Teaching is no joke!
Somewhere between falling in love with literature and falling in love with helping young minds grow, high school English teachers often get lost–in new ideas, administration expectations, office gossip, and naughty students! It’s hard to press on when we feel overwhelmed and ineffective.
I know this feeling because I’ve had it too! I’ve thought about walking out of my classroom door and never looking back. Instead, however, I asked myself, “Why did I do this in the first place? Why did I get this degree and take this job?”
My answer is always the same: literature is pure magic. It has inspired me, motivated me, and taught me throughout my whole life. Everyone deserves to connect to a profound piece of literature. And when I remember that, my job began to feel less like a job and more like a calling.
So here I am, on a mission to help re-inspire teachers like you and get you psyched about the power of literature. As the kids say, “It’s Lit!” Teaching literature, that is.
What’s New?
Do It Scared and Start Selling on Teachers Pay Teachers: A Book Review for TeacherpreneursThis book review is for teachers who want to become teacherpreneurs but just can’t get started. If that’s you, then go get Do It Scared by Ruth Soukup NOW.
Read More »
How One Year of Selling on Teachers Pay Teachers Has Changed MeBut the transition from employee to entrepreneur has completely rewired my brain. Starting a business, even just a side hustle like Teachers Pay Teachers, requires overcoming a tremendous amount of fear, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and just a lot of stumbling as you learn.
Read More »
Lit Literature: Internment by Samira AhmedInternment by Samira Ahmed is a daring novel for your classroom--one that addresses hate, Nationalism, and blind loyalty. Your students will immediately make real-world connections. The dystopian element makes those connections easier to discuss in a classroom setting.
Read More »
Why I Love Teaching Young Adult LiteratureI started my journey to add young adult literature to my classroom when I finally ran out of patience for our outdated African American unit. The updates went so well, I’ve begun branching out into my other classes and units. I have found that young adult literature is especially great for engaging my at-risk students. Better yet though, it’s engaging for me. When I’m teaching more contemporary novels, I’m more thoughtful and engaged in my teaching.
Read More »
Lit Literature: Dreamland by Sarah DessenI don’t care who you are, we all love a little bit of romance. But I cannot hand a book about a relationship to a student without making sure there’s a twist. See, while I have a healthy respect for love, I hate to see it idealized. Enter Dreamland by Sarah Dessen.
Read More »