The Teaching ELA Podcast

Foreshadowing in literature is hints given by the author of what will happen later. To demonstrate mastery of foreshadowing in literature, students must achieve five levels of understanding:They must be able to define foreshadowing – Level 1 is simple memorization. It is possible for students (or even a really smart monkey) to recite the definition without understanding it.Students should be able to identify foreshadowing – Level 2 eliminates the monkey. It shows the ability to apply the definition in a literary setting. Any high school student can do this with a bit of practice. Identification, however, falls short of mastery.Students should be able to substantiate predictions based on the author's clues. Level 3 is really close to mastery. It requires high level thinking, even if the predictions are wrong. It falls short of mastery insomuch that the skill is only relevant as it pertains to a specific storyStudents should be able to determine the author's purpose in using the foreshadowing – Level 4 indicates mastery of foreshadowing in literature. The ability to analyze author's purpose facilitates critical thinking and will help individuals make sense of advertising, political speeches, editorials, and news reports. In short, knowing what the author's purpose is will help them make informed decisions.Students should be able to use foreshadowing in their own writing for a specific purpose – Level 5 is difficult to measure.  Few students reach this mark and is a highly advanced skill.Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Lesson Plans: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/collections/short-story-lesson-plans/products/edgar-allan-poe-short-stories

Why teach foreshadowing in Literature?Teaching foreshadowing in short stories may cover the following Common ELA Standards. RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the textRL.9-10.5  Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.Two Minute Lesson Plan: Suspense Lesson PlanI'm a big fan of charts.  This chart deals with suspense. This link connects to short stories for teaching suspense.Discuss how writers create suspense: (1) foreshadowing; (2) pacing; (3) dangerous actionCreate a two-column chart.In the left column write an example of how the author creates suspense.  In the right column, label it as pacing, dangerous action, or foreshadowing.Check out this Suspense in the”Most Dangerous Game” chart. It's a word document, so you can edit its contents to fit whatever story you wish.Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Lesson Plans: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/collections/short-story-lesson-plans/products/edgar-allan-poe-short-stories

Charles Dickens' father was a pay clerk in a navy office. Because of financial difficulties, the family moved about until they settled in Camden Town, a poor neighborhood in London, England. At the age of twelve Charles worked with working-class men and boys in a factory that handled "blacking," or shoe polish. While his father was in debtor's prison, the rest of the family moved to live near the prison, leaving Charles to live alone. This experience of lonely hardship was the most significant event of his life. It colored his view of the world and would later be described in a number of his novels.Today's quote comes from Great Expectations, a novel I first read in college when I was going through my read everything by Charles Dickens phase. A great choice you can make is to head on over to elacommoncorelessonplans.com.If you recall the novel, Pip grows up impoverished, receives a large sum of money from a generous benefactor, and makes a mess of his life. His financial mess can be attributed to a lack of financial restraint:"So now, as an infallible way of making little ease great ease, I began to contract a quantity of debt."TakeawaysGreat literature is more than a great story.Just because we're teachers doesn't mean we're destined to be poor.Create a budget and stick to it.Resources15 Good Money HabitsFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/

Today's quote comes from David Copperfield, a novel I first read in college when I was going through my read everything by Charles Dickens phase. Young David Copperfield meets Mr. Micawber who has many a problem with money; that is, he has no ability nor desire to manage his money well, always incurring debts and never able to pay them off, landing him eventually in debtors' prison. By the way, if you've seen the movie that came out a couple years back, Mr. Micawber does not get the kind treatment that Dickens gives him in the novel. And since we're talking about the movie, I must say I absolutely loved it.Today's money quote is very wise and ironically comes from the bumbling money manager himself, Mr. Micawber:“Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.”TakeawaysGreat literature is more than a great story.Just because we're teachers doesn't mean we're destined to be poor.Create a budget and stick to it.Resources15 Good Money HabitsFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/

After teaching high school for 20 years, I was a little nervous about my new middle school teaching assignment. Then I realized it's kind of the same as teaching high school, except students are smaller and the stories are different.The skills, however, remain the same–just at a different level.And of course the learning target stays the same: “I can cite textual evidence to support analysis.”You mean, middle school students are capable of citing textual evidence and analyzing literature?They are with this “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros lesson plan.Links“Eleven” Support-Refute Organizer“Eleven” Blog PostShort Story Teaching Guide CentralShort Stories for Teaching Empathy

I'll be honest. I usually stop reading Julius Caesar after Act 3 and show the movie for Acts 4 and 5 because everything after act 3 is just falling action. And there's a lot of falling.TakeawaysI'm not sure the play's worth teaching/reading after Act III. There are a couple good movies you can show on YouTube to give students the ending they crave.Shakespeare depicts Marc Antony as a cut throat politician.Back-stabbing is a topic high school students can relate to.ResourcesJulius Caesar Blog Post at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.comFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Julius Caesar Lesson Plans https://trent-media.myshopify.com/products/julius-caesar-lesson-plans-unit-plan-and-teaching-guide?_pos=1&_sid=47f2fed56&_ss=r

TakeawaysHabits create our future. What type of future are your habits creating?Consistent exercise will change your life.Start small, master it, go less small.ResourcesBenefits of Exercise Blog Post https://thehighlyeffectiveteacher.com/how-exercise-boosts-teacher-wellbeing/Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 4, 2022An Analysis of "The Road Not Taken" by Robert FrostOf all Robert Frost poems, none are more famous than "The Road Not Taken." My analysis of it leads to the following observations and queries.The rhyme scheme is a b a a bThe poem uses the well known metaphor of a path being compared to life, and a divergent path representing a choice.Both paths are appealing to the poem's speaker (2).He can only see so far down the first path and took the other (4-5).The first path is full of undergrowth; the second is grassy (5,8).They are both worn just the same (10).He chooses the second path, yearning to take the first another day, but deep down inside knowing he won't (13-15).He knows he makes the wrong choice and sighs (16-17).He lies by saying he "took the one less traveled by" (19).The last line is ambiguous: is he rationalizing or is he being ironic.LinksSymbolism in Robert Frost Poetry Lesson Plan Free Download PDF"The Road Not Taken" Blog PostPoetry Lesson Plan Bonanza

(Originally Published November 21, 2021) I just taught this last week and I forgot just how good it was. I'm talking about Dr. Heidegger's Experiment by Nat Hawthorne.TakeawaysDHE isn't exactly what it appears to be. The participants believe it's a scientific experiment, but it's actually an experiment on human behavior.There's a ton of symbolism in here that adds depth to the story.Use the cringy movie to enhance instruction.LinksShort Stories for Teaching Science Fiction"Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" on ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.comLiterary/Video Comparison Handout

Shakespeare makes it clear that Caesar was a very popular ruler of Rome. It's also clear that Mark Antony uses this to incite the people to rebellion. But does the literature represent reality?Act III is one of the greatest acts in the history of drama, full of famous lines, such as “ET tu Brute?” but one must look to Marc Antony for the greatest lines in the plan and the greatest speech in all of literature. For those of you who haven't ever seen a young Marlon Brando as Marc Antony, you really haven't experienced the full Shakespeare experience.Life LessonThe assassination fallout would have gone much better for the assassins had Brutus gotten off his high horse just a little. It's like, Brutus, you just stabbed your freaking best friend. You're not all that honorable, dude!Although I've never stabbed anyone, I sometimes get on my high horse in the classroom and act like I've never made a mistake. This could get you in trouble, alienate colleagues, and make you look like a total cornhole.I'd also like to add a bonus life lesson. Caesar thought these people over whom he ruled were his friends. He was mistaken and paid for this mistake with his life. Too often, I've seen colleagues think his or her students were friends and the repercussions of such thoughts have brought trouble and disgrace upon many a teacher. Your students are not your friends. They are your students. I've always urged young teachers to maintain strict boundaries between themselves and their students. This includes social media.TakeawaysSmart people do stupid things.Watch Marlon Brando's Julius Caesar speech. I'm sure it's on YouTube.Your students aren't your friends.ResourcesJulius Caesar Blog Post at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.comFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm

Today's quote of the day is one of Shakespeare's most famous lines, which naturally makes it one of the most famous quotes in Literature.Quote: Caesar: Cowards die many times before their deaths; / The valiant never taste of death but once. / Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, / It seems to me most strange that men should fear, / Seeing that death, a necessary end, / Will come when it will come. (II, ii, 32-37).Analysis: Caesar shows bravery in these lines. His actions, however, demonstrate recklessness. Little does Caesar know, his death will come in the next act. This is irony, which we'll talk more about in a few minutes.That's because Caesar is not showing bravery. He's showing pride and arrogance and stupidity. It's ironic that this quote is oft quoted for those trying to rally others to bravery. That's one of the many delicious things about Shakespeare is that some of his best lines are said by his most tragic and foolish characters (I'm looking at you Polonius).TakeawaysAlthough Caesar is wise in his assessment of cowards dying many times before their death, it's safe to say he didn't realize his one death was coming so soon.Sometimes backing down is the more courageous act. It takes humility.Let's not take unnecessary risks by not having good lesson plans.ResourcesJulius Caesar Blog Post at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.comFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Julius Caesar Lesson Plans https://trent-media.myshopify.com/products/julius-caesar-lesson-plans-unit-plan-and-teaching-guide?_pos=1&_sid=47f2fed56&_ss=r

Caesar has good reason to worry about Cassius and if Cassius was his only threat, he would have survived the assassination plot. It's the threats he couldn't see that lead to his death. Those threats include his best friend Brutus and other noble Romans.So what are we overlooking as we prepare for the upcoming school year? We can prepare for known threats, but how are we preparing for the unknown? What habits are we establishing in the classroom that will help us recognize and extinguish classroom problems?I did a podcast episode long ago on the one habit that changed my career.I've got a warning for you: If you don't have good lesson plans, your class might be a disaster. That's why I have 2 resources for you in the show notes: (1) If you're looking to make your summer a little more productive or perhaps you want to free up some time and not take the metaphorical knife to the back in the fall, I've got great news. I've created a course specifically designed for ELA Teachers on how to create a semester's worth of lesson plans in just a few days. So imagine having all your lesson plans done for the entire first semester or even the entire year on the first day of school. (2) I've put together a collection of Julius Caesar lesson plans over at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com. Of course, you can find more than just Julius Caesar lesson plans.TakeawaysCassius and Julius Caesar are both astute politicians who sometimes ignore sound advice and accept bad advice.We all know Caesar dies, so why do we enjoy the play so much? It's because of Shakespeare's ability to use the English language with purpose.What habits are you cultivating to make you ready for the unseen dangers that lurk in the classroom?ResourcesJulius Caesar Blog Post at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.comFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Julius Caesar Lesson Plans https://trent-media.myshopify.com/products/julius-caesar-lesson-plans-unit-plan-and-teaching-guide?_pos=1&_sid=47f2fed56&_ss=r

(Original published onThursday, August 26, 2021 and republished in honor of all my colleagues starting school today) Let's face it, the start of the school year can be challenging. You might even say it sucks. Today's podcast addresses the true reason the start of the year is so bad and it probably isn't the reason you think it is.This is definitely the podcast episode you'll want to share with all your colleagues.Skip to about 9:40 if you can't wait to discover the real reason the start of the school year is the way it is and what you can do to change it.

In today's episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss the one habit that changed my life. I know that sounds like a bit of hyperbole--because it is--but if you do this one thing before you leave school today (and every other day), you'll sleep better at night, feel a lot less stress, and be present when you're with the people you care about most.TakeawaysThere's no sense in leaving on time if you're stressed out all the time.Once you get your end of the day routine dialed in, this will become automatic and staying after your contract time will be rare.It's good to have a selection of quick lesson plans (like the ones in the notes section of this episode) for those days when you're just not on top of things.Links/ResourcesSome quick and ready to use lesson plan handouts to help you start the one teacher habit that will change your life.ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com

The first time I read Catcher in the Rye, I liked and felt bad for Holden Caufield. The second time I read it, I couldn't stand Holden Caufield and was happy about his demise. These contradictory feelings toward one of American Literature's most famous protagonists is in line with Caufield's contradictory feelings toward just about everything.LinksFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmCatcher in the Rye Blog PostComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/

(Originally Published on AUGUST 02, 2021) In today's episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss several short stories with a focus on characterization: “The Catbird Seat,” “Leinengen vs The Ants,” “A White Heron,” “Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket,” and “The Story of an Hour.” I've got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right now involving characterization and something from one story in particular that you may not be familiar with.TakeawaysCharacterization is easy to teach with a simple 2-column chart that requires students to cite textual evidence and requires students to use this evidence to support analysis.The analysis chart allows differentiation for all levels. You change the necessary levels of complexity while getting all students to master the same skill.Teaching the skill of citing textual evidence to support analysis makes teaching all other standards either no longer necessary or easier to teach.Links and ResourcesCharacterization Lesson Plans Collection“The Cat Bird Seat” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com“A White Heron” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com“Leiningen vs. the Ants” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com“Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com“The Story of an Hour” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com

Originally Published on FEBRUARY 28, 2022

(Originally published on JANUARY 17, 2022) The battle for your students' soul rages. Today we'll discuss several high interest short stories for middle school and high schoolLet's not mess around. Here's the one thing you can teach to keep students engaged while engaging them with great short stories.Links9 High Interest Short Stories at ELAcommoncorelessonplans.comLit/Movie Comparison HandoutScience Fiction Lesson Plans Collection

(Originally Published August 23, 2021) The only thing you need to know is that the ELA Teacher at your school (that's probably you) is the most important employee at your school.That's why everything I do at the Teaching ELA podcast is to provide the tools to help you get better and get home on time.After all, the most important person at the school has the right to spend time with the people he or she values the most.In today's episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss several short stories for teaching theme: “The Necklace,” “The Interlopers,” “The Minister's Black Veil,” “A White Heron,” and “The Short Happy Life of Frances Macomber.” I've got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right. And if there's one short story involving theme you need to teach, we have that, too.TakeawaysDetermining theme is the ultimate end in citing textual evidence to support analysis.The analysis chart allows differentiation for all levels. You change the necessary levels of complexity while getting all students to master the same skill.Teaching the skill of citing textual evidence to support analysis and determine theme makes teaching all other standards either no longer necessary or easier to teach.Links and ResourcesTheme Lesson Plans Collection“The Necklace” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com“A White Heron” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com“The Interlopers” theme lesson plan at elacommoncorelessonplans.com“Minister's Black Veil” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com“The Story of an Hour” at elacommoncorelessonplans.com

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed MindsetThose with a fixed mindset view their talents, shortcomings, successes, and failures as fixed traits that cannot be improved. According to Dweck, those with a fixed mindset believe that talent produces success without relation to hard work, that talents are to be chronicled and not developed. Because they see no correlation between hard work and success, fixed mindset individuals are less likely to accept challenges and more likely to view failure as permanent.Those with a growth mindset believe basic abilities and talents can be developed through hard work and education. For the growth mindset individual, brains and talent are just the beginning. Challenges and failures are learning opportunities. This belief that one can learn more and learn faster through hard work and perseverance has far-reaching consequences in the classroom and beyond. (Originally published on October 21, 2021)

As far as Friars go, you can't do much worse than Friar Laurence. He conducted the marriage ceremony of two teenagers who had known each other for a couple of days without permission from their parents. Who does that? (Originally Published on June 22, 2022)Life LessonBe careful who you're taking advice from.LinksRomeo and Juliet Unit PlanFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Blog Post about Friar Lawrence

The classroom was warm and clean, the curtains drawn, the two burnt out flourescent lamps replaced—hers and the one by the empty chair opposite. On the white board behind her, two tall glasses, soda water, whiskey. Fresh ice cubes in the Thermos bucket.Mary Maloney was waiting for her principal's evaluation before going home from work. If only she had used these "Lamb to the Slaughter" activities and lessons, she wouldn't have stuffed a giant, frozen leg of lamb in her purse, just in case the meeting didn't go well.Ever wondered what it would be like to have dozens of complete short story units already done with handouts, quizzes, assignments, and answer keys? You don't need to wonder anymore. (Originally published May 23, 2022)LinksAssorted Short Stories with Irony Lesson PlansIrony in "Lamb to the Slaughter” Lesson Plan“Lamb to the Slaughter” Blog Post “Lamb to the Slaughter” Movie Lesson PlanShort Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com

In today's episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss several short stories with a focus on conflict: “The Most Dangerous Game,” “To Build a Fire,” “The Monkey's Paw,” “Through the Tunnel,” and “Harrison Bergeron.” I've got an emergency lesson plan you can get on the board right now involving conflict. (Originally Published on September 20, 2021)TakeawaysEveryone can connect with conflict. Use the 2-minute lesson plan involving conflict and point of view to help students internalize literature.Although most stories involve multiple types of conflict, I've given you exemplary texts for teaching the five major types of conflict.Teaching the skill of citing textual evidence to support analysis makes teaching all other standards either no longer necessary or easier to teach.Links and ResourcesConflict Lesson Plans/Handouts“To Build A Fire” by Jack London at elacommoncorelessonplans.com“The Monkey's Paw” by W.W. Jacobs at elacommoncorelessonplans.com“The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connel at elacommoncorelessonplans.com“Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing at elacommoncorelessonplans.comShort Stories for Teaching Conflict at elacommoncorelessonplans.com

The following incident took place in the portables located out in the jungleish part of the school not too long ago.UNLESS she alters her course and there's no reason why she should, she'll reach your classroom in two hours at the latest.”Mr. Leiningen sucked placidly at a rolled up scantron about the size of a corncob and for a few seconds gazed without answering at the agitated Department Chair. Then he took the scantron from his lips, and leaned slightly forward. With his bristling grey hair, bulky nose, and lucid eyes, he had the look of an aging and shabby eagle.“Decent of you,” he murmured, “waddling all this way just to give me the tip. But you're pulling my leg of course when you say I must do bunk. Why, even a herd of superintendents couldn't drive me from this portable of mine...LinksShort Stories for Teaching Conflict Lesson PlansSetting and Atmosphere in “Leiningen vs. the Ants”“Leiningen vs The Ants” blog postShort Story Teaching Guide CentralComplete “Leiningen vs. The Ants” Unit Plan

I know it's May. After all, it is National Teacher Mental Health Month. But when I think of myths surrounding mental health and achievement and success, I think of failures associated with New Year's Day and its accompanying slew of New Year's Resolutions.How many people do you know that made NYR? And how many people do you know who actually achieved them? Many failures fall victim to the myths of mental health and achievements.TakeawaysImproving your state of mind requires changing your thoughts.Changing your thoughts is not the same as positive thinking.It's ok not to be happy all the time. In fact, being happy all the time is evidence of being a sociopath, of someone who's well adjusted.ELA Teacher LinksTeaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching EmpathyShort Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.comPoetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com

Two-Minute Lesson PlanSymbolismAll symbols point to death. They includeDarkest night of the yearFrozen lakeWoods–lovely, dark and deepsleepIn "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," Robert Frost contemplates death. The setting symbolizes death. There's a "frozen lake" nearby a woods filled up with snow on the "darkest evening of the year." The speaker is enchanted with the woods, death, and stops to ponder. The rhyme scheme, with one line of rhyme present in each preceding stanza, mirrors the thought of death reaching into the speaker's thought. Although the woods become inviting to the tired traveler, as death does for some, the speaker realizes he cannot yet stop and rest because of his "promises" (14). The last two lines seem to be a lament at what lies ahead--a long life without rest.LinksStopping by Woods lesson plan at elacommoncorelessonplans.comPoetry Lesson Plans Galore

“Harrison Bergeron” shows a dystopian society where government and the misapplication of equality has evolved with tragic consequences. In the year 2081–less than 60 years away–the meaning of equality has changed from being equal under the law as intended (with varying degrees of success) in the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution to equality meaning that everybody has to be equal on every which way.In this case, government working under the pretense of promoting equality strips away individual rights in an effort to gain absolute control of its populace. Although the degree to which it is done in the story is extreme, the concept shouldn't be foreign to anyone who follows current events.Links“Harrison Bergeron” Blog PostScience Fiction Short Story Lesson PlansShort Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.comPoetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com

Once Romeo sets his mind to something, he sees it through, even if there is evidence to the contrary. Because he's convinced Juliet is dead and because he has already made up his mind to end his life, he ignores everything else that's going on.LinksRomeo and Juliet Unit PlanFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/

With the mentality that we are already great, we approach goals from an abundance mindset. We approach goals from a place of love and acceptance, from a place of joy. Now before we start holding hands and breaking out into song around a campfire, let's get rid of the notion that all we have to do is love ourselves to achieve our goals. It just means we'll enjoy the process a lot more and exponentially increase our odds of success.There is work involved.This is not a “think pretty thoughts” approach kind of philosophy, or as I like to call it positive thinking mumbo jumbo, fake it ‘til you make it nonsense. This is accept things as they are. Accept your greatness. And get to work philosophy.It's an “align your thoughts with the end goal in mind” kind of philosophy. It involves asking yourself critical questions such as, “Can I find a way to think about my goal that I CAN truly believe and that fuels the work I am doing?” kind of philosophy.It's “embracing the identity of someone who achieves whatever goal it is you're trying to achieve” philosophy.

Metaphor: The entire poem is a metaphor, with the caged bird representing those who have not freedom. Let's take a look at the second and third stanzas:“But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage / Can seldom see through his bars of rage / His wings are clipped and his feet are tied / So he opens his throat to sing. / The caged bird sings with a fearful trill / Of things unknown but longed for still / And his tune is heard on the distant hill for / The caged bird sings of freedom.”Analysis: A caged bird is unable to enjoy the freedom of other birds due to its cage, clipped wings, and tied feet. African-Americans during Angelou's time were restricted by unfair laws and societal oppression. Freedom is symbolized by the caged bird's beautiful song. As long as the bird is in the cage, he will not reach his true potential. Although the context of the poem is important, one shouldn't limit its application to one group of people or one period.A caged bird could be any group of oppressed people. It could mean individuals. The cage could represent society, physical barriers, fear, addiction or any self-defeating behavior, with the bird's song representing the true self that longs for something greater in life.TakeawaysTeach Extended MetaphorTeach ImageryGreat Companion Piece to “Sympathy”LinksPoetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.comFigurative Language in Poetry Lesson Plan"Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar Post"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou Post

Brief Analysis: “O Captain! My Captain!” is a lyric poem (a poem that attempts to express a strong feeling). Whitman uses the following poetic devices to express his grief at the death of Abraham Lincoln:apostrophe – the poem's speaker addresses a dead captain (Lincoln) in the style of an ode.repetition – phrases such as “heart! heart! heart!” and the repeating of “fallen cold and dead” emphasize the poet's grief.word choice – even in the lines that describe the victory celebration, the use of doleful phrases cast a gloomy shadow.extended metaphor – the poem is an extended metaphor with Lincoln as the captain and father, a term which deepens the reader's sadness.LinksPoetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.comFigurative Language in Poetry Lesson PlanTheme in Poetry Lesson Plan Walt Whitman Page

“El Dorado” by Edgar Allan Poe – Poe provides a gold mine of sound devices in Eldorado. Instruct students to identify ‘o' sounds in the poem and analyze their purpose. In addition, “Eldorado” serves as an excellent example of a poem with repetition.“Anabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe – Poe's deft use of repetition, assonance, consonance, repetition, and internal rhyme make “Anabel Lee” a classic love poem.“The Eagle” by Lord Alfred Tennyson – the repetition of the hard k sound mirrors the harshness of the eagle's habitat. The Eagle makes a great poem for poetry speed analysis.“Travel” by Edna St. Vincent Millay – Millay uses assonance to replicate the mingled voices on a train. Instruct students to write a poem about an ordinary place that they enjoy–the school cafeteria, the halls during passing period, the school bus, for example. Require them to use assonance in addition to other appropriate sound devices.“Beat! Beat! Drums” by Walt Whitman – I've never in my life used the phrase “Tour de Force.” It's a cheesy, trite expression whose meaning is unclear. That being said, Walt Whitman's “Beat! Beat! Drums!” is a Tour de Force: it's got consonance; it's got assonance; it's got internal rhyme; it's got alliteration. It captures the war pulse like no other piece of writing can.LinksPoetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.comSound Devices in Poetry PostSound Devices in Poetry Lesson Plan

Let's revisit an early episode from my groundbreaking podcast debut.In this episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss the number one thing I learned about teaching writing during a pandemic. I thought I was just doing something that helped with online teaching, but when I got back to a physical classroom, I realized it was the best way to teach writing anywhere. And it's so simple!TakeawaysMost administrators--especially those who've never been in a classroom--and 94% of parents have no idea what differentiated instruction is.Differentiate instruction with Google Docs or other collaborative technologies.Provide immediate feedback to your students whether you're in a physical or virtual classroom.LinksELA Common Core Lesson Plans Website Essay Types Lesson Plan Collection

Oops! I did it again. I compiled some quotes podcasts and published them as if it were a new podcast episode.Ray Bradbury holds a special place in my heart. In addition to having written some of my favorite short stories and one of my favorite novels, he was the subject of my first ever internet lesson plan back in 2002. It involved a visit to RayBradbury.com and students looking up information and writing letters to the author. Now it seems like a silly thing to have gotten excited over, but it was over twenty years ago and who knew what the internet would become.Actually, Ray Bradbury probably did.LinksFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Ray Bradbury Resources

I put a couple of Bradbury's short stories together in case you missed the original back in February.My daughter like's Bradbury and it's her birthday.In this episode of the Teaching ELA Podcast, I discuss one of my favorite science fiction stories, “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury. I've got an emergency "Veldt" lesson plan you can get on the board right now involving setting and conflict. If you're going to teach one thing from this story that will make everything else easier or no longer necessary, teach students to cite textual evidence to analyze theme. I discuss that along with the elements of science fiction, cause and effect, conflict, and a Methods of Persuasion Advertising Project.Use a setting/conflict 2-column analysis chart if you need a lesson plan right now.If you're going to teach one thing from this story, go with theme. It will naturally lead to the elements of Science Fiction and help you teach cause and effect and methods of persuasion.This story was written in the 1950s, long before virtual technology existed. Science Fiction isn't just for nerds!Show LinksScience Fiction Lesson Plans Collection (4 teacher ready lesson plans you can use right now)“The Veldt” Lesson Plans at elacommoncorelessonplans.comAnalyzing Conflict in “The Veldt” handout (Different from the one we talked about)“The Veldt” text“The Veldt” movie

It's Bastille Day in France and it's hiking and swimming day in Spokane, Washington where I'm currently on vacation. Since I didn't feel like recording a new podcast episode, I thought I would celebrate Bastille Day with Mr. Maupassant and that zany Mademoiselle Loisel.Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/

In case you missed an episode or two, I'll be putting together some compilations. Today's quotes come from "The Most Dangerous Game," "To Build a Fire," and "Rime of the Ancient Mariner."LinksELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.comFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/

Mark Twain once said, "Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you gain at one end you lose at the other. It's like feeding a dog on his own tail. It won't fatten the dog." Despite this truth, that a lack of education often forces one to find alternative means to self-reliance, cash strapped states look to education cuts as the first remedy for budget deficits, not realizing that saving money on education in the short term costs them money in the long run. Education as a vehicle to self reliance shows itself especially during a national economic crisis--ironically, most common time for education cuts. According to CNN, the unemployment rate for college graduates is less than half of the rate for those with just a high school diploma. For those without a high school diploma, finding a job is nigh impossible. Make all the budget cuts you wish, governor, but make sure you use the money saved to build more prisons and welfare offices.LinksFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmMark Twain Quotes Blog PostShort Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.comPoetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com

I thought I had a well behaved class…until I got a student teacher. That's when the Lord of the Flies broke out. Kids who had been angels in the classroom for over half the school year turned into savages. One day the student teacher left for the day and I resumed my role as teacher. And they suddenly turned to angels again.That led me to think about civilization and the meaning of being civilized. Without rules do even the most civilized turn into savages? William Golding thought so.LinksFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmLord of the Flies Blog PostComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/

How many times per day do you tell your students that if they believe in themselves they can achieve anything?What you say is, “Hey if you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything!”What they hear is: Blah! Blah! Blah!In other words, they're not buying what you're selling:You don't believe it.Because you aren't accomplishing your dreams.In this episode, I break down why believing in yourself is the ultimate key to getting what you want. I challenge you to put your actions where your mouth is. Learn how to handle the uncomfortable and scary obstacles in your path and practice your skill of believing harder.When we start believing in ourselves then students will take that cue and start believing in themselves.I want you to stop talking about it and start doing something about it.ELA Teacher LinksTeaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching EmpathyShort Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.comPoetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com

Caesar has ample information to ascertain there is a viable threat against his life, so why does he not heed these warnings?It's because of pride. He thinks he's untouchable. He thinks that his decrees carry the force of god.How are we like Caesar? Do we listen those who are “beneath” us or do we think we're too good to listen to the advice of our students, our colleagues, and others? If so, we may be setting ourselves up for a huge downfall, hopefully nobody's going to stab you, but we may be setting ourselves up for a metaphorical stab in the back.TakeawaysJulius Caesar shows why humility might be the best way to avoid a gigantic fall.“Beware the Ides of March” is probably the most famous warning in literature.What warnings are you ignoring in your classroom or personal life?ResourcesJulius Caesar Blog Post at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.comFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Julius Caesar Lesson Plans https://trent-media.myshopify.com/products/julius-caesar-lesson-plans-unit-plan-and-teaching-guide?_pos=1&_sid=47f2fed56&_ss=r

Poe is the most famous of American Romantic writers. One aspect of this literary movement is a fascination with death and the supernatural. And is there anything more supernatural and portentous of death than a Raven that quotes “Nevermore.”“Nevermore” is not the literary quote of the day, by the way, but it does come from Poe's “The Raven.”Takeaways“The Raven” is one of the most famous poems in the English languageThere's a cool episode of The Simpsons about “The Raven.”“The Raven” is a great poem for teaching poetic devices.ResourcesFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Lesson Plans: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/collections/short-story-lesson-plans/products/edgar-allan-poe-short-stories

“Masque of the Red Death” is one of those stories that became more relevant around March of 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic. Plagues and pandemics have not only been a part of human history, but in many cases they have changed history. We are fortunate today that we have communication and medical capabilities that limit the effect of pandemics and disease. So despite the disruption to our lives and the personal tragedies some of my listeners may have faced due to Covid-19, I think it's ok to look forward with optimism and faith. In the end, however, we control our thoughts and we can choose to look forward with faith or dwell on the negatives of the last couple years. How might looking forward with faith and gratitude make a difference in your life?LinksFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Lesson Plans: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/collections/short-story-lesson-plans/products/edgar-allan-poe-short-stories

I don't really know the exact truth about Poe's personal life, but his writing expertness cannot be denied. One thing that makes him so iconic, in addition to his tales of horror, is his ability to innovate. You'll notice that famous short story writer was not really an occupation before Poe. You'll also note that detective stories did not exist before Poe. LinksFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Lesson Plans: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/collections/short-story-lesson-plans/products/edgar-allan-poe-short-stories

Poe is best remembered for his tales of terror and haunting stories and poems. He is credited as one of the earliest writers of short stories, the inventor of the modern detective story, and an innovator in the genre of science fiction.TakeawaysOne can easily infer that Poe was a wee bit unstable based on passages like the one we read, but that's not necessarily true.This is a great short story any time of year, not just Halloween.Resources“The Black Cat” Blog PostFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Lesson Plans: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/collections/short-story-lesson-plans/products/edgar-allan-poe-short-stories

Here's a replay podcast of one of my favorite poems. So on this 4th of July, remember those who secured our dreams.

Here's what a loss of freedom looks like, at least according to Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron"

I don't feel like doing podcasts over 4th of July weekend, but if you feel like listening, here are some old teaching poetry podcast episodes.

John Keats is my favorite poet. That's not something I normally tell people. Perhaps that's the real reason I do this podcast…so I can tell you who my favorite poets and poems are. It's not like I sit around and discuss literary quotes with my friends like I've been doing all summer with y'all.Life LessonThe poem's topic is perfection. And I think a lot of us become perfectionists in the classroom. I want to say that perfectionists and perfection are not the same. Because perfection is an impossible goal on Earth–even if it does exist in some form, according to Keats at least–doesn't mean we need to achieve it to be effective in the classroom.TakeawaysKeats found perfection on an urn, so perfection does exist. It's just not very practical in real life.Perfectionism is not the same as perfect.Be careful not to cast this pearl of a poem on the swine of a class that doesn't appreciate literary greatness.Resources“Ode on a Grecian Urn” Blog PostFree Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htmComplete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/Poetry Lesson Plan Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/collections/poetry-guides