The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast | ELA

So here’s the thing. High school kids have about 10,000 things on their agenda just above going to the library to pick out a book. And if they do make it to the library, the librarian (through no fault of their own!) likely won’t know them well enough to help them get the book that is going to have them flipping the pages at midnight when they know they should be asleep but the plot is just so amazing they can’t help but read.  These days I see a classroom library as an absolutely essential part of any high school ELA classroom. They can all be books borrowed from the school library - in fact, that’s pretty much always what I did when I was first getting started with choice reading. Or they can be books you gather over the years through donations, book sales, garage sales, and Donors Choose projects. Having books right in your classroom that students can borrow and read in your choice reading program makes a huge difference. Especially if you can showcase some of them covers out and incorporate them into your choice reading system with book talks and fun displays.  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

Today on the podcast we’re sitting down with Laura Lee Gulledge, the graphic novelist behind The Dark Matter of Mona Starr. She's an Eisner Award nominated cartoonist, teaching artist, musical librettist, and collaborative muralist based in Charlottesville, VA. Her books include YA graphic novels The Dark Matter of Mona Starr, Page by Paige, Will & Whit, and the interactive Sketchbook Dares: 24 Ways to Draw Out Your Inner Artist. If you've ever wondered where to start with getting students drawing and creating their own graphic stories and mini-comics, today's episode is for you! Laura Lee has generously shared ideas and materials for four different creative lessons you can try with your classes. We're diving into her graphic novel - The Dark Matter of Mona Starr, her creation process, and a wide range of activity ideas for class. Quick Links for two of the storytelling activities:  You can find the materials for the mini-comic project on Laura Lee's website here.   Laura Lee's "Draw Darkness" (grab it here).    Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!  

Do you know about Libro FM's free audiobook program for educators?  It's easy to sign up - they approved me in just one day!  You can register for a free account and sign up here.  Once you’ve enrolled in the ALC program, you’ll quickly build an audiobook library in your account. Even if only a few books a month in the educator program feel exactly right for your classroom, that could be 30+ books a year you’re adding to your device, for free. Then you can use them for First Chapter Fridays, a classroom audiobook listening station, to preview books you might want to order in paper copy for your library, and just for your own joy! I HIGHLY recommend you take a minute to sign up today, and you can always figure out how to use all your books later. The sooner you sign up, the sooner you can start building an audiobook library to use later on!  You might also want to tune into episode 166, How to Build an Audiobook Listening Station for your Classroom.    Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

Interactive wall displays are one of my favorite new things. Adding a QR code to a poster gives students the opportunity to take things further. If you've been hanging out with me this year, you know I've created interactive displays for you to celebrate Black History Month, Women's History Month, and AAPI Heritage month. Now it's Pride Month, and I've got another one for you. Maybe you're already out of school, or maybe you've still got a few weeks left (here's looking at you, New York teachers). Whether you use it now, or put it up to celebrate LGBTQ+ creators throughout the year, this new interactive pride display features ten creative LGBTQ+ authors to share with your students. Today on the pod, I'm going to introduce you to a few of these creators, so you know more about what's behind the display. If you already get my emails each week, you'll be getting this display on Friday. If not, you can sign up for the free display in the blog post here.  Here's who we're talking about... Erika Sanchez Becky Albertelli Alice Oseman Rainbow Rowell Adam Silvera   REGISTER FOR CAMP CREATIVE NEXT WEEK   Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

This week on “Highly Recommended” we’re talking about the guy who has been one of my top go-tos for years when someone asks for a book recommendation for  a student. Jason Reynolds.  In today’s episode we’re talking about a whole range of his fabulous books, including:  Ghost, Lu, Sunny, Patina (The Track Series) As Brave as You Stuntboy in the Meantime Long Way Down - graphic novel or regular All American Boys Stamped Ain’t Burned all the Bright For Everyone Check out his website here, where he describes himself like this: “Here’s what I do: not write boring books.” CAMP CREATIVE: TEACH GRAPHIC NOVELS WITH CONFIDENCE STARTS JUNE 12. SIGN UP TO JOIN US FOR THIS FREE PD HERE.  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

I see a lot of posts each month inside our Facebook group, Creative High School English, asking for text recommendations for different courses. What's the best book to teach ninth graders? The best short story to teach tenth graders? The best performance poetry for seniors? I love this type of collaboration, because we all make discoveries at our local libraries and bookstores, and in our own little internet corners. You may not know about my absolute favorite yet, and I may not know about yours. With that in mind, today on the podcast I'm going to share my top favorite recent discoveries. This is going to be my (rather long) answer to the next post I see asking for a great course title to order! We'll be exploring: Poetry and Short Stories Graphic Novels Full-Length Texts This one's not exhaustive by any means, they're just lovely recent favorites that really stood out. I hope you'll find one for your summer TBR and it will wend its way into one of your courses next year. SIGN UP FOR CAMP CREATIVE: TEACH GRAPHIC NOVELS WITH CONFIDENCE, HERE Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.   Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

This week on Highly Recommended  I’m sharing my favorite online tool for Shakespeare, the free website My Shakespeare.  So what makes it so great? Well, let’s start with the fact that it as FULL texts available for Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Julius Caesar.  That give you OPTIONS.  You can choose one for a full class text OR have students choose plays that interest them for Shakespearean book clubs. But whole texts are jus the tip of the iceberg. Wait till you hear about all the scaffolds and multimedia pop-outs available right on the texts. You won’t believe this amazing resource.  Tune in and I’ll walk you through it in just a few minutes on this week’s short “Highly Recommended” episode. Haven't signed up for Camp Creative: Teach Graphic Novels with Confidence in June yet? Grab your free spot here.  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

If you tuned into the podcast last week, you know I received an email from Emily, an ELA teacher with big questions. In a nutshell, she asked - how do we fit it all into our English classes? The writing, the review, the whole class novels, the skills... Last week, we took a look at the big picture - how to plan the year to cover what you want to cover without getting overwhelmed. This time we're zooming in on planning an ELA unit for one whole class text, and how to make all the decisions that go with it. Discover my process for choosing a path through the reading, adding complementary texts, choosing consistent programs, and designing a buy-in project to help give the whole unit a solid shape. You can use this step-by-step plan to approach English units you'd like to redesign or build from scratch this summer.  ____ Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

The Dark Matter of Mona Starr, by Laura Lee Gulledge, is a STELLAR book to consider for your choice reading library, book clubs, or even full class text.  Here's why... It takes on the issue of mental health and well-being in a positive, real way without being prescriptive or moralistic.  It showcases healthy friendships and family communication. It has INCREDIBLE art, art that goes beyond bringing the story to life and takes on a life of its own. Listen in for my review, and be sure to sign up for Camp Creative, coming in June! In this totally free week of PD all about teaching graphic novels with confidence, you'll get... My favorite titles, so you don't have to wait on hold for 30 graphic novels on Libby A book tasting activity to help you introduce a range of (fabulous) graphic novels to your kiddos Bright visual tools to make teaching graphic novel vocabulary easier than re-reading a Colleen Hoover novel Creative activities you can use with ANY GRAPHIC NOVEL that bridge analysis of text and graphic elements Done-for-you curriculum for launching a creative final project, without spending five hours in Canva prepping it  In short, everything you need to teach your first graphic novel unit next year and smash it! Plus, a fun group of aspiring graphic novel gurus to move through the week with when you hop into our camp community.  SIGN UP HERE FOR CAMP CREATIVE (I can't wait to work with you!)    Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

Last week I received this email from Emily, an English teacher with questions I think we can all relate to. Here's what she wrote... "I am in my 8th year of teaching, and while I love aspects of it, I work 10-11 hours a day and am burning out. And, I feel that I'm on an island sometimes at my school—I have to re-teach skills that they should have been taught in earlier years, etc. I have one foot out of the door of the teaching profession. I find myself awake at night trying to figure out how to do a good job teaching both reading and writing, and getting in all the skills. How do you do whole class novel units? And teach all the skills? Say, I want to teach Gatsby, and focus on character contrast and figurative language. Is it ok to focus on just a few skills each unit? How do you make sure they get practiced sufficiently, while also making sure to have time for current events/reading informational text stuff? How long do you spend on a unit to make sure you can test them and build background prior? Do you have them write a lot of literary analysis essays? How do we then factor in teaching all of the types of writing--expository, argument, narrative, while we have to teach all these reading skills?" Today and next time on the podcast, I'm going to do my best to answer Emily's questions, because I think they're ones we have all faced as ELA teachers. How on earth are we supposed to cover all. the. things?! And teach them well? Today we'll look at the big picture - how to plan the year to cover what you want to cover without getting overwhelmed. Next time we'll zoom in on planning a single whole class text unit in ELA, and how to make all the decisions that go with it.   Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!