The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast | ELA

In this episode, I take a look back over many of the big and small mistakes I've made as a teacher, and give you a roadmap for how to avoid them. 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!

In this episode, I take a look back over the trends, resources, and strategies that stood out to me as the most interesting during this year in ELA.  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!  

In this episode, I'll share five fabulous ways to empower your student writers in ELA through blogging.  OK, a quick update. When I first created this podcast, Blogger was an easy and awesome option for a free student blog. But now they’ve closed their doors to kids under 18. Many teachers are turning to Edublogs, though Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress also offer free versions. Whatever you choose, make sure it is is allowed by your school, and get parent permission if needed. OK, I’m about to share SO MANY fabulous ways you can empower your students to channel their voice and creativity into blogging. But first, one quick word of warning and one quick word of comfort. The Warning: Don’t let your students put any personal or school information on their blogs! Nothing beyond first names. This is an important security measure for you to stress with them. The Comfort: Students can handle the tech. Remind them they can always Google or Youtube questions like “how to embed sound clips in Squarespace,” ” how to speed up an iMovie video,” etc. I first assigned students to create podcasts eight years before I learned to record one myself, and it was fine. Really. Let students go farther than you with technology if they want to. When they ask if they can add the new things they find and discover  they can make to their blogs, just say yes! 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!

Discover my TOP STRATEGY  for success with any discussion. Helping students to prepare with a fun, easy warm-up activity eliminates the awkward silence and empowers students to contribute easily. Get ready for increased engagement and less awkward silence when you try discussion warm-ups with your ELA students. 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, Brynn Allison of The Literary Maven shares her top ten current book recommendations to hook reluctant readers.  For example...  FORGED BY FIRE (TRILOGY), BY SHARON M. DRAPER If you're going to add only one of these books to your reading library, this just might be it. It's Brynn's top recommendation. With its amazing first chapter that was originally written to stand alone as a short story, you can hook readers instantly. Read it aloud and put it on your shelf, then watch how quickly your struggling readers (and all the rest of your students) line up for it.  Great for: Everyone!  ON THE COME UP, BY HANNAH WEYER  In this novel, a young woman gets pregnant. This is the story of how she deals with it. Though she makes mistakes, she also makes good choices. She's strong and driven, a real and honest protagonist that makes a good role model for students who may be facing difficult realities and struggling with their own choices.  You can read Brynn's full review here.  Great for: Young women who could use a strong and realistic role model. This also makes a great next read for students who have fallen for The Hate U Give.  LIFE AS WE KNEW IT (SERIES), BY SUSAN BETH PFEFFER If the moon got out of whack, what might happen? This post-apocalyptic series follows life on earth in a fairly realistic scenario, following along as characters deal with the way the world is changing. You can read Brynn's full review here.  Great for: Keeping students reading, since they can move on to the next in the series after the first book.  THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO (SERIES), BY PATRICK NESS Also set in the ever-popular post-apocalyptic world, this novel follows the story of Todd, who grows up in a town with only men. Then one day he finds a girl, Viola, and together they start a revolution. You can read Brynn's full review here.  Great for: Another solid series, giving students a lot to love once they get hooked on the first book. CINDER (THE LUNAR CHRONICLES SERIES), BY MARISSA MEYER This intriguing twist on a popular fairy tale is full of surprises. Who would have expected to find futuristic features like androids and life on the moon in a retelling of Cinderella? You can read Brynn's full review here.  Great for: These books are long and big. And there are a lot of them. Share a bit in class and then see who is ready for months of joyful reading.   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!

There are so many great places to find inspiration for ELA online!  In this episode, I'm sharing my favorite sites for free creative lesson plans and ideas for English teachers online.  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!

In this episode, I'll share five strategies for amping up student engagement by giving them authentic audiences for their work. It's more doable than it seems! Once you start looking, you'll find authentic audience options for your ELA students all over the place.  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!

Let's talk about taking a break from your classroom space and getting out into other school spaces. Spend a day trying one of these mini-field trips and see if you and your students don't both feel better. 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!

In this episode, I'll share the system that allows me to skip repetitive comment writing by using a list of common errors with my students. 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!

Curious about escape rooms? For good reason!  Escape rooms are an engaging teaching strategy rapidly growing in momentum across the country. Emily Aierstok, my first ever podcast guest, will share her experiences teaching with escape rooms in her New York classroom. The show notes this week are EXTENSIVE so be sure to head to nowsparkcreativity.com to find them.  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!