Episode 31: Novels We Love and Hate to Teach

This dilemma will be a familiar one for any teacher who has been teaching the same prep for a few years: “I want to change the novels I’m teaching: I need a break from the ones I’ve taught the last few years. Any suggestions on what to add? What to avoid?” We’re attempting to address this dilemma by sharing books we’ve enjoyed teaching . . . and books we haven’t enjoyed teaching. So much of what we choose to read with our students is based on the texts our school has access to, the texts our district has approved, and maybe (sometimes more than others) our own personal preferences. While, spoiler alert, we don’t have the magic book all students love to read and all teachers love to teach, sometimes it’s nice to know how a text landed with someone else’s students as we’re making the (hopefully right) decision.