The Joys of Teaching Literature
Episodes
#72: LGBTQ+ Literature: Opening Up Language
01 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
LGBTQ+ literature fits right in with everything English teachers do, including the the exploration of topics like identity and love. In this epi...
#71: Real World Conversations and Interviews
24 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Conversations outside of class can be a great way to bring new perspectives into the classroom. In this episode, I'll talk about how we can ask ...
#70: 7 Methods to Finish the Year Strong
17 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For many students, this is a hard year to keep up with work. Here are seven things I've been doing to make it possible for all students to finis...
#69: One Year Later: Reflection
09 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll tell stories about the past year. It's the audio recording for a video essay I created for my students.
#68: The Magic of Storytelling: Real and Fictional
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about all kinds of storytelling and how it can transform our world and ourselves.
#67: 5 Project Ideas for the Spring
26 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about fun projects that will create memorable moments and keep students engaged through the spring.
#66: Outdoor Reflection: 1 Year Later
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about an activity that will get students outside and thinking and talking about the past year.
#65: Meaning-Making in the Secondary ELA Classroom
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about eleven different topics that will help students see the relevance of literature.
#64: The Case for Content-Specific Professional Development
06 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about why professional development should be job-embedded, or related to the daily challenges of teachers in a specific con...
#63: Magical Realism: Interpretation and Creation
26 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about how excited students get about magical realism, and how they love getting the opportunity to create it for themselves...
#62: Why Do You Want to Be a Teacher?
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about when someone asked me why I wanted to be a teacher in a job interview a long time ago, and I'll update my response. &...
#61: Bite-sized Prose, Buffet Conversations
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about very short fiction, microfiction, sudden fiction, or whatever you want to call very short prose, and how it's perfect...
#60: Screencast: The New Essay?
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about screencasts and how they can be an alternative to a traditional essay.
#59: Media Literacy
05 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the place for media literacy in an English language arts class. I describe a small group project that will get ...
#58: What Makes a Superteacher?
27 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about what makes a superteacher, even though it's almost impossible to be one right now.
#57: Teaching the Novel in a Virtual Classroom
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about how I plan to restructure my novel units for virtual learning. I'll also describe my topical approach to teachi...
#56: 10 Creative Projects for Remote Teaching
03 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about ten creative projects that will keep students engaged during hybrid or remote learning.
#55: Politics in the Classroom: 5 Goals
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the things ELA teachers can do to facilitate a good conversation about politics.
#54: 50 Songs to Start Class
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll go through 50 songs that you could play to start class.
#53: 6 Ways to Provide Feedback on Essays
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about all the different ways we give feedback, and I'm not just talking about written feedback.
#52: Self-Reflection and Metacognition
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about how we can get our students to set and achieve their own goals.
#51: Writing For and In the Present
20 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about how students should be able to write about literature from the past, and also write for and in the present.
#50: Sketchnoting in the Digital Age
13 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about how I assigned sketchnotes at the end of my poetry unit.
#49: 6 Poems to Read Out Loud
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about reading poetry out loud and my six favorite poems to read in class. I'll read "Tintern Abbey" by William Wordsw...
#48: 5 Tech Tools for Small Groups and Presentations
24 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the five best tech tools for small group work I used after teaching hybrid for a week.
#47: Homework: Putting Home and Work Together
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about homework. How much homework should we give? What kind of homework should we give? Does ...
#46: 5 Goals for Remote or Hybrid Learning
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about 5 goals for remote or hybrid learning. It's not easy, so let's create a list of things to remember as we naviga...
#46: Introducing Literature: The 6 Values
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the start of school (virtual school) and introducing students to the value of literature and fiction.
#45: How to Introduce Literature: Symbolism Show and Tell
06 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about how I introduce literature with an activity I call symbolism show and tell.
#44: Love + Stories Project
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll describe my new project I'm calling the "Love + Stories Project". I'll also read some quotes related to love from the lite...
#43: 5 Rules of Thumb for Teaching During a Pandemic
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about my five rules of thumb for teaching during a pandemic.
#42: Language and Power
01 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the connection between language and power.
#41: 3 Tips for a Successful ELA Teaching Interview and Job Hunt
12 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll give advice on how to interview for a position as an English teacher or ELA teacher. I'll tell stories about my experience...
#40: How to Write or Teach the College Application Essay or Personal Narrative
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about teaching my seniors how to write a college application essay.
#39: The Class of 2020: A Time for Creativity
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll read twenty incredible and inspiring quotes from my seniors. They come from a final video essay assignment for something I...
#38: The Value of an End of the Year Course Evaluation
12 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the thing that has helped me grow the most as a teacher - the end of year course evaluation.
How to Conduct Virtual or Remote Learning for English Language Arts Teachers
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the basics of online learning and some of the more advanced tools available to teachers.
#36: 4 Easy Ways to End Injustice in Education Now
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about inequality in education and ways we can quickly close the achievement gap.
#35: The Value of a Metaphor
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the value of fiction, metaphors, and imagination.
#34: Literature and Free Will
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll describe how I introduce the complex question of free will to my students.
#33: Literary Immersion
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about immersion, the end goal of all art and living.
#32: Creativity and Collaboration
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about how creativity comes from having unexpected conversations.
#31: Why is Hamlet Great?
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about why high school students love studying Shakespeare's Hamlet year after year.
#30: The Sounds of Literature
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about how to bring literature off the page and into the ears and hearts of our students.
#29: Symbolism in Life and Literature
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about symbolism - how to teach it in literature, but also how it can be a way of looking at the world.
#28: A New Approach to Professional Development
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about why I started Teacher's Workshop.
#27: The Imaginary Reality of Technology and Fiction
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about a few short stories that explore how technology can influence our perception.
#26: The Power of Job-Embedded Professional Development
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about job-embedded professional development for teachers.
#25: Jane Austen and The Bachelor
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the similarities between the television show The Bachelor, on ABC, and the novel Emma, by Jane Austen.
#24: Boundless Questions, Perpetual Questions
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the art of asking great questions.
#23: A Novel Way to Teach the Novel
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll describe my topic-based approach to teaching the novel. I'll also talk about how I assign reading.
#22: Virginia Woolf, Wordsmith of the Universe
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about why I love Virginia Woolf. I'll read some passages from the novel To the Lighthouse.
#21: Tradition and Technology: The Art of Teaching
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about how to connect the worlds of literature and technology in meaningful ways for high school students.
#20: Teaching Race Relations
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll describe how I use literature to talk about race relations in high school.
#19: Can the Teaching of Writing Be Fun?
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the different components of my writing program for high school students.
#18: Literature, A Living Map
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about how literature functions as a metaphorical map of real places.
#17: Grades Should Be Invisible
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about how I try to pretend that grades don't exist in my classroom.
#16: Opening the Unconscious
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll explore how the psyche is a part of every work of fiction, and how I talk about it in class.
#15: Demonstrating Understanding with Creativity
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about assignments where students demonstrate their understanding of literature through creative writing, film adaptations, ...
#14: How Students Come to Love Poetry
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about how I introduce my students to the complex art of poetry.
#13: Rethinking the Structure of the Essay
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the structure of the essay and how to get students to not feel trapped by rules.
#12: Teaching Podcasts
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the literary value of podcasts and how to use them in the classroom.
#11: Bringing Together Music and Literature in the Virtual Classroom
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about the similarities between popular music and poetry. I'll also describe an assignment I gave where students could...
#9: 5 Ways to Provide Meaningful Feedback
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll deal with an English teacher's least favorite task ... grading essays! How can we make it a meaningful and stress free pro...
#8: What Does Project-Based Learning Mean for High School English Teachers?
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll briefly describe a project for my seniors I call "The Creativity Project".
#7: Why Short Fiction?
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about what short stories can teach us about perspective and reality.
#6: 3 Simple Classroom Management Tricks That Work
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll describe three rules of thumb I follow to create a positive culture in my classroom.
#5: The Class of 2020: Graduation
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is the audio for a video essay I created for my seniors. Every year, I ask them to talk about how it feels to graduate and to answer a few ...
#4: 4 Essentials of Reading Checks and Note-taking
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about all the reasons students might not read and describe how I assign reading.
#3: Sometimes, Less is More
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If there's one thing that virtual teaching has taught me, it's that less is more.
#2: Library vs. Web Browsing
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about why it's important for students to encounter new sources or ideas without plugging a term into a search bar.
#1: 4 Ways to Simplify Teaching English
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll talk about how I try to simplify teaching complex literature in my classroom.