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By Category
teaching literature
This is where we share what to teach and how to teach it — texts, devices, and strategies that help students actually get it.
teaching writing
From thesis statements to integrating quotations, this is where we dig into strategies that get students writing (and make grading less painful).
lesson & unit planning
Planning a lesson or building a whole unit? Start here for the pacing, structure, and tools that actually hold up in a real classroom.
independent reading
Getting students to actually read is half the battle. Here’s what’s worked for us — no reading log required.
Find out What we’re talking About
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How to Write a Thesis Statement: A Simple, Repeatable Strategy Students Can Actually Use
Of all the elements that make up writing instruction in middle and high school, the thesis statement is, by a…
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Sound Devices in Poetry: What They Do, What They Don’t, and Why the Distinction Matters
The essay was only three paragraphs, not even filling the front of a piece of paper. Already a bad sign….
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How to Teach Rhythm and Meter in Poetry: A Music-Based Approach That Actually Works
We all have that one lesson or unit that we absolutely loathe. Sometimes it’s fixable. We’ve abandoned books that weren’t…
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The Road by Cormac McCarthy: The AP Literature Novel That Does Everything
We didn’t choose it. Our students did. Our first year teaching AP Lit, way back before we were officially Kate-and-Steph…
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How to Teach Plot Elements with Pixar Shorts (and Actually Make It Stick)
One of the most frustrating things about teaching is the amount of re-teaching required. One of Steph’s biggest mistakes in…
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Looking for a Short Story with Conflict? It’s Already in Your Curriculum.
It doesn’t matter how conflict-averse we are in real life. We love conflict in our stories. Whether it’s the latest…
