I’m taking the plunge. Here’s my first post in a blog that will be dedicated to secondary ELA teaching and learning. I’m hoping this blog will serve as a resource to you for all things ELA (curriculum, assessments, teaching highlights from around the district, tips I come across, etc.), and I hope it will be a support to you in transitioning to implementation of the Common Core Learning Standards.
While I’ve dabbled in blogging to stay connected with family and friends and to complete assignments for grad classes, I’ve never tried blogging for an audience of professional colleagues. Not until now. Trying this new genre is intimidating! I hope you will be patient with me as I learn to write in this mode.
As I read through the February issue of NCTE’s English Leadership Quarterly this past week, an article on the titles most frequently used in high school English classrooms caught my eye. According to a survey done of high school English teachers in the Southeast, the top 5 titles are
- The Great Gatsby
- Romeo and Juliet
- The Crucible & The Odyssey (tied)
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Night
These titles also continue to be frequently taught in our district. However, the authors of the article encourage us as English educators to continue to study our choices and our students so that we can best meet students’ needs and interests — and the demands of our new standards. Trying literary nonfiction selections may help us in this endeavor. I hope you will share the titles of literary nonfiction pieces you’ve tried with your students that complement these frequently taught texts–as well as other literary nonfiction pieces you’ve tried. Please leave a comment, or email me if you would like me to mention something you’ve tried.
Greece Secondary ELA 