similar situations.…
Apr 15, 2026 · 15:15
Earlier this month we started to explore creative poetry activity options for National Poetry Month (and any time!). But there were just too many to pack into one episode! I…
Apr 8, 2026 · 22:44
Recently an invite dropped into my inbox - did I want to swing by a school in my city to talk about teaching ninth grade English for them next year? They really needed to fill a…
Apr 2, 2026 · 25:56
Maybe you weren't taught poetry with joy and pizzazz, and you don't incline to writing it yourself. Which perhaps describes, what do you think, 99% of the population? Maybe…
Mar 25, 2026 · 2:37
Welcome to another episode in our occasional series of short "Highly Recommended" episodes, in which we dive into a quick idea, resource, or tip that I hope will have an…
Mar 18, 2026 · 12:34
I loved the Bread Loaf School of English program at Middlebury College. It's a unique summer program leading to a Masters in English, catering almost entirely to English…
Mar 10, 2026 · 10:31
I'm in a book club right now, for the first time ever. (Yeah, I know, gasp. But I've always had so much to read for so many reasons that I've never sought out a book club). It's…
Mar 4, 2026 · 25:20
When you boil down the essentials of so much writing, what you get is the need for vivid, original detail. In a college essay, the story comes alive when a student goes way past…
Feb 25, 2026 · 4:40
This week would be my Dad's birthday. If he was still here, spice cake with thick caramel frosting would be in order, and a beautiful cross country ski outing through the snowy…
Feb 18, 2026 · 30:30
Today on the podcast we're digging into student agency and the lessons Dr. Annalies Corbin has learned from her work pioneering microschools and portable innovation labs. Who is…
Feb 11, 2026 · 19:50
A few weeks ago I shared my dream American Lit curriculum here on the pod, and soon after I heard from a British Literature teacher who was hoping for some new unit ideas for her…
Feb 4, 2026 · 38:18
The word audience conjures up a crowd, perhaps people watching an opera late at night at the Santa Fe outdoor amphitheatre, as the moon rises over the spectacle of Cosi Fan…
Jan 28, 2026 · 24:16
American Lit has the potential to be an engaging, broadening, fascinating course. We're in what I consider an in-between era, where many schools are still providing the…
Jan 21, 2026 · 11:17
Let's talk about an incredibly adaptable project in which students experiment with creative ideas across modes. It's easy to plug into a variety of units and times of year, and…
Jan 14, 2026 · 33:48
The more time you spend writing, the more you know that revision is everything. Let me cite writing superhero John Green on this one, who discusses his drafting process in the…
Jan 7, 2026 · 15:16
We know we want kids to have choice. As much choice as possible in creating the education that is meaningful and helpful for them. That choice can come through choice over…
Dec 17, 2025 · 12:22
I bet you know your favorite way to learn something. Maybe it's by listening to a podcast, skimming a couple of articles on the topic, reading a book, going to a live lecture,…
Dec 10, 2025 · 17:01
Dickens' A Christmas Carol stands out strongly from his other works, but not because it's so different, really, in what it hopes to accomplish. Critiquing society, drawing…
Dec 3, 2025 · 16:44
According to research by Stanford Professor Bob Sutton , innovative businesses need to generate about 4,000 ideas to come up with two or three really good ones. Think about that.…
Nov 19, 2025 · 18:01
It's easy to think of hexagonal thinking as a big event, a full-class activity that you set up and run for a whole period. But once your students know how to use this tool, it…
Nov 12, 2025 · 20:50
You know how some spaces just make you feel excited to DO something? Whether it's a Cricut getting your wheels spinning with what-ifs, beautiful shelves of paint inviting you to…
Nov 5, 2025 · 19:22
The other day I found myself walking through a parking garage stairwell in Iowa City, and I realized they were using the same scent design as the local mall in Bratislava where…
Oct 29, 2025 · 34:34
Imagine you and I were about to make a dinner together. Now, I bring a love of baking to our project, and a decently strong roast chicken game. But I don't want to dominate the…
Oct 22, 2025 · 21:19
My first classroom was a little blue trailer on the edge of the soccer field. Every morning, I got my shoes clogged with mud hiking across the field, but I loved my corner of…
Oct 15, 2025 · 21:29
The first time I had much use for poetry came in college, freshmen year. My professor assigned each of us to memorize a poem and recite it in class. Horrified, I chose ee…
Oct 8, 2025 · 23:05
I've got more and more respect, these days, for the humble webquest. Slash hyperdoc. Slash game board. Slash immersive digital multimedia experience. Slash clickable infographic.…
Oct 1, 2025 · 24:07
Recently I had to learn APA citation. Oof. It was a heavy lift, after a few decades with MLA. It gave me a refreshed sense of how overwhelming students likely find MLA. I found…
Sep 17, 2025 · 14:04
If you teach American literature, chances are you're touching on the theme of the American Dream somehow, through book clubs, a poetry unit, a look at Gatsby, or an essential…
Sep 10, 2025 · 10:29
I worked at the cutest little bookstore coffee shop last week. In that small space, the collection had to be heavily curated, with just one or two books by popular authors and…
Sep 3, 2025 · 1:03:03
We know employers want creative thinkers. We know creative thinking is necessary to solve the problems we see everywhere in our world. We know we want our students to learn to be…
Aug 27, 2025 · 18:21
When it comes to teaching grammar, the research is clear. Drill and kill is not what we're looking for. You don't want to march through a series of grammar lessons unrelated to…
Aug 21, 2025 · 19:23
Think of your favorite book. Now think of your favorite food. Now match those two together - your favorite book and your favorite food - into some kind of experience. Maybe…
Aug 13, 2025 · 29:19
Have you been hooked by the idea of book clubs lately? Wondering how you can integrate book clubs with essential questions, supplementary short stories and podcasts, and…
Aug 6, 2025 · 15:16
Today's request for "Plan My Lesson" is from a teacher searching for a first week project that helps students get to know each other AND introduces a few key skills along the…
Jul 30, 2025 · 18:13
If there's one thing I want for your first day of school, it's for the pressure to be off you. You've got enough to worry about without needing to pull off a 45 minute lecture…
Jul 23, 2025 · 15:28
A summer reading lesson is a nice chance to start off the year with a creative tone, while creating some of the norms you want to establish. For today's "Plan my Lesson" series…
Jul 16, 2025 · 21:47
Students need to be able to make a great argument to find success at school, and in many professions. They need to come up with an idea, find evidence, analyze their evidence,…
Jul 9, 2025 · 26:29
There's a lot of conversation happening lately around student reading stamina. Rose Horowitch's Atlantic article, "The Elite College Students who Can't Read Books," helped stir…
Jun 25, 2025 · 21:37
Ken Liu's short story, "The Paper Menagerie," is an easy and powerful add to your curriculum. Not only does it explore family relationships, The American Dream, and identity…
Jun 18, 2025 · 23:52
It's a rare curriculum book that inspires NO negative comments. Ever. To hear, month after month, year after year, that a certain book turns kids into readers, ignites interest…
Jun 11, 2025 · 30:14
Trevor Noah's Born a Crime is trending, and for good reason. I'm seeing the evidence everywhere. This spring, as I ran our curriculum book choice tournament across the high…
Jun 4, 2025 · 7:21
I never met a short story I liked back in high school. If I was going to read, I wanted to READ. I wanted to get caught up in the plot, get to know the characters, inhabit the…
May 28, 2025 · 8:19
Last year, at this time, I was preparing to move from Bratislava to California when I released the episode we're revisiting today, all about the easiest way to approach the last…
May 21, 2025 · 13:44
A few engaging review activities for ELA come in handy around this time of year, as the calendar takes over and students pop off to random awards ceremonies, spirit events, and…
May 14, 2025 · 8:45
When it comes to evidence in their argument papers, students have a tendency to mic drop way too soon. "Here's my evidence, BOOOOOOOM!" you can almost hear them saying. Because…
May 7, 2025 · 10:04
Sure, there's no one right way to write an argument paper. It can be three paragraphs, nine, or even seventeen. It can be loaded with research. It can be full of voice and…
Apr 30, 2025 · 11:46
I have to admit my kids have got me fully invested in "Is it Cake?" At some point in England last year, someone begged for us to watch the show while we ate green pesto pasta on…
Apr 23, 2025 · 9:34
I miss the Eras tour. Even though it hasn't been that long. My daughter is requesting Wicked songs and Katy Perry in the car all of a sudden, instead of our usual Taylor…
Apr 16, 2025 · 14:35
It's poetry month, and that means it's time for me to share as many poetry activities, poetry projects, and poetry workshops as I can muster over here! Today, I'm going to walk…
Apr 9, 2025 · 22:27
T his winter, inspired by cool bookish tournament projects by Melissa Alter Smith of Teach Living Poets and Jared Amato of Project Lit , I decided to launch my own English…
Apr 1, 2025 · 32:26
If you're teaching Long Way Down (and ready for some Long Way Down lesson plan ideas!), let me just start by saying "YAY!" It's a reader-maker, an incredible book you can teach…
Mar 26, 2025 · 28:06
Today's guest, middle school teacher Susan Taylor, has repeatedly gone the extra mile to build a reading program that makes an impact. Not only does she guide her students…
Mar 19, 2025 · 32:30
If you've ever felt stymied over the fact that some of your students aren't sure how to write a thesis while others are ready to tackle counterargument, today's episode is for…
Mar 12, 2025 · 5:08
It all started with 1984 , as so many things do. I wanted students to see how the ideas in the book were splashed across the world around them - yes, in their magazines and ads,…
Mar 5, 2025 · 4:46
You've probably heard me talk about my first poetry slam. The project that became my go-to vehicle for teaching poetry every year that followed. The book I was handed - 6…
Feb 26, 2025 · 8:04
I can still remember the faded, chipped blue print of my childhood game of Memory. The thick cardboard squares we flipped in search of pairs, thrilled when we found a match,…
Feb 19, 2025 · 18:37
Teaching an ELA elective that you've dreamed up yourself is such a joy. Today I want to stir up some ideas together for the next time you've got the chance to put your own spin…
Feb 12, 2025 · 26:29
Like most of us, Christina Schneider didn't find teaching writing one bit easy at first. Despite her background as a journalist, putting all the puzzle pieces together in the…
Feb 5, 2025 · 12:14
It's February, the perfect time to feature work by contemporary Black authors in your book talks, poetry clip showings, First Chapter Fridays, book displays, and bulletin boards.…
Jan 29, 2025 · 14:00
How many times have you sat in a PD meeting that didn't apply to you? One where you were learning an 11 letter acronym for a strategy you'd never use, a 3 point plan for a new…
Jan 21, 2025 · 23:39
I've been reading Kylene Beers and Bob Probst's Disrupting Thinking: How Why We Read Matters this week, and one of their points that has really come home for me is how often the…
Jan 16, 2025 · 4:24
This week I want to share a project idea that you can use for a ton of different texts - the mock trial. I'll tell you why the mock trial was one of my FAVORITE projects as a…
Jan 15, 2025 · 34:46
Open The New York Times today and you'll see photos, headlines, interactive infographics, audio, videos, and text articles. I could name almost any newspaper, magazine, social…
Jan 9, 2025 · 3:49
This week I want to share a piece of advice that really comes from my wonderful husband and it's this: Don't send emails that make your heart race. That email will only make it…
Jan 7, 2025 · 8:15
There's a lot of takes on the New Year and how it fits into our lives. There's the change-everything-starting-January-1 take. The New-Year-Same-Me take. The choose-your-word…
Dec 19, 2024 · 3:18
Lately, I've been working on gamification. Not the kind where you get points and add custom outfits to your hamster avatar when you advance through a lesson - though don't get me…
Dec 17, 2024 · 5:39
If the work week is starting to feel like a blurry hand sanitizer-scented haze at the moment, you're right on schedule. The crush of holiday to-dos (fun and not-so) alongside the…
Dec 12, 2024 · 4:38
This week I'm thinking about those moments when the system collapses. Your toddler wakes up at 3 am and stays awake until 7. Your careful planning for a poetry slam explodes when…
Dec 10, 2024 · 56:32
Ever struggle to get students to stop talking? Keep their phones put away? Stay focused during the lesson? Stop whispering during an assembly? Engage with the classwork?…
Dec 5, 2024 · 4:37
In today's short episode of "Highly Recommended", I'm here to tell you it's time to try a poetry video project! Harness students' excitement over the creator economy and the…
Dec 4, 2024 · 19:17
So you want to give the nod to the season, but you also want to make sure all your students feel included. Good for you! I've been privileged to see the holidays I celebrate…
Nov 29, 2024 · 32:25
Welcome to day five of gratitude week here at Spark Creativity. Today, on our final day, we're looking back at an interview with my friend Angela Stockman about how to get…
Nov 28, 2024 · 41:48
Welcome to day four of gratitude week here at Spark Creativity. Today we're looking back at an interview with Dave Stuart Jr. about how to help fight apathy in the classroom. I'm…
Nov 27, 2024 · 35:23
Welcome to day three of gratitude week here at Spark Creativity. Today we're looking back at an interview with Dr. Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica and Dr. Allison Briceño about just how…
Nov 26, 2024 · 47:22
Welcome to day two of gratitude week here at Spark Creativity. Today we're revisiting a popular interview with Dr. Sarah Fine, whose insightful work around deeper learning I am…
Nov 25, 2024 · 52:16
This week I'm thinking about how grateful I am for this incredible community - all the creative educators around the world who have tuned into an episode, shared an idea with a…
Nov 21, 2024 · 3:23
In today's short episode of "Highly Recommended", I want to recommend an article I read at Edutopia this week, because it's chock-full of the research you need to support…
Nov 19, 2024 · 10:31
If you're a teacher in a Title I School, you need to know about First Book Marketplace. I've heard about it in passing so many times, and this week I decided to dive in and…
Nov 14, 2024 · 5:28
This week, I want to talk about Sunday nights. If you're struggling to figure out how you can be a good partner, parent, person, and teacher, and it all seems to come to a head…
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