The Teaching ELA Podcast

Literary Quote of the Day: "How Do I Love Thee?"

Literary Quote of the Day: "Or Does It Explode?"

Literary Quote of the Day: "Go Home and Think How It All Happened"

Literary Quote of the Day: The Vomiting Radio

Literary Quote of the Day: Animals and Figurative Language

Literary Quote of the Day: The 4th Wall

Literary Quote of the Day: Friar Lawrence is an Idiot

As far as Friars go, you can’t do much worse than Friar Laurence. He conducted the marriage ceremony of two teenagers who had known each other for a couple of days without permission from their parents. Who does that? Life Lesson Be careful who you’re taking advice from. Links Romeo and Juliet Unit Plan Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/ Blog Post about Friar Lawrence

Literary Quote of the Day: "'Tis Torture and not Mercy"

Life Lesson Let’s get back to the ‘tis torture and not mercy quote. Romeo is governed by emotion. Guess who else is governed by emotions? Your students. And guess who else is governed by emotions? You and I! And what causes our emotions? Our thoughts. So what thoughts are we hearing over and over? I don’t know. I can’t read your mind. But it’s important to listen to the soundtracks playing in our brain and asking ourselves if they’re serving us. If they are, great. Keep playing it. If not, ...

Literary Quote of the Day: Juliet Betrays Her Family

Let’s get back to the quote. Romeo is governed by emotion. Guess who else is governed by emotions? Your students. And guess who else is governed by emotions? You and I! And what causes our emotions? Our thoughts. So what thoughts are we hearing over and over? I don’t know. I can’t read your mind. But it’s important to listen to the soundtracks playing in our brain and asking ourselves if they’re serving us. If they are, great. Keep playing it. If not, it’s time to change that soundtrack. Li...

Literary Quote of the Day: "Romeo's Wandering Eye"

There’s like 8 examples of figurative language in these 3 lines. Examples include hyperbole, simile, metaphor, and personification. You could do a couple things with this once school starts again. And since it’s summer, who cares, right? But maybe you could bookmark this and come back to it or maybe you’re listening to this 4 months after I posted it: (1) Challenge students to write 3 lines of poetry that contains 5 examples of figurative language; (2) Make a chart. Duh! Like you didn’t know...

Literary Quote of the Day: "Two Star-Crossed Lovers Take Their Life"

Mr. Shakespeare reminds us that teaching ELA is more than just hosting a book club. There is a place for reading for pleasure during SSR, for example, but the purpose of teaching ELA is to help students develop critical reading and thinking and writing skills. That’s why knowing the end at the beginning isn’t really a big deal. In fact, there’s a lot more to literature than knowing the plot. In a Shakespeare play it’s what happens in between the beginning and the end that matter. Life is th...

Literary Quote of the Day: Finny's Fall

The novel’s protagonist, Gene, has issues. His best friend has a limp, a permanent limp probably and Gene is the one who caused it. Don’t you hate it when in a fit of jealousy you cause your best friend to fall off a tree limb and he becomes permanently crippled? At this point of the novel, Gene debuts as the assistant crew manager on the rowing team. He remarks on the occasion. Quote: "I supposed that Quackenbush was studying me to see if he could detect a limp. But I knew that his flat b...

Literary Quote of the Day: "Preparing for a Calamity"

Twain exposes the illusion of security. He experienced many calamities toward the end of his life, a leading cause of his writing turning from fun to bitter. This reminds me of my early years in teaching. I made sure I had everything prepared and written out because I knew I’d be spending much of my energy and time managing the oversized class I was teaching. I made it a priority to be extremely prepared. I don’t recall the name of the story I was teaching that day, but the story was in th...

Literary Quote of the Day: "Don't Be a Bindle Stiff"

It’s safe to say these migrant workers have it tough, but is George and Lennie’s dream really impossible? I mean they actually almost have enough to buy the place. How much money does George waste on booze and prostitutes?  It’s easy to look back after a failure and blame our circumstances. It’s easy to blame society. After all, when people become losers in the US, they claim the American Dream is dead. Did you know that right now there are people walking from Honduras to Texas for a small ...

Literary Quote of the Day: "Suppose You Didn't Have Nobody?"

The first time I read chapter 5 of Of Mice and Men I was on a stationary bike at Gold’s Gym. When Lennie broke Curley’s Wife’s neck, I had to stop, walk outside, and collect myself. Today’s literary quote of the day comes from Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Links Of Mice and Men Themes Blog Post Of Mice and Men Unit  Short Stories for Teaching Empathy Lesson Plans

Literary Quote of the Day: "It Didn't Make Sense to Me"

Nick doesn’t drink very often, but when he does it’s usually at an apartment in New York with his cousin’s husband and his cousin’s husband’s mistress. In what might be considered the least fun party in literary history, Nick finds himself looking for something to read. And what does he choose. Let’s find out from Nick himself. Links The Great Gatsby  Unit Plan The Great Gatsby Blog Post Short Stories for Teaching Symbolism Lesson Plans

Literary Quote of the Day: "My Luve is Like a Red, Red Rose!"

Literary Quote of the Day: "Nothing Except a Single Green Light"

Meet Jay Gatsby, Nick's new neighbor. Gatsby stares at a green light in the distance. The green light he sees shines on the dock of Daisy Buchanan, whom Gatsby loves, even though they haven't seen each other for five years. Today, we call this stalking. The green light, in a broader sense, symbolizes the American Dream and the pursuit of wealth--something, despite his immense riches--Gatsby never achieves. The novel has many symbols. The green light is one of them. If you feel like teaching...

Literary Quote of the Day: A Word from Oingo Boingo

Nothing screams summer fun like a dystopian novel that involves characters getting metaphorically stomped on the face over and over and over and loving it in the end. That’s why we’re going with our third and final quote from 1984. Life Lesson I believe there are honest financial advisors in the world. Unfortunately, I believe 85% of them are, at worst, dishonest and at best, incompetent. So if you want me to pay you to invest my money, there’s an 85% chance that I’m going to get screwed. ...

Literary Quote of the Day: "War is Peace"

In addition to being ironic, the party's slogan is an oxymoron, a statement which on the surface is contradictory, but in reality contains truth. The party slogan holds different meanings, depending on who's reading it, making it an intelligent example of verbal irony: for the inner party it means as long as Oceania is at war, the masses are able to direct their anger at an enemy and not at the party; the inner party enjoys its freedom insomuch as it enslaves the masses, be it outer party me...

Literary Quote of the Day: "Who Controls the Future?"

Big Brother is able to maintain absolute control over the citizens of Oceania by controlling all information. One critical aspect of information control is determining what history is taught and what information from the past remains. In the words of the Party Quote: Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. Links 8 Short Stories and Novels that Exemplify the Dangers of Big Government Blog Post Science Fiction Lesson Plans Short Story Catalog...

Literary Quote of the Day: "Man's Place in the Universe"

Although I live in the Caribbean and have spent most of my adult years in warm weather locations, I remember the cold of a Northern Ohio winter. Those of you from the North can relate to snot freezing to your nostrils and the need to give your hair time to dry before you exit the house in the morning. But that’s nothing compared to our good friend who decides to walk alone in the Yukon when it’s 73 degrees below zero. Those of you familiar with “To Build a Fire” knows what happens to him. ...

Literary Quote of the Day: "You Mean the Necklace Was Fake?"

When I was in high school I borrowed my friends headphones and broke them. Instead of doing the right thing and replacing them, I avoided him and his mom for weeks. I think Madame Loisel from “The Necklace” should have followed my example. Emotional Intelligence Moment An attitude of entitlement is easy to spot in others. But in what ways are we feeling entitled? The next time you start to complain, ask yourself if there’s an attitude of entitlement present.  Entitlement stops growth. It ...

Literary Quote of the Day: "They Still Remembered to Use Stones"

You’ve all probably heard the statistics on what happens to Lottery winners. A majority of them end up no better or even worse off than before their victory. In the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, it’s clear that everyone who wins this town’s lottery ends up worse off than they were before. How many things do we continue doing just because it’s how they used to be done or they were done that way when we were in school? Links Teaching “The Lottery” Podcast Episode “The Lotte...

Literary Quote of the Day: The Joy that Kills

Today’s literary quote of the day involves an ironic short story from a great writer of ironic short stories. It’s from Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour.” It seems cruel that Mrs. Mallard would find joy in the death of her husband, but an understanding of the social limitations on women during this period makes this story and Mrs. Mallard’s reaction more understandable. She is now free to do as she wishes without the weight of being subservient to her husband. Links Teaching Irony Less...

Literary Quote of the Day: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted in the MDG

Sanger Rainsford thinks he’s pretty cool as he rides his yacht to go hunt in South America. In response to a fellow hunter’s observation that animals experience emotions like fear, Sanger Rainsford responds, “Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes--the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters.”  Now I suppose Rainsford is right. It is better to be the hunter than the hunted. Rainsford discovers first hand what it’s like to be the hunted. Although I’m not sure the ...

Dealing with Criticism

ELA Teacher Links Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com

The Essence of Poe's Genius in One Quote

Today’s literary quote of the day involves the master of suspense and a student favorite with young scholars. It’s from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Pit and the Pendulum.” Set the scene: The narrator finds himself in a dungeon, strapped on a board as a scythe slowly descends. He realizes that unless he escapes from the bands that secure him, the scythe will slice him in two at the heart. That’s when he comes up with a clever, yet disgusting plan, to rub the food he has nearby on the straps to att...

Killer Ants from the Amazon Ate My Lesson Plans!

The following incident took place in the portables located out in the jungleish part of the school not too long ago. UNLESS she alters her course and there’s no reason why she should, she’ll reach your classroom in two hours at the latest.” Mr. Leiningen sucked placidly at a rolled up scantron about the size of a corncob and for a few seconds gazed without answering at the agitated Department Chair. Then he took the scantron from his lips, and leaned slightly forward. With his bristling gr...

Who's Falling Asleep in Class? You or Your Students?

Prioritize sleep - When we think about health and fitness, most people point to exercise and diet. What many people neglect is sleep. Your body needs to rest in order to function physically, emotionally, and mentally. This is kind of a little talked about hazard of teaching. We start work super early. If you find yourself dragging, short-tempered, or unmotivated, it might not be what you’re doing at work that’s causing it. It could be what you’re not doing at home. Why sleep is such an imp...

Stop Beating Up on Yourself!

I mentioned in our last mental health podcast episode the dangers of self-criticism. So I want to share with you how to change your thoughts without telling what your brain will recognize as an obvious lie. Remember our thoughts create our emotions, which influence our actions, which determine our results. So if we have thoughts such as I suck as a teacher or I can’t control my class, or nothing I do matters, or I do all this work and see no results, or the principal doesn’t appreciate my w...

What to do When We Suck?

There are times when you are going to say the wrong thing. You might give a lesson that just isn’t very good, You might hurt or disappoint your students or colleagues, hopefully unintentionally, but maybe sometimes on purpose. It’s because sometimes, you suck. We all do, and it’s OK. Takeaways Sometimes we suck and that’s ok. Forgive yourself. When we resist the emotions that come with making mistakes we lash out at ourselves and others. Stopping and analyzing the situation from a place...

Avoid "The Ravine" of Bad Lesson Plans

When Mr. Vinny and three others new teachers dropped down into Mr. Ravine’s classroom, they entered a jungle thick with tangled ungraded papers and rumors of what might have happened to the dead teacher’s body. The paper trail was slick and, in places where it had fallen away, flat-out dangerous. In the midst of the paper pile, Mr. Vinny found what he had been looking for: A Character Analysis Lesson Plan for “The Ravine” by Graham Salisbury. Character Analysis Lesson Plan for “The Ravine” ...

Let's Talk about Stress, Part 2: Tips for Coping with Stress

As you may recall, Stress is a normal human reaction that happens to everyone. In fact, the human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. When you experience changes or challenges (stressors), your body produces physical and mental responses. That’s stress. Stress responses help your body adjust to new situations. Stress can be positive, keeping us alert, motivated and ready to avoid danger. For example, if your students have an important test coming up, a stress response mig...

Let’s Talk about Stress, Part 1

We’re going to focus mainly today on the signs of stress. We know that teaching can be stressful, especially when we add to it life circumstances. Takeaways Stress is the only way we grow. Too much stress will kill you. Instead of hiding from the emotions through unhealthy behaviors, give yourself permission to feel the emotions. Our next Teacher Mental Health Month Episode will focus on healthy behaviors for coping with stress. ELA Teacher Links Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short...

Teaching "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury

It’s 2026 and everyone is dead. All that’s left are four silhouettes on the outside wall. Oh, that and an automated house that carries on as if nothing has happened. The house performs its functions wonderfully until a tree crashes through a window, starts a fire, and destroys the house.  Not a ton of action, is there? This is one of those stories where the brilliance of it exists outside of what happens. Science Fiction Short Story Lesson Plans There Will Come Soft Rains Lesson Plan on s...

Tips for Dealing with Annoying Students or Parents, Part 2

How to change annoyance? The first thing you want to do is just notice it and allow it. You’re not a bad person for being annoyed. It doesn’t mean you’re mentally weak. If you’re not feeling annoyed right now, think back on a time you’ve felt annoyed or things that annoy you frequently. Once you feel the emotion of annoyance, ask yourself what thought is causing it? Don’t resist the emotion. Feel it. Accept it. Analyze it. When you resist is when you lash out. Don’t attribute the emotio...

Hit the Mark When Teaching "The Sniper"

“The Sniper” is set in the early days of the Irish Civil War during the Battle of Dublin. The action focuses on an unnamed sniper stationed on a rooftop. The story begins with the sniper eating a sandwich and smoking a cigarette. The latter action nearly kills him as the light attracts sniper fire from another rooftop. Resources Short Stories for Teaching Point of View Lesson Plans Realism in Literature. “The Sniper” Blog Post Short Story Teaching Guide Central

Tips for Dealing with Annoying Students or Parents, Part 1

Part of being a teenager is testing boundaries. It means developing social skills. It means acting without thinking. And when you put a whole lot of them in a confined space and ask them to do things they don’t want to do, that means they will probably test your boundaries, gain social status by going against you, and act impulsively.  That can be annoying. Let’s start with some basics about being annoyed. Annoyed means slightly angry or irritated. The opposite of annoyed is delighted. The...

5 Tips to Make the Most out of the End of the School Year

It’s May, a glorious month. A stressful month for some, but the glorious anticipation for summer vacation outshines all the negative that occurs at the end of a school year. Takeaways Now is not the time to relax. Now is the time to prepare for August. Following these suggestions will remove a lot of the stress we feel over the summer. ELA Teacher Links Teaching Emotional Intelligence: Short Stories for Teaching Empathy Short Story Catalog at ELACOMMONCORELESSONPLANS.com Poetry Colle...

Don't get Mauled by a Tiger While Teaching "The Lady or the Tiger"

A long time ago in a kingdom far, far away, a semi-barbaric king discovers his daughter is having an unlawful affair. The male suitor is arrested and forced to go to trial, a trial that consists of an arena with two doors. Behind one door is a tiger, set to maul the unlucky criminal; behind the other is a beautiful bride, set to euphemistically maul the lucky criminal.  Links Short Story Lesson Plans for Teaching Conflict Making-Predictions-Chart  “The Lady or the Tiger” Teaching Guide ...

Why Motivation Always Fails

I know it’s May. After all, it is National Teacher Mental Health Month. But when I think of myths surrounding mental health and achievement and success, I think of failures associated with New Year’s Day and its accompanying slew of New Year's Resolutions. How many people do you know that made NYR? And how many people do you know who actually achieved them?  Many failures fall victim to the myths of mental health and achievements. Takeaways Improving your state of mind requires changing ...

National Teacher Mental Health Month Begins

To start National Teacher Mental Health Month, we need to lay the foundation for making ourselves mentally and emotionally stronger. This is not a quick fix solution. It’s a foundation. The foundational belief is that you are in control. I’m not referring to being in control of your class. I’m talking about being in control of your thoughts because, ultimately, it’s your thoughts that create your reality. Takeaways You are in control Your thoughts lead to emotions. Your emotions lead to ...

More Poems from Emily Dickinson: The End of National Poetry Month

I felt great. I had just taught an amazing lesson on annotating a poem. Finally, my students could write intelligent analysis in their poetry essays. My joy turned to horror as I read “this poem is awesome” 4,211 times. I whimpered as students mocked. Seconds before peppering the class with rusty finger nail clippers, I had an idea: maybe I should teach students how to actually analyze a poem using Emily Dickinson. I put the nail clippers to their proper use, called my manicurist, and cance...

Two Poems by Carl Sandburg: National Poetry Month Poems of the Day

I felt great. I had just taught an amazing lesson on analyzing poetry. Finally, my students could write intelligent analysis in their poetry essays. My joy turned to horror as I read “this poem is cool” 8,114 times. I sniffled as students laughed at my grief. Seconds before peppering the class with spiral notebooks, I had an idea: maybe I should teach poems by Carl Sandburg. I put the notebooks away, called my bookie, and placed a bet on Chicago. I had work to do. I had to create a list of...

"The Prologue to Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare: National Poetry Month Poem of the Day

A Summary of the Romeo and Juliet Prologue The families in question are equal in rank and stature. The use of “dignity” suggests that both families are of noble blood. The setting is “fair Verona.” The use of “fair” to describe the city, by contrast, highlights the disruption caused by the families’ quarrel. It also indicates the time of year, Spring. The family fight began before anyone can remember and has recently escalated. “Civil” is used twice. “Civil blood” suggests that Verona c...

"Eldorado" by Edgar Allan Poe: National Poetry Month Poem of the Day

In Edgar Allan Poe’s “Eldorado,” the knight, as well as the reader, is encouraged to find joy in the journey, because just like the mythical city of gold which shares its name with the poem, dreams often prove to be elusive, like a shadow. The poem begins “Gaily bedight / A gallant knight” (1-2), and why is this knight so gaily dressed? And why is this knight singing a song? It is because he is on a quest. He has not found anything, has not achieved anything. It’s the quest that brings him h...

"A Bright Star" by John Keats: National Poetry Month Poem of the Day

Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com “Bright Star” Blog Post British Romanticism Blog Post

The Perfect Poetry Lesson Plan for a Formal Observation

Takeaways This is a great lesson to do when you have an observation coming. This assignment is best when you use the same poem. Success depends on preparation. Links how to annotate and analyze a poem. Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com The Speed Poetry Analysis Blog Post

"I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman: National Poetry Month Poem of the Day

Poem: “I Hear America Singing” – Whitman pays tribute to the people who make America great–its workers. Brief Analysis – Singing is a metaphor for the goods and services produced by American workers. Whether you consider it a Marxist cry for the workers of the world to unite or a celebration of the Capitalistic notion that each man’s work is his own is open to interpretation (I lean to the latter). America is an example of synechdoche, with the whole representing the parts. Takeaways Ther...