January 27, 2019

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 1/29 Topic: Teaching Poetry & Empowering Students

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about teaching poetry & empowering students.Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven, & Lisa Spangler, Mrs. Spangler in the Middle, host #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.

We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group, even if you aren't on Twitter. 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.

On Tuesday, January 29, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about teaching poetry and empowering students.

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about teaching poetry & empowering students.

The Directions:
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “Latest.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurlbitlygoo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)

You can also check out a quick video tutorial in this blog post.

Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening and in our 2ndaryELA Facebook group!

Get caught up on past chats here:

January 20, 2019

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 1/22 Topic: Teaching Essay Writing

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about teaching essay writing.
Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven, & Lisa Spangler, Mrs. Spangler in the Middle, host #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.

We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group, even if you aren't on Twitter. 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.

On Tuesday, January 22, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about teaching essay writing.

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about teaching essay writing.

The Directions:
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “Latest.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurlbitlygoo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)

You can also check out a quick video tutorial in this blog post.

Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening and in our 2ndaryELA Facebook group!

Get caught up on past chats here:

January 18, 2019

Working Smarter, Not Harder in the ELA Classroom

The start of the school year isn't the only time to set goals. After the new year is the perfect time to refocus your vision for your classroom. This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about teachers goals and focus for the second half of the school year. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed ways to work smarter, not harder. Teachers also shared .creative activities and projects for other teachers to try out. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about teachers' goals and focus for the second half of the school year. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed ways to work smarter, not harder. Teachers also shared .creative activities and projects for other teachers to try out.

Read through the chat below to find out about new tech tools used successfully in the ELA classroom. You'll get ideas about strategies to use in and out of school to avoid burning out before the year ends.

Hope you'll join us next week for another chat. We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group (even if you aren't on Twitter). 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.



The start of the school year isn't the only time to set goals. After the new year is the perfect time to refocus your vision for your classroom. This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about teachers goals and focus for the second half of the school year. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed ways to work smarter, not harder. Teachers also shared .creative activities and projects for other teachers to try out. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.

January 14, 2019

On My Bookshelf: How Did I Get Here? by Jane Marlow

The basic plot from Amazon: Andrey enters his final year of medical studies in 1854 with an empty belly, empty pockets, and secondhand clothes hanging together by wishful thinking. When Russia blunders into the misbegotten Crimean War, Tsar Nicholas recruits medical students to the front, and Andrey grabs at this flash of good luck.

But his sanity is soon tested as he is forced to witness the most senseless and utter disregard for human life imaginable--where the death of a man holds no more significance than the death of a beetle. Andrey fears he is slowly becoming unhinged by the sound and feel of the relentless rasp of his saw against the mangled limbs of soldiers who have had no anesthesia.

Eventually the guns stop firing, and the ink dries on the peace treaty, but the madness of war doesn't end for Andrey. Can he stop seeking solace from the vodka bottle? Can he cease being a black well of bottomless cynicism? Can he begin to trust the woman who longs to walk beside him on his journey?

Why I liked it: How Did I Get Here? was a slow start for me, largely because of my dislike for the main character Andrey. He is whiny, self-centered, and ungrateful. He joins the war efforts for selfish reasons and doesn't stop thinking of himself until the final chapters of the book. He is oblivious to the feelings and struggles of others even as illness and death surround him. This was the second book in a series, so perhaps reading the first would have warmed me to Andrey.

Of interest was the background information about a historical event I knew little about, the Crimean War, life in Russia  during that time period, and the ideas about medical practice.

Classroom application: Excerpts of the novel could be used for a thematic unit focused on the brutalities of war. Possible parings might include The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien and "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Pierce. Students could also research the evolution of medical practice and the changes that have occurred over time, particularly the relationship between cleanliness and spread of disease and infection.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of How Did I Get Here? for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.


January 13, 2019

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 1/15 Topic: New Year, Better Teaching

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about starting a new year with new ideas for teaching in the classroom!Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven, & Lisa Spangler, Mrs. Spangler in the Middle, host #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.

We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group, even if you aren't on Twitter. 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.

On Tuesday, January 15, our #2ndaryELA chat will be about starting a new year with new ideas for teaching in the classroom!


The Directions:
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “Latest.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurlbitlygoo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)

You can also check out a quick video tutorial in this blog post.

Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening and in our 2ndaryELA Facebook group!

Get caught up on past chats here:

January 11, 2019

8 More Fantasy & Dystopian Titles to Recommend to Your Secondary Students

Fantasy and dystopian novels transport us into worlds that are different and yet not so different from our own. Readers delight in the impossibilities just as much as the possibilities in these books. Here's 8 fantasy and dystopian titles, many of them part of a series, that I've recently read and would recommend to middle and high school students.
Fantasy and dystopian novels transport us into worlds that are different and yet not so different from our own. Readers delight in the impossibilities just as much as the possibilities in these books. I recently wrote about 8 fantasy and dystopian titles, many of them part of a series, that I've recently read and would recommend to middle and high school students, and here's 8 more. Click the title of each to read my full review and ideas for using it in the classroom.

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry
Life in a utopian society is revealed through the experiences of Jonas, a soon to be twelve year old boy who is transitioning into the adult world. Part of that transition is receiving his "assignment," the role he will serve in the community for the rest of his adult life. The use of third person limited point of view focused on Jonas allows the reader to share the realization that the safety in "sameness" has terrible consequences. The novel is part of a quartet, which also includes Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

2. Emerson Page and Where The Light Enters by Christa Avampato
Emerson's journey to find out the truth about her mother's death leads her below the streets of New York City on a dangerous adventure into a magical world of books. The novel is filled with beautifully descriptive language that conjures up images of magical places and its references to other works of literature make a reading nerd like me feel right at home. 
The Mare Barrow of Red Queen, the first book in the series, is back. In Glass Sword, the second book in the series, Mare was hard to warm up to; she seemed cold, distant, and calculating. Much of the novel focuses on her complicated relationship with Maven, as both are unsure of how to deal with the feelings they deny that they still have for each other. Maven can't stand to have her be killed, but also can't let her go free. 
The Society has chosen a match for Cassia, but a technological malfunction makes her question if he really is her match. The novel has similar themes to The Giver by Lois Lowry and would be a great next read if you loved the Hunger Games series. Crossed and Reached, books two and three in the trilogy are just as good.

5. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
This is a Harry Potter book grown up: filled with magical dilemmas and a formidable evil enemy, but with adult characters. On a mission from her secret society of Librarians, Irene must track down an important book before Alberich, the evil, ex-Librarian whose name many fear to even speak, gets his hands on it. There are currently four other books in this series.

6. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
This is book one in a series about life in a very realistic post-apocalyptic world. An asteroid has knocked the moon closer to Earth causing all sorts of natural disasters. Miranda, the main character, and her family must make difficult choices about survival with no end to the disaster in sight. Book two, The Dead And Gone, is set in New York City and features Alex a Hispanic teenage boy as the protagonist. In book three, This World We Live In, Miranda and Alex's lives intersect. The final book in the series is in my to be read list.

7. Heartless by Marissa Meyer
This "prequel" to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland reveals how the Queen of Hearts, Catherine, became such a fury-filled tyrant. Catherine's story begins with her dream of opening a bakery, her overbearing, but well-meaning mother and a secret love. 
This is an interesting look at what the future might be like told by five alternating narrators. Set in a tower large enough to house a city, the novel follows the intersecting lives of five teenagers, all acting on hidden motives to protect dangerous secrets. For one of them, it will end with a long fall to her death. There are currently two other books in this series.

January 7, 2019

On My Bookshelf: The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton

The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton is a gripping memoir. Set just thirty years in the past, Anthony Ray Hinton's narration paints a clear picture of how slow change has been (if much has changed at all) for black men in the South. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. Stunned, confused, and only twenty–nine years old, Hinton knew that it was a case of mistaken identity and believed that the truth would prove his innocence and ultimately set him free.

But with no money and a different system of justice for a poor black man in the South, Hinton was sentenced to death by electrocution. He spent his first three years on Death Row at Holman State Prison in agonizing silence―full of despair and anger toward all those who had sent an innocent man to his death. But as Hinton realized and accepted his fate, he resolved not only to survive, but find a way to live on Death Row. For the next twenty–seven years he was a beacon―transforming not only his own spirit, but those of his fellow inmates, fifty–four of whom were executed mere feet from his cell. With the help of civil rights attorney and bestselling author of Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson, Hinton won his release in 2015.

With a foreword by Stevenson, The Sun Does Shine is an extraordinary testament to the power of hope sustained through the darkest times. Destined to be a classic memoir of wrongful imprisonment and freedom won, Hinton’s memoir tells his dramatic thirty–year journey and shows how you can take away a man’s freedom, but you can’t take away his imagination, humor, or joy.

Why I liked it: The Sun Does Shine is gripping memoir that I couldn't go to bed without finishing (and this is coming from a mother with three kids two and under who is constantly desperate from sleep, so that says a lot). Set just thirty years in the past, Anthony Ray Hinton's narration paints a clear picture of how slow change has been (if much has changed at all) for black men in the South. His descriptions of hiding in ditches with a friend as they walked home from school because they never knew who might drive by is an experience that readers would like to place in pre-Civil Rights times, but takes place much more recently. Even more infuriating are the events surrounding his arrest and trial. While at first, Hinton shuts down in prison, he eventually becomes a leader and a friend to the other men on death row as he makes appeal after appeal. It's a plight that I couldn't even begin to imagine navigating, yet Hinton tells it all with grace and simplicity.

Classroom application: If you are looking for a text to replace To Kill A Mockingbird, The Sun Does Shine would be a great candidate (I love TKAM, but there are some strong arguments for why it should be replaced.) Instead of using a piece of fiction narrated by a child and largely focused on a "white savior" to examine racial inequalities in American, using The Sun Does Shine would allow the black experience (and a true one at that) to be narrated by a black writer whose savior is another black man. 

Unfortunately, it is all too easy to make other real world connections with The Sun Does Shine. The Innocence Project has spent the past 25 years exonerating the wrongfully accused, and Ronald Cotton's case has some similarities to Hinton's. The Equal Justice Initiative, founded by Bryan Stevenson and responsible for Hinton's freedom, is a wealth of information about fighting racial injustice. 

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Sun Does Shine for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton is a gripping memoir. Set just thirty years in the past, Anthony Ray Hinton's narration paints a clear picture of how slow change has been (if much has changed at all) for black men in the South. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.