The Benefits of Comics Composition in the Classroom

The Benefits of Comics Composition in the Classroom

In the spring, I was in a class on rhetoric and composition for my master’s in English program. We focused on many different ideas, from threshold concepts in writing to multimodal composition to inclusive practices for international and L2 students. For our summative assignment, however, we had to choose a focus that we hadn’t covered, or at least … Read more

Should We Teach Students to Use Citation Generators?

Should We Teach Students to Use Citation Generators? The Pros and Cons, Plus MLA Resources

One of the most difficult concepts taught in ELA classrooms is the essay. It’s because there are so many parts at play: formulating the research question, evaluating sources, gathering evidence, outlining ideas, and translating the outline from bullet points into a well-structured and original piece of writing. Phew. Add to all of that the idea … Read more

Why do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Informative Essay Activity

Why do we celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Informative Essay Activity

It’s almost March, and in the U.S. that means businesses and schools are decorated with cardboard shamrocks, cartoon leprechauns, and obscene amounts of green glitter—all in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.  Many Americans participate in this verdant holiday, but do they ever ask themselves why? Why do we don green (instead of blue) and pinch each … Read more

Teaching Rhetorical Devices with Super Bowl Commercials

Rhetorical Devices in Super Bowl Commercials: Allusion, Hyperbole, Parallelism, and Rhetorical Appeals

Now that Super Bowl LVII has come and gone, we enter the period of post-game analysis. The players and coaches are watching footage to see which kicks, throws, and tackles were the most or least successful. This is all well and good if you’re interested in getting better at football; however, the only kind of … Read more

“I Have a Dream” Teaching Resources

"I Have a Dream" Teaching Resources

A few weeks back, I celebrated MLK Day with a comic to honor the venerated activist and leader Martin Luther King Jr. To continue in this vein, and in honor of Black History Month, I’m sharing a few of my favorite resources for teaching MLK’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. (Get the full transcript … Read more

The Odyssey Teaching Resources

The Odyssey Teaching Resources

Of the many books I’ve taught, my favorite has to be the Odyssey. I love watching kids grimace when they read about Odysseus driving a charred stake into the cyclops’s eye. I look forward to discussing what the sirens’ song sounds like. (Is it like the Mirror of Erised in Harry Potter?) I can’t get … Read more