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Happy Homecoming!

It's Homecoming week at school and I could not be more excited if I tried!  Nobody, and I mean NOBODY loves high school football more than I do.  I could have brain surgery and lose a limb, but still show up at the field on Friday nights.  I love to see all of my many children on the field (and on the sideline cheering!) showcasing their talent.  

As another fun part of Homecoming week, my school does a door decorating contest. I decided to give my 1st period free reign (WHICH IS SO HARD WHEN YOU WANT TO CONTROL EVERYTHING AND  MAKE SURE IT'S JUST RIGHT)  over my door.  I have some hilarious and creative children in the class, and they came up with what is probably my favorite door of all time.  

Check it out: A great take on Straight Outta Compton 
(The "L" is for Lincolnton, NC)

The 3D wolf head is my favorite.  Didn't they do a great job!? Let's hope this encourages my football "sons" to beat those Trojans on Friday. 

What are some of your favorite Homecoming traditions? 

Happy Homecoming, Ya'll!

Character Foil Fun

I've always loved Kevin Hart....I love him even more now that I was able to use him so that my students would understand foil characters!  We used the concept of (I'm ashamed that I think this movie is so funny) Get Hard, in order to understand how authors enhance characterization through the use of a character foil.  

I discussed how and why this literary technique is used by emphasizing the film and all of the ways in which the characters are different.

We even practiced with a few of their favorite texts before we ever discussed the foil characters in OTK. My students later completed a group project on Oedipus + Creon and how they are a great example of foil characters. 

BUT, I always like to challenge my students individually as well - especially in an Honors Class!


I'm actually a huge fan of tricking my students into doing harder work than they think they can do. (You're always smarter than you think you are!) So, I secretly choose AP prompts and make the word choice appear easier, to take away some of their fear. They have no idea they're doing AP work, but their test scores and writing styles certainly show improvement!

 I decided that their first official analytical prompt would deal with foil characters.  I use a released form of open-ended AP prompts.  This is a great way to introduce your students to more difficult material + apply it to whatever you're currently studying. All you have to do is change a few words and BAM you have an instant activity that challenges students, yet still sticks with the content.  Here's a list of open ended AP prompts if you're interested: Click Here!


We spent an entire week discussing how to write an analytical paper, what NOT to do, and how to make your project stand out from the rest.  Their notebooks looked like this at the end of the week:

The culminating activity: Choose a story or novel that you've read that displays an example of a foil character.  Illustrate the characters and include their differences.  Include at least 2 symbols + three quotes that highlight their differences on each side.

THEN, respond to the following prompt: In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of the minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Discuss how the relation between the minor character and the major character from the book/story you chose illuminates the meaning of the work. Here's a few of my favorite illustrated examples:

You can purchase my foil project which includes a rubric, project outline, examples of paper + illustrations, and more! Click here to view: Character Foil Project

We're moving on to my favorite memoir now, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. What's everyone else reading?

Oedipus is my Hero

Is it seriously almost October!? I feel like September came and went in less than five minutes!  My Honors English II Classes have been working on one of my favorite pieces - "Oedipus The King" by Sophocles! There's nothing like a little incest, murder, and blindness (a triple threat!) to add zest to the classroom.  
While teaching the play, we discuss the history, time, and author.  This always brings up a discussion on timeless literature and themes - which leads right into one of my favorite things to talk about: ARCHETYPES!  It's always fun to see my students totally amazed by ancient story patterns and how almost everything we currently read/watch follows the same outline! We talk about the hero's journey and even play archetype Go Fish, but my FAVORITE activity is The Hero's Journey Map.  I play a GREAT TED Ed video to introduce the archetypal hero's journey - really breaks it down into "common" language and gives students a modern example to view.  You can check it out here: 

We fill in a blank pie chart with the steps of the journey and even use Disney's The Lion King as an example! I give them a chart of character archetypes and they work in groups to locate examples in literature and film.  Here's what their notebooks look like after our discussion:

Then, I give students a blank pie chart with 9 "slices".  They have to choose a book or a film that accurately depicts the Hero's Journey.  They fill in the pie chart with illustrations, quotes, and symbols that reflect the journey in that particular piece.  I also have them write a constructed response which forces them to examine HOW the steps fit (did they have to force the steps, or did they happen naturally) and how at least one character in the tale is an example of an archetype.  Here are some of their examples of The Hero's Journey:

This always leads into a discussion about how Oedipus follows the steps of the hero's journey - and also how he is an example of an important character archetype: the tragic hero!

We just ended the play and completed one of my favorite projects: Foil Character Fun! I'll post those treasures later in the week.  As always, it's been fun, Oedipus! :)

Back To School!

Everyone thinks that I'm crazy because I LIVE FOR BACK TO SCHOOL! I get so excited when I see the school supply set up come out at Office Max.  It's so bad that even my grandmother buys me Staples gift cards for holidays! I LOVE meeting all of my new students and jumping in to new curriculum.  The majority of my paycheck usually ends up at Barnes and Noble - there's nothing better than new books to start the school year out right. 

This "back to school" season has been even crazier than usual, but I've never been more excited to get things rolling.  I even have an ESL class of 35 freshmen sandwiched between two sections of Honors World Lit!  Their energy is contagious, and I've really enjoyed getting to know all of my new children.  Here's how I got my year started.


We had an "Open House" a few days before the first day of school.  I like for my students to know exactly what the course will be like, so I typed a cute listing of everything we'll read, when my tutoring hours are, and how their parents can contact me.  I also included a supply list. 

I'm a huge fan of treat bags - like, I'll look for a holiday or invent a new one just so I can make treat bags. BUT I was a little pressed for time this year.  I ended up attaching some cute tags to Blow Pops to hand out at Open House.  I was THRILLED that I had so many students come to meet me that I ran out of candy! 

After Open House, I jumped right into making things for the first day of school.  Being a perfectionist will probably kill me one day, but of course I had to make sure my syllabus stood out.  I used rainbow paper (Yay buy one, get one free at Staples!!) and made a template for a flip book syllabus.  Here's how it turned out: 

I like to give my students a survey on the first day of school.  I like knowing the basic things such as favorite movie and favorite candy, BUT it's also super important for me to get know their reading and writing preferences and habits.  I made a brochure-like survey on colored paper.  I learned SO MUCH about my students this way.  

As a first day activity, I had all of my classes fill out a "What You Should Already Know" packet.  It was a basic list of literary elements: pictures, examples, and definitions that they worked in groups to complete.  This was a way for me to jump into the curriculum from the first day AND assess what they already knew. 

Finally, I gave all of my children a treat bag complete with Smarties (because that's what they are ;) ) and pencils.  

I didn't leave out my teacher friends either...I bought packs of rainbow pencils + made a cute tag to attach. Super easy and a way for me to show them how much I appreciate all that they do.  I seriously have THE BEST group of teachers on my hall.  EVERYONE is always helpful, understanding, and FUN! 

How was everyone else's first week?  I'm ready to get the ball rolling and show my students how much fun reading can be.  We've started Oedipus Rex with my honors class and "The Cask of Amontillado" with my freshmen.  Sophocles and Poe - is there really any other way to start the school year!? ;) 

I've also included all of these items in a back to school pack in my TPT store!  Check it out here: Back To School Pack

Classroom Tour

I am so excited to begin blogging by showcasing my classroom.  I've been told for years that I should teach elementary school because I decorate like it's 2nd grade.  I don't think that the older students should be deprived of decoration just because of their age!  I've even found that my high school students actually notice and enjoy cool stuff I add to the room.  It's fun for me to make their learning experience a little more enjoyable.  Several of my students do not have a stable home life, so it's super important to me that my classroom feels comfortable.  I want it to be a welcoming environment where everyone feels at home.  Even my students that have a fantastic home environment still enjoy the little touches that make the room home-y. :) This room is still a work in process, but on Monday it will welcome 90 high school students with open arms. (And I will too - I CANNOT WAIT!)

The view from the door - just don't ask how the curtains were hung.  Getting a tension rod that high without a ladder is no joke. 

Several of my students are VERY artistic.  I like to showcase their amazing work on my collage wall.  I'm continually blown away by their many talents.  The students love to see their work displayed - and I love having original pieces of art for decoration. :)

I decided to give each student a number this year.  I try to change their seating arrangement every 1-2 weeks, and writing all of their names on name tags, cutting out the tags, gluing them down, etc. became VERY TIME CONSUMING.  This year, I saved SO MUCH TIME by printing circular labels with numbers, laminating them, and placing a small strip of velcro on the back! I just glued the velcro strip's mate to the desk and BAM! instant seating arrangement.  Now all I have to do is peel off the numbers, and re-stick them where a student's new seat will be. 

Ya'll - THIS LIBRARY GIVES ME LIFE! It is definitely my favorite part of the room.  Over the years I have collected several books (for a great price) from local thrift stores.  You can buy most soft cover books for less than $1!  I'm also going to be implementing a new book check out system this year called Book Source.  It's actually an app for your phone - I'll post more about that later. 

Above the book shelf on the right is a cork board I purchased from Hobby Lobby.  I have my students brainstorm goals for the class and we pin them on the board.  I like for them to have visible, reachable goals all year. It's also SO MUCH FUN when they reach a goal and can check it off their list.

I also keep containers of pencils, pens, cap erasers, and paper clips on top of my book shelf.  If anyone is out of supplies, they can simply go grab one from the jar without having the interrupt their neighbor or their dear teacher ;).

I keep a table beside my bookshelf with all of the supplies my students will need for that day.  When they come in the room, they immediately know they should grab a paper, book, etc. from the table.  It's a nice system and they catch on quickly.  It works well because they like knowing what we're doing before they sit down.  I also like to keep an outline for what we'll do for the week on my board.  The labels on the left of the grid tell my students which activities we do on what days. THEY LOVE STRUCTURE.  (ex. Make it relevant Mondays - nonfiction, Talk about Poetry Tuesday - Poems, etc.) 

Oh! and the You Get What You Get book is for my students who sometimes need to be reminded that life doesn't always go as planned.  

My favorite chair sits beside my Smart Board!  Behind my desk is my wall of "Literary Leaders" - a point system I use as a way of behavior management.  I have another blog post planned to discuss how that works! 

I keep a small table behind my desk for two types of students: those who need to work independently, and those who need extra help from me.  It's an easy way to separate them from the class for some one-on-one instruction. It is also a great way to differentiate.  Most of the time, it's a way for me to manage behavior issues before they begin.  If someone just can't handle life that day, they have to come and sit with me - easy as that! :) 

Here is my table I have prepped and ready for the first day of school! The syllabus for both classes, "What You Should Already Know" literary activity, student surveys, reading challenge sheets, and treat bags, are all ready to go! And ya'll know I have to have my own mini fridge for the endless supply of Diet Coke.  

During the year, this table is used for small group instruction or behavior management.  

Beside my table I keep extra supplies in the yellow boxes.  I also house all of my important binders like my common planning notebook, reading logs, behavior notes, and more.  I like to stash my extra papers for foldables in my black box, too!

I LOVE my wolf wall - there's an even bigger close-up of a wolf face on the wall next to it.  It's definitely a perk of having the old art room.

We keep all of our text books on the book shelf next to the collage wall.  My students know that I'm a crazy person about organization so they're typically pretty good about putting their books back on the shelf in the right order.  I'm also obsessed with my ceramic owl that perches on the bookshelf. I think he adds a little wisdom to the room. :)

Beside the text book book shelf, I have a HUGE bulletin board.  I dedicate one side to the things my students like to make,draw,write, for me! I LOVE it - If I'm ever having a bad day all I have to do is look at all of the wonderful words of encouragement from my kids.  Also, the best mom in the world hung all of the pennants exactly right on the next side.  We'll be adding literary elements, terms, and a basic reading list throughout the semester.  Any of the students (or other teachers, principals) can walk into the room at any time and instantly see what we're learning.  I'm really happy with how this turned out and I can't wait to utilize it.  

Finally, I keep a list beside the door of what my students should ALWAYS do, and what they should NEVER DO.  I draw little cartoons (they actually love what a terrible artist I am) illustrating the expectations.  Basically, they should always be kind and work hard.  They should NEVER be mean (for any reason), give up, OR BE ON THE PHONE. (Some pet peeves never die!) haha!  

I'm sure I'll change my mind ten times and continue adding to the room as the semester advances, but overall, I'm happy with it.  I'm ecstatic to start this blogging journey with all of my friends that are so wonderful about posting their classroom endeavors.  Tomorrow is the first day with new students for me! It's always hard to see a great group move on to another teacher, but I can't wait to meet my new batch of AMAZING children.