The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast | ELA
Episodes
109: How to Make Digital "Magnetic" Poetry Activities
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, learn how to make a digital poetry tile set around any theme in three easy steps. Try this creative poetry writing activity on Google...
108: Try a Virtual Travel Research Project
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Build research into a fun virtual travel project. Who doesn't want to get away from it all sometimes in the middle of the year- this fun ELA project u...
107: Virtual Discussion Problems? Try this
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Online discussions not flowing as they should? It's tough leading a virtual discussion in your ELA classes, especially with mics muted and videos off....
106: Doing a Podcast Project? Let me be your Guest Speaker
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Podcasting is an ideal ELA project for students right now. If you're diving in, let me be your guest speaker! In this unusual episode, I'm answerin...
105: How to Creatively use T.V. Clips in ELA
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Want to use T.V. clips as one of your options to inspire rigorous, creative activities in your ELA classes? Listen in to these wonderful clip/project ...
104: Create a Hyperdoc in 6 Easy Steps
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hyperdocs are an easy answer to how to keep all students on track during blended learning. In this episode, learn how to create a hyperdoc for your un...
103: Off Screen Activities for Remote Learning in ELA
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Trying to give your distance learners some screen breaks? Here are some ideas to help ELA students do productive work away from the glow. In the rush ...
102: Taking your Literary Food Truck Festival Digital
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Take your Literary Food Truck Festival online with the easy steps and free curriculum in this post and podcast from Spark Creativity. Go Further: Ex...
101: How to Run Online Literature Circles in ELA
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do you love literature circles but worry they can't translate to a blended or virtual classroom? In this episode, find out how to bring them online. T...
100: How to Run a Virtual First Chapter Friday
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Want to get started with a First Chapter Friday program, but not sure how to do it with blended learning? Don't worry, this episode will show you how!...
099: How to Get your Students listening to Podcasts, with Ashley Bible
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Podcasts are an easy, accessible, (FREE) and hands-free text option for students during blended learning. In this episode of The Spark Creativity Teac...
098: 5 Flexible ELA Unit Ideas
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wondering how to flip your classroom so you can teach two separate groups of kids in person and online? In this episode, discover five flexible ELA un...
097: A Flexible Plan for Blended Learning in the English Classroom
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As you plan for blended learning and shifting scenarios this fall, a flexible approach will allow you to be prepared without being attached to any cer...
096: Summer Priorities in the Face of Fall Uncertainties, with Angela Watson
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Teacher planning is hard this year with all the uncertainties of fall. Will you be remote teaching? Orchestrating blended learning? Both? In this podc...
095: Remote Teaching: Grading, Discussion, and Building Community with Marie Morris and Amanda Cardenas
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Trying to plan for remote teaching this fall in your high school ELA classes? In this podcast, we're diving into best practices for grading, discussio...
094: Project Lit, Sketchnotes, and Classroom Design with Laquisha Hall
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you're interested in incorporating Project Lit titles, sketchnotes, the publication of student writing and effective classroom design into your wor...
093: A Plan for your First Fall Unit in ELA
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast episode, discover a plan for an opening ELA unit that will help you build community in your class and allow you to get to know your ...
092: Distance Learning: A Creative End to the Year
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a difficult spring term to say the least. But chances are, you still want to find a way to end things on a positive, creative, meaningful no...
091: Project-Based-Learning in the City, with Laura Deisley of Lab Atlanta
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lab Atlanta is an innovative program connecting students with the resources and richness of Atlanta, and empowering them to make an impact through pro...
090: Bringing Transformation to your School, with Trace Pickering of Iowa Big
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After a flood ravaged his hometown of Cedar Rapids, IA, Trace Pickering helped lead a transformation in education through his innovative program, Iowa...
089: Adventures at Home
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Grab a smoothie and let's talk about life under quarantine. In this episode, I'm sharing five tips and resources that have stuck with me from a lot of...
088: Help for Teaching through Coronavirus Closings
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is your school closing due to the coronavirus outbreak? Here are some creative ideas for you to stay connected to your students and keep them working ...
087: Easy Ways to use Hexagonal Thinking in ELA
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hexagonal thinking is a powerful way to help students make connections between characters, themes, ideas, other literary works, and current events. Bu...
086: Take Action for Deeper Learning, with Sarah Fine
25 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wish your students kept talking about classwork out in the halls? Want to tap into the research when it comes to creating opportunities for deep, mean...
085: 5 ELA Tech Tools to Try
11 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Want the best of teacher tech? Discover five top tools for ELA teachers available in 2020. Screencastify, My Shakespeare, Kaizena, Flipgrid, and Ancho...
084: These are a Few of my Favorite (English Teacher) Things
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I've worked on so many projects this year, and not all the delightful resources, books, websites and products I've discovered fit neatly into a post o...
083: Engage your Snapchatters with Booksnaps, featuring Tara Martin
10 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Students always on Snapchat? Harness their love of the app with #booksnaps, a powerful reading comprehension strategy that brings annotation into the ...
082: Innovative Elective (or Unit) Ideas for ELA
22 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In search of creative elective ideas? Join my brainstorming session and hear my five favorite ideas for electives right now, then adapt them for your ...
081: Empowering Students with Project-Based Learning
10 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Project-based learning is messy and sometimes, intimidating. But it's also AWESOME. In this episode of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast, find out ...
080: Let's Teach Students how to Collaborate
25 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's not easy to get students to navigate collaborative work well. There's usually someone who does all the work, someone who stays silent, someone wh...
079: Less Testing. More Innovating.
12 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you're interested in saying goodbye to testing and embracing progressive education, you'll want to learn more about Ted Dintersmith's trip across a...
078: The Quick Guide to First Chapter Fridays
05 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Want to get students excited about your reading library? Try First Chapter Fridays. This quick episode gives you all the details you need to get start...
077: Integrating the Arts & ELA
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Want to get students out of their seats and on their feet? Arts integration is a powerful tool for engaging students creatively with print texts. In t...
076: Host a "This I Believe" Radio Show
16 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This I Believe began as a radio essay series and became nationally beloved. For good reason! Listening to people talk about the small things they real...
075: 10 Review Activities that aren't Boring
24 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Review can easily get boring. Why not review with the same kind of dynamic, creative activities that make up your daily lessons? (I know, I know, I'm ...
074: Try an Infographic Project in your English Classroom
12 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Infographics make an ideal project for your high school ELA classroom. Students combine personal interest and authentic audience in this research-base...
073: Help for Harkness Discussions
29 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Heard of Harkness discussions but don't know how to get started? Wondering how they're different from Socratic seminars? Get answers to all the common...
072: Connecting your English Classroom to the World
14 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When the lines between classwork and real world work get blurred, it often leads to engagement and deeper learning for our ELA students. This episode ...
071: How to talk about Equity and Inclusion, with Liz Kleinrock
30 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Learn from Liz Kleinrock, Teaching Tolerance teacher of the year, about how she approaches big conversations about difficult topics with her students....
070: Help for Student Apathy, with Dave Stuart Jr.
17 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Want to help your apathetic students become more motivated? Dave Stuart Jr. knows how you feel. In this podcast episode, learn the five key beliefs ...
069: 40 Ways to Reduce your Grading Time
02 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Grading doesn't have to be the thing that haunts you as a teacher. There are a ton of strategies out there to help you reduce your grading time and ma...
068: Confronting Teacher Exhaustion, with Angela Watson
19 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ready for an end to the teacher tired? The teacher guilt? The teacher busy? In this episode, I'm chatting with Angela Watson about her work helping te...
067: Look Forward to Teaching Vocabulary
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Wish teaching vocabulary in ELA could be more creative and fulfilling? You're not alone. The old "study at home for the quiz" routine can get pretty b...
066: We Need More Diverse Books
21 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We need diverse books in our ELA classrooms. In this podcast episode and blog post, discover title ideas from a stellar high school librarian - Alexan...
065: Final Exams in English Class that feel Meaningful
08 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Want to finish off your ELA year with as much meaning and creativity as you've brought to your curriculum all year long? Good for you! Skip the mult...
064: A Beginner's Guide to Writing Workshop
24 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, discover how to structure a successful writing workshop, what a workshop mini lesson is, and how to trouble shoot common issues that ...
063: Using Stations Creatively in ELA
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Want to try out stations in your ELA classroom? Good for you! They're a great way to get students actively engaging (and fight the after-lunch tired f...
062: When Students Choose their Own Assessments, with David Rickert
27 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast, we're focusing in on student-choice assessment in ELA with special guest David Rickert. By ...
061: Using Podcasts as Texts in ELA
11 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Discover great podcasts to use in your ELA classroom, and get tips for how to use them successfully. Find out how to keep students focused as they lis...
060: Students won't read? Don't care? One Year to Change That
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You can't read every book out loud to them forever. Use blogs, podcasts, Ted Talks, spoken word poetry, independent reading and more to create a curri...
059: Maybe Teaching doesn't have to be so Lonely
17 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Though you're constantly surrounded by people, teaching can be lonely. This episode is all about finding ways to build positive personal and professio...
058: How to Match Student Readers with Books they'll Love
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Your ELA students may struggle to find the books that will light them up. That's where you come in! Your choice reading program will be most success...
057: Creative Tech Tools for ELA Teachers, with Jennifer Gonzalez
15 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Want tech that unlocks student creativity instead of replacing what's already working? Join me as I chat with Jennifer Gonzalez, from Cult of Pedagogy...
056: Get Funding with Donors Choose (Dos and Don'ts)
03 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you're spending too much of your salary to equip your (public school) classroom to meet your students' needs, find out how to leverage Donors Choos...
055: Hyperdocs, Authentic Audience, and Screencastify with Kristy Louden
18 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
So many stellar ELA strategies on tap for today! We're talking about how to use hyperdocs to teach writing more effectively, giving kids a truly authe...
054: Winter Holiday Activities for ELA
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sick of trying to compete with holiday madness in December? Stop trying! Bring the holidays in and enjoy teaching all your usual ELA skills in a new c...
053: How to Plan an ELA Unit in 30 Minutes
20 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Need help planning your ELA units? I hear you. Let me take you through my personal strategy for planning units, weeks, and days for English classes ...
052: The Easy Guide to Blackout Poetry
07 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If your students would rather eat a ghost chili than dive into poetry workshop, blackout poetry is your new best friend! In this episode, I'll teach y...
051: Mock Trials and E-mail Etiquette with The Daring English Teacher
24 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Want to try mock trials with your ELA students? Wish they didn't email you things like "hey i need to know what my grade is tonight if possible thx"? ...
050: The Power of Imperfect Action
10 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever felt like you just didn't have time to learn enough about something new you want to try in your classroom before rolling it out, this e...
049: Get Creative with Google Classroom, with Matt Miller
26 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast, learn how to leverage Google Classroom to create more creative, more organized lessons, and t...
048: Reading Program Accountability that doesn't Ruin Everything
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Keeping students accountable to some expectations while helping them fall in love with reading is not easy! I know you know. Reading logs or book repo...
047: The Power of the Writing Makerspace, with Angela Stockman
06 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Guiding students in using maker elements to build their arguments and ideas leads to greater complexity in their thinking and writing. Plus, it helps ...
046: Sketchnotes are Awesome, with Mike Rohde
23 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Heard the buzz about sketchnote? Wondering how to incorporate this powerful strategy in your ELA classroom? Fabulous! Sketchnotes can help your studen...
045: Classroom Memes and Interactive Notebooks
16 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Do your students love memes? Want to learn more about the popular strategy, interactive notebooks? Wish you understood YA just a bit better? In this...
044: 25 Creative ELA Assessments for Any Novel (Whoa)
09 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Looking for more creative assessment options at the end of your novel units in ELA? Good for you! Goodbye multiple choice tests, hello engaging fina...
043: Tips for New English Teachers, with Kristy Avis
25 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Are you in your first year or two? There's sooooo much happening! I remember it well, working until 11 pm and then getting up at 6 to do it again. Phe...
042: My FAVORITE Theater Project (for any play)
12 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When I took Shakespeare in college, my legendary professor Martha Andresen had us perform A Midsummer Night's Dream on campus. We split into groups, ...
041: Teacher Mindset & Happiness with Angela Watson
26 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If you're feeling overwhelmed in your teaching life, and you'd like guidance with how to adjust your mindset, routines and goals to feel happier in th...
040: Building a Creative Classroom Space
14 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Planning the layout and components of your ELA classroom? It's so fun, right? But it can also be a bit intimidating. These days I wish I could have ...
039: Overwhelmed? Try this simple strategy.
31 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I didn't hear about "The Ideal Week" until at least a decade after I started teaching, but it's such a simple and helpful tool to help you cut overwhe...
038: 10 Ways to Fill a Hole in your ELA Curriculum
17 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Got a day between testing and your new unit? A week between the end of term and a break? A month before the end of school and no new books left? No pr...
037: Cut Year-End Teacher Stress
02 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As the end of the year comes at school, there's so much to do! And yet, engagement and persistence start to drift as the cares of the year pile up and...
036: Host a Successful Class Play
19 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wanted to put on a class play with your ELA students? With an audience and costumes and programs? Don't be intimidated, it IS possible! In th...
35: Crush it with Book Clubs
05 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Book clubs are such a great way to give students choice and include a wider variety of books in your curriculum! Try novels-in-verse clubs, graphic no...
034: 4 Ways to Integrate STEM into ELA
29 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
STEM, STEAM, or is it STABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPEAM? STEM gets a lot of attention, but we all know the ELA skills play a huge role for scientists, engineers...
033: Your Genius Hour in ELA Roadmap
15 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll give you the roadmap for using genius hour in ELA. Find out how it fits the standards, how to structure it, how to grade it, a...
032: Shakespeare Activities for Any Play
02 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Teaching Shakespeare? So often we're trying to help our students understand the language and context of the era, and make a real connection to the Bar...
031: Using Murder Mysteries, Ted Talks, and SNL Clips in English Class
22 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Want to engage your students with murder mysteries? Make them laugh while they learn with SNL clips? Hook them with great Ted Talks? Uh, yeah, of cour...
030: The Simplest Method for One Pager Success
16 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
One-pagers combine visuals with text to make ideas come alive in students' minds and memories. But it's easy for students to struggle with one-pagers ...
029: A Beginner's Guide to Teaching Abroad
13 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When I took a job in Sofia, Bulgaria, I honestly wondered if I would be able to see out my contract. I was so new to the world of living abroad, and I...
028: Empower your Students, with John Spencer
18 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever feel like you're pursuing engagement, not empowerment, in your classroom? Do you ever feel like you're doing more work than your students?...
027: Turn your Class into a Discussion Panel with Audience Tweeters
11 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenna Copper from Doc Cop Teaching and I dive into one of her most successful and engaging classroom strategies, a discussion format ...
026: My English Teacher Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
05 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I take a look back over many of the big and small mistakes I've made as a teacher, and give you a roadmap for how to avoid them. Go F...
025: The Best of ELA this Year
22 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I take a look back over the trends, resources, and strategies that stood out to me as the most interesting during this year in ELA. ...
024: A Beginner's Guide to Student Blogging
15 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll share five fabulous ways to empower your student writers in ELA through blogging. OK, a quick update. When I first created thi...
023: Why you Need Discussion Warm-Ups
05 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Discover my TOP STRATEGY for success with any discussion. Helping students to prepare with a fun, easy warm-up activity eliminates the awkward silen...
022: 10 Top Books for your Classroom Library
28 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the podcast, Brynn Allison of The Literary Maven shares her top ten current book recommendations to hook reluctant readers. For example... ...
021: The Best Websites for ELA Teachers
17 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There are so many great places to find inspiration for ELA online! In this episode, I'm sharing my favorite sites for free creative lesson plans and...
020: Authentic Audiences for Student Work
06 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll share five strategies for amping up student engagement by giving them authentic audiences for their work. It's more doable than ...
019: Active Learning outside the Classroom Walls
20 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Let's talk about taking a break from your classroom space and getting out into other school spaces. Spend a day trying one of these mini-field trips a...
018: My Favorite Trick to Cut Grading Time for English Teachers
05 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll share the system that allows me to skip repetitive comment writing by using a list of common errors with my students. Go Further...
017: Get Started with ELA Escape Rooms
20 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Curious about escape rooms? For good reason! Escape rooms are an engaging teaching strategy rapidly growing in momentum across the country. Emily Ai...
016: ELA Maker Spaces
08 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I'll be sharing two ways you can try out ELA maker spaces in your classroom this year. They are creative, doable and inexpensive, and ...
015: Building Professional Community as a Teacher
27 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ever feel lonely at work, even though you're surrounded by people all the time? You're not alone on that. This episode is all about finding ways to ...
014: Creative Secondary Decor in your English Classroom
23 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A beautiful and inspiring work space isn't just for primary students. In this episode, I'll share ideas for age-appropriate creative decor for your hi...
013: The First Day of School doesn't have to be Boring
16 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Engage your students from the opening moment with these creative first day activities. No need to read that syllabus out loud! Go Further: Explore...
012: 3 Simple Systems for a More Creative English Classroom
10 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, learn three simple systems you can put in place at the start of the year to make class easier and more creative all year long. Go F...
011: Classroom Mini-Flips
28 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll share five ways to dip your toes in the classroom flipping ocean. There's no need to abandon your entire curriculum to experimen...
010: 12 Creative ELA Assessments you can Try Tomorrow
13 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll share why I believe in creative forms of assessment and share more than a dozen examples you can start using tomorrow in your EL...