When teaching denotation and connotation I use numerous poems in addition to the literature we are reading (The Crucible’s use of “cold” is an excellent example if you are reading it, which we just were). Here are three I use with my classes: Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “The Eagle” (also great for alliteration) He ...

To follow my previous post, here is another exercise I use with my students regarding adjectives. First, I put a list of words on the board all synonymous with “angry:” mad, upset, incensed, perturbed, enraged, disgusted, indignant, annoyed, peeved, infuriated, provoked, and irate. If I have the time I sometimes give each small group ...

One of the first sets of literary devices I teach at any level is connotation and denotation. These are two of the most basic diction analysis techniques for students to learn since they are wide-reaching and allow students to discover tone, mood, inferences, and more. Denotation (the primary definition of a word) and connotation (the [...]

I’m currently in my 9th year of full-time teaching, and I’ve learned a great many lessons the hard way as I’ve navigated my way through administrative minefields, labyrinthine bureaucracies, challenging curricula, and diverse students. Here are the five best lessons I’ve learned in the classroom as a teacher: 1. Due dates ...

Here is a list of shocking statistics (at least I hope they are shocking) about high school students from the author Betsy Hart: “more than a quarter admitted stealing from a store,” “almost as many [a quarter of the students surveyed] admitted stealing from a relative in the previous year,” “82 percent said they ...

I’m biased on this one since the Good Samaritans upon whom this article centers are from my alma mater, but this is one of those stories that makes me feel wonderful about how athletics transcend competition and actually represent the best in people. In a dream-come-true scenario, a senior Western Oregon batter named Sara Tucholsky hit [...]

Thousands of high schools around the country participate in the Day of Silence each year, which includes my own high school. However, in my state the bulk of the media’s attention centered on Mt. Si High School because Rev. Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, called for 1,000 “prayer warriors” to protest ...

He rarely smiles. He rarely speaks. His rakish suits and power ties seem to imply a need for attention and respect. And people suspect he’s reading a book on how to teach. He’s our assistant principal. He’s not my evaluator, but the stories have run throughout the building. When observing teachers he would always say that [...]

Some urban legends are quite popular such as: the man with a hook on Lover’s Lane who loses it on a couple’s door handle, the kids who drive without headlights until flashed by another car, and then they follow and beat the person, the percentages of HIV positive donated blood, babies born in-flight are given free flights forever, ...

I turned the movie evening with my students into a hot dog feed. While they watched the movie (Minority Report because of reading Julius Caesar), I barbecued hot dogs and provided chips and pop. It was great! The best part was watching the kids figure out why I showed them this Tom Cruise action flick. Suddenly [...]