ELA

Writing for Justice

Christensen has students reimagine literature and their own stories to talk back to and disrupt injustice — and build solidarity.

Poetic Pauses During the Pandemic

Christensen describes how poetry can be used in this moment to be something concrete — that can be felt, touched, or smelled — but also something to stir our students’ imaginations, allowing them to dream.

Essay Unbound

Christensen argues that the tight reliance on the format of the literary analysis hinders students’ imaginations, and that they should instead write “unbound” essays of risk-taking and experimentation.

Wash Your Hands

I hadn’t ever planned to teach online, but the Saturday before our college campus closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, I decided to cancel our face-to-face class because one of the […]

Sin Fronteras Boy

Fourth-grade English language learners use wikis to study border issues and gain literacy skills.

Writing for Justice

An elementary school teacher takes us inside his classroom to see how he builds on his students’ lives and passions to help them create persuasive essays.

Teaching the Prison Industrial Complex

“Harm comes from prior harm.” As Deandra says this, I am sitting in the back of my classroom, taking notes. My students are sitting in a circle in the middle […]

The Classroom to Prison Pipeline

A master teacher faces a classroom revolt. She realizes that, no matter how imminent the high-stakes test, stopping the school-to-prison pipeline begins in the classroom with student-centered, meaningful curriculum.

Keepers of the Second Throat

When Chicago stole my mother’s tongue, it also stole all her yesterdays. A poet’s lyric plea for teachers to nurture their students voices and stories.

Putting a Human Face on the Immigration Debate

For those of us working with immigrant populations, we have in our students living examples that we can use to bring the immigration issue to the forefront and teach all of our students.

Beyond Anthologies

A veteran teacher laments the trend toward mandated curriculum and argues that teachers should choose materials that address students’ lives and social issues.

Continent Ecology

Children’s books that promote environmental education in the primary grades.

Edwina Left Behind

Edwina did what was asked of her. Did Alaska do everything it could for her?

Following The Flame

Teacher and students discover that even critically acclaimed literature can disenfranchise as well as empower.

Language Lessons

Using native Spanish speakers to instruct their classmates in more than just verbs and pronunciation.