August 25, 2024

A Vocabulary Routine That Allows Students To Understand & Retain Words

Here's the routine I developed for teaching using Sadlier's Vocabulary Workshop so my students can understand the words and retain them.

As a high school teacher, I used Sadlier’s Vocabulary Workshop years ago and was dismayed to find that all of the answers to the exercises in the book were readily available online. I also knew that the exercises in the book alone did not provide enough exposure for students to master the 20 words per unit.

When I was asked last year to use Sadlier’s Vocabulary Workshop with my sixth graders, I took my qualms to teachergram and asked “what do you do?” I used the information and ideas I got from other teachers plus a few of my own to create a routine that worked for me and my students.



August 17, 2024

12 Reads to Enhance Disability Representation in Your Classroom Library

Discover books that highlight both visible and invisible disabilities, recommended by secondary ELA teachers, to include in your classroom.


Disability Pride Month, celebrated every July, commemorates the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a pivotal law that removed barriers to societal inclusion. Despite the fact that most of us will face some form of disability in our lifetime, obstacles remain, and individuals with disabilities are often marginalized and misunderstood.

Celebrating Disability Pride Month offers an opportunity to acknowledge, honor, and respect disabilities and those who identify as having a disability. Below, you'll find a selection of books featuring characters with both visible and invisible disabilities, recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers, to enhance your classroom library.



14 Books To Celebrate Pride Month All Year Long

Discover books featuring queer characters,


Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated each June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a pivotal event in the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. This month serves to recognize the significant contributions lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have made to history at local, national, and international levels.

Given that over half of book bans target books with LGBTQ themes, it is more crucial than ever to include these titles in our classroom libraries, providing both windows and mirrors for our students. Below, you'll find a selection of books featuring queer characters—many authored by queer writers—recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers for inclusion in your classroom library.



16 Reads to Highlight During Black History Month and Throughout the Year

Discover books by Black authors, recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers, to showcase in your classroom library.


Black History Month is dedicated to acknowledging the significant contributions of African Americans in shaping U.S. history and celebrating the achievements of African Americans, from activists and civil rights leaders to pioneers in industry, politics, science, culture, and more.

Below is a collection of books by Black authors, recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers, to feature in your classroom library. While some stories touch on diversity, most focus on themes of Black families, friendships, joy, and love. Below each book you'll find the Instagram handle of the person recommending the book. 



13 Titles Highlighting Asian American and Pacific Islander Voices

Explore books by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander authors, recommended by secondary ELA teachers to showcase in your classroom.


May is recognized as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, also known as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. With 24 million people in the United States identifying as Asian, and 1.6 million identifying as Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or a combination, this month is dedicated to honoring their rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories, as well as acknowledging their significant contributions to the United States.

Below is a list of books by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander authors, recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers, to feature in your classroom library. Below each book you'll find the Instagram handle of the person recommending the book. 



15 Empowering Reads to Celebrate Women's History Month All Year Round

Discover books about and by women and girls, recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers, to showcase in your classroom library.


There was a time when the majority of books published and assigned in schools centered around male protagonists, but that's no longer the case. Today, there are countless middle grade and young adult books that highlight strong female protagonists, both in fiction and nonfiction.

Below is a selection of books written by and about women and girls, recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers, that you can add to your classroom library. These titles are ideal for showcasing during Women's History Month in March and on International Women's Day, celebrated on March 8. Below each book you'll find the Instagram handle of the person recommending the book.



15 Books to Enhance Jewish Representation on Your Classroom Shelves

Broaden the representation of Jewish authors and characters in your classroom by exploring books recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers.


As I reviewed the books in my classroom library, I noticed that nearly all of the titles by Jewish authors or featuring Jewish protagonists focused on the Holocaust. Similarly, a teacher of younger grades might find that their collection predominantly centers on Jewish holidays. Since recognizing this gap, I have been working to broaden the representation of Jewish experiences in my library.

Below is a selection of books by Jewish authors, recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers, that you can add to your classroom library. Click on the Instagram handle of the person recommending the book to view their account.



16 Books Highlighting Native American Stories

A curated list of books by Native American authors, recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers, for inclusion in your classroom library.


November is Native American Heritage Month, also known as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This month is dedicated to celebrating the rich and varied cultures, traditions, and histories of Native peoples and acknowledging their significant contributions.

To educate your students about different tribes and the historical and ongoing challenges faced by Native people, ensure that your classroom library includes books by Native American authors and those featuring Native American characters. It’s also worth considering whether to include books on Native stories and history by non-Native authors, and how these might impact representation.



15 Must-Read Titles to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month Year Round

Discover titles by Hispanic and Latinx authors, recommended by middle and high school ELA teachers, that you can include in your classroom library.


Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from September 15 to October 15 to honor the history, culture, and contributions of Americans with roots in over 20 Latin American countries, including Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

This month is an excellent opportunity to feature books that highlight Hispanic and Latinx experiences. However, these books should be a staple in your classroom library year-round. With Hispanics making up 18.9% of the U.S. population, making them the nation's second-largest racial or ethnic group after non-Hispanic whites, it is crucial that their stories—encompassing friendships, family dynamics, first loves, heartbreaks, struggles, and triumphs—are represented in literature.



August 7, 2024

My Plans For My First Week Of School

My routine for the first week of school accomplishes my goals of getting to know students and beginning to build a reading community.


After years of teaching, I have settled into a routine for the first week of school that accomplishes my goals of getting to know students and beginning to build a reading community. It is a first week that is low prep and low stress so that I can enjoy meeting my new learners.

Like any good first week plan, it is flexible, and while everything we do is meaningful, it is also easily adjusted. Activities can be shortened, moved around, or continued another day. I may not be back in my teaching rhythm that first week of school so the pacing of my class periods may not be 100% on point yet.