Top products from r/ELATeachers

We found 31 product mentions on r/ELATeachers. We ranked the 113 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Top comments that mention products on r/ELATeachers:

u/ambut · 2 pointsr/ELATeachers

We do a Folgers unit for Romeo and Juliet that has been super successful. It is all performance-based assessments and gets kids out of their seats multiple times a week. We mix the Folgers lessons and assessments with a few more traditional things (an essay and a test, for example), and we take out some of the less useful or interesting lessons (there's one where they just dance...? It's weird.). But we more or less do the unit as written and it's really enjoyable for us and for the kids. You can get all the lessons in this book. It takes us about two months to do the whole unit but it's worth it. I'm happy to send a sample pacing map that we used this past semester for this unit if you're interested. Two other things that tend to work well:

  • Start the year with "The Most Dangerous Game", which is a relatively quick read but deep enough to study things like character, theme, and other terms that freshmen might need a refresher on.
  • Things Fall Apart unit. Teaching it now for the third time to freshmen (I've also done it with older grades). The novel itself is easy save for the names, and it's a flexible sort of unit timing-wise. You can do it in like 3-4 weeks or you can stretch it to almost 2 months if you want. There's tons of room for history stuff, and Common Lit has great suggestions for paired readings. Hope this helps! I have lots of curricula so let me know if you want any materials, pacing maps, or other info.
u/Sychael · 2 pointsr/ELATeachers

Get this book and adapt something from the Take a Stand and Propose a Solution section. Its a good book but it has its flaws.

The best way to increase engagement is to give the students as much power as possible. Let them decide what to research but give them scaffolded tools to help them choose a topic. Last time I did this I had many students writing about the legalization of cannabis and if they thought it was a good idea or not. Other popular topics were gun control, pit bull bans, abortion, video games as art, LBGT rights and legal driving age.

I think, and this is just my opinion man, but a research project might require more specific skill pre-teaching than you can do right at the beginning of the year. I always like to have the students start off by looking at themselves and writing about that. It helps build a safe learning environment because they cant be wrong and it helps you get to know your students.

Whatever you do make it real! Don't waste their time, they will know and make you pay for it.

u/firstroundko108 · 11 pointsr/ELATeachers

If I could go back in time as a senior in high school, above all, I would just do more reading, and I would read widely. I did not start on the path to English teaching until I was 26, and although I did great in college and I feel that I am a successful teacher now, my weakness is my reading background. I would suggest using an app like Goodreads so that you can track your progress as you chip away at the literary canon, work by work. The texts that are going to help you the most and serve you for the rest of your career are the ones that most authors allude to, so, I would suggest that at some point you familiarize yourself with these from a literary standpoint:

  • The Bible
  • Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey
  • Virgil's Aenid
  • Ovid's Metamorphoses
  • As many Shakespeare plays as you can read (and I just want to mention that the Cambridge School editions are the best for teaching)

    As far as resources that will give you a head start, I suggest:

  • Shmoop (but only after you've exhausted your own abilities with a text)
  • How to Read Literature Like a Professor
  • How Literature Works
  • Any Introductory Textbook to Critical Theory

    Considering pedagogy resources, by the time you are in an education program, there will be new research and new buzzwords, so I won't waste my time here, but these are my favorite resources when it comes to inspiring my teaching:

  • Rick Wormeli (Seriously, this guy is amazing)
  • Teach Like a Pirate
  • Reading in the Wild

    Lastly, if you go into an English education program with a near-perfect understanding of grammar, your life will be so much easier. I suggest these three resources for brushing up:

  • No Red Ink
  • Teaching Grammar Through Writing
  • Language Exploration and Awareness

    Good luck, and let me know if you have questions! If you do anything on this list, just read!
u/emenenop · 9 pointsr/ELATeachers

I second the motion to wait a year and get to know the kids and program. Also, it's good to get to know the political climate a bit and to build some networks of support with people who will be willing to put in a good word for you. Build a rapport with the kids who will tell their friends about you.

Meanwhile, use your year, which might be fairly easy, to do the following:

Here are the ELA state standards for OK. Get to know them like the back of your hand. Know which years are generally the same, and which years take a jump forward in expectations.

Read some books about how to teach in an English classroom. Write Like This and Deeper Reading from Kelly Gallagher will give you concrete strategies you can use for any grade. Some of them you could even do with mixed groups of mixed ages. Jim Burke's English Companion is also good.

While you have time and a fairly mild workload, plan, plan, plan. Put things on paper. Look into how LMS's work (my personal fave is Schoology, and I've tried at least a dozen different ones over the years) and what they can do for a classroom where kids have computer access.

Don't get discouraged if, after all this, they say no. What you have then is everything you need to walk into any regular classroom 6-12 if you decide to look for a new job. Good luck!

u/tyler0351 · 2 pointsr/ELATeachers

Ouch. My advice, then, would be to employ some good reading strategies and increase the drama/improv acting in your class.

The best book I've read for helping readers is When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do by Kylene Beers. She offers some fantastic pre-, during-, and post-reading strategies. My students love Tea Party. Here is a summary of the book--look at chapters 6, 7, & 8 in particular: http://middlesecondarytoolkit.pbworks.com/f/mainidea111509.pdf

While that helps with comprehension (which naturally enhances engagement), I think teachers also can improve student engagement if they work on their performance abilities. I like to stop every few minutes or so (depending on grade level and reading ability) when I'm reading aloud and act out scenes. Today, my 7th graders (I teach 7-12 and I do the same with all grades) were reading Of Mice and Men, and after the scene where Lennie crushes Curly's hand, I stopped and said "Oh man this is exciting, but I'm not sure you're all getting this. We need to see this," and then I had the smallest girl get up and pretending to be Lennie as she crushed my hand and I melodramatically fell to the ground crying. In another scene I pretended to be Curly's wife and came in and "hit on" a couple male students. I'm a 6'0" man.

It sounds silly, but when you can embrace the cringe and get students laughing, you'll have them in the palm of your hand. It also causes students to pay more attention because they might get selected to be part of the mini-skit, and they don't want to be caught having no idea what we're talking about. If you want more information on how to increase the performance side of teaching, these are my two favorite books on the subject:

Teach Like a Pirate

Happy Teacher Habits

u/Coloradical27 · 1 pointr/ELATeachers

Hi, your research projects sound like a good start. I would change the project about "tragic hero" to "tragic flaw" or "tragic act." I worked with some Shakespeare scholars this summer and they said the idea of the tragic hero came about recently and it is anachronistic with Shakespeare.

Also, I don't know if you've already planned your whole unit, but I strongly recommend using the [Shakespeare Set Free] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743288505/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0671760467&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1KZKD0PM2A0Z50Y71C31) curriculum from the Folger Shakespeare library to help you with your lessons. It is all about close reading and making Shakespeare fun. I cannot recommend it enough. Good luck!



u/limnetic792 · 2 pointsr/ELATeachers

Peter Smagorinsky: "Teaching English by Design"
Great resource for planning complete units and for literature activities.
http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-English-Design-Create-Instructional/dp/0325009805

Edgar Schuster: "Breaking the Rules: Liberating Writers Through Innovative Grammar Instruction"
Good introduction to grammar instruction and the controversies surrounding it. (A bit iconoclastic, but I agree with his approach. The anti-grammar-nazi.)

6+1 Traits of Writing. There are different books and websites. http://educationnorthwest.org/traits

This is the "mandated" writing strategy in my county, but it is really good. There is a book specifically for middle school that has great writing instruction ideas.

u/teacher94085 · 2 pointsr/ELATeachers

I'm not sure if you mean Shakespeare Set Free (which is published by Folger), but I would highly recommend/second this resource. There are great activities to help students engage with the language and it goes at a pretty quick pace.

u/_the_credible_hulk_ · 2 pointsr/ELATeachers

A great place to start is the Folger Shakespeare Library's Shakespeare Set Free series. It's day by day lesson plans, some of which are great, some of which are so-so, focusing on performance. Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Set-Free-Teaching-Midsummer/dp/0743288505/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3M92XFXTGYFZY4NJKWV6

It's the best teaching resource I've ever owned.

u/iamtheterrible · 2 pointsr/ELATeachers

Wow thank you for your advice, I really appreciate that. I shall note them down at once.

Are you using any tables/forms that might be useful in this case that you are currently using for your classes? Are there any writing practices that you would suggest to your class for the sake of improving their writing in general?

Question though, which Hacker book on grammar are we talking about? https://www.amazon.com/Bedford-Handbook-Diana-Hacker/dp/0312419333 is the one I found on Amazon, and I'm just not sure if that's the one you are talking about.

u/meat-head · 10 pointsr/ELATeachers

Lots of experience.

First, here are four books I recommend related to this (in rough order of practical to theoretical):

Book Love

Readicide

In The Middle

Free Voluntary Reading

Second, if ALL you did was make sure they read books and developed a love for them, it would be good.

The best way to "keep them accountable" imo is to conference with them semi-regularly to talk about the book they are reading. Something else I do is go around and write the page number they are on. This can give you data on reading rate over time. It also helps to know who is reading and who is faking.

Now, your student population will affect how/when/if you do this. But, I imagine it will be helpful for about 90% of high school populations. Maybe 100. (Free Voluntary Reading backs this up with many many studies)

It can be a struggle, but if you make it part of your culture, you will get buy-in. Consider that I work at an alternative high school with "difficult students". One of my most resistant readers this year ("I ain't reading books. I hate reading..") Has finished like 6-10 books in half a year. She probably hasn't read that many in her last 3-5 years of school combined.

One important key is getting good books.

The most common argument against high school SSR is "I don't have time to that with all the content I have to cover." Depending on how nice I was feeling, I would say, "You don't have time not to." Otherwise, I might say, "Quit wasting student time with so much 'content'. "

u/liefelijk · 1 pointr/ELATeachers

What about The Surrender Tree? It is a fantastic verse novel about the Cuban War of Independence. Not sure if Cuba is too close to the other countries you mentioned.

It combines English and Spanish, is intended for 7-12, and hits the flowery language very well! It’s a beautiful text that I’d highly recommend.

u/mistermajik2000 · 2 pointsr/ELATeachers

Which play?

The Folger Shakespeare Library website has tons of lessons which are interactive, “on your feet” style.

And, I can’t recommend this enough:
Buy this book! - I used it for MacBeth last year, and gave it to my neighbor this year for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s a serious game-changer with loads of lessons (entire unit plan) that are interactive and actually fun!

u/living_sense · 2 pointsr/ELATeachers

I use Critical Encounters in High School English in my classroom, and I love it. It provides excellent lesson ideas, explanations of theories, and in-depth chapters of some theories and how to introduce them. http://www.amazon.com/Critical-Encounters-High-School-English/dp/0807748927

Edit: Oh, and I also teach all levels of juniors.

u/Not_in_KS_anymore · 10 pointsr/ELATeachers

I love the text Critical Encounters in High School Critical Encounters in HS English — she has tons of good activities.

One that I’ve used before is to create lists of questions typical of several lenses and have the students do station work as they rotate through. You can do this with a full text, an extract, etc.

u/Devchonachko · 2 pointsr/ELATeachers

Look at

https://www.amazon.com/English-Brushup-John-Langan/dp/0073513601

I use this book with really low level high school students. There are a lot of chapters we don't cover because we just don't have time but it definitely ramps up to more complex grammar skills.

We also had success with IXL (the grammar) online accounts but funding got cut last year so we switched to books.

u/eraserh · 6 pointsr/ELATeachers

Plan backwards. For each unit figure out your final, summative assessment, determine how long you want the unit to be, and then plan lessons with objectives that focus in on whatever skills or content knowledge you plan on assessing in the final project.

It's worth investing in a copy of Understanding by Design to help you plan your units, especially if you haven't studied teaching in undergrad or grad school.

u/the_beer_fairy · 2 pointsr/ELATeachers

You might want to check out some of the poems in Tupac's The Rose That Grew From Concrete. I also pulled some poems from the book Paint me Like I am.

u/A-Nonny-Mouse · 1 pointr/ELATeachers

Some suggestions:
Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan.

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina (but this might be a little young for your kids)

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

I'd also second Feed.