Category: Writing
our breakup letters to 2022
After a pretty rough 2020 and its Bait-and-Switch cousin 2021, we were all excited for a shiny new 2022. Until we had to live through it. So, what better way to cut free than to write Dear John letters to 2020 and 2021. (Our… Continue Reading “our breakup letters to 2022”
the collaborative novella (ish).
In October of 2021, I read Liane Moriarty’s best-seller (now Hulu series) Nine Perfect Strangers. The story features nine individuals (strangers, in fact) whose paths intersect at an Australian wellness center. The focus of each chapter alternates among the characters. The result is a… Continue Reading “the collaborative novella (ish).”
spotify flash fiction.
Term 4 is tough when it comes to student engagement. However, I tried some new things this year that will definitely be keepers. Among them? Spotify Flash Fiction. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a story using JUST song titles in the form of… Continue Reading “spotify flash fiction.”
emulation 101: mirroring authors’ writing moves.
In her book Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina, and Passion in Adolescent Readers, Penny Kittle discusses the importance of using mentor texts to guide student writing. In addition to escaping into an intoxicating Other-World, students learn to appreciate craft as they read and take… Continue Reading “emulation 101: mirroring authors’ writing moves.”
project-based learning in the writing classroom.
When students speak, teachers listen. Most of the time. That’s how Creative Writing II came to be. But it was a bumpy start. The first year it ran, we lost the last third to quarantine. That second year, we navigated in and out of… Continue Reading “project-based learning in the writing classroom.”
our breakup letters to 2021
Once Shiny, New 2021 came onto the scene, most of us were more than ready to break free of 2020. Worst. Bait and Switch. Ever. And last year’s Creative Writing I & II students wrote the Dear John letters to make it official. Well,… Continue Reading “our breakup letters to 2021”
beth hughes.
I’m a tech-loving, high school English teacher out to woo my students back to bibliophilia through authentic, real-world tasks. Even with two decades of teaching under my belt, there’s so much left to learn.
WHERE OTHERS GO
THE LIFELONG LEARNER 