Educational Leaders Are Complicit in Creating a Post-Literate Generation
Recent trends in ELA policy fail to prepare students for college and deprive them of experiencing the transformative power of literature.
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—Newsletters—
Our seasonal newsletters address curricular design elements, instructional strategies, and educational issues that are meant to provoke thought and generate discussion. Please join the conversation in the comments section that follows each post.
Derek Bunting
Jul 2911 min read
The Essential Discomfort of Reading Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn
Twain's novel forces us to face uncomfortable truths about the root causes of racism and why it is so difficult to eradicate from society.
Derek Bunting
Mar 210 min read
The Essay Is Dead! Long Live the Essay!
The call to eliminate formal essays in high school because of the advent of AI is short-sighted and misses the point of the writing process.
Derek Bunting
Aug 4, 20238 min read
Using Culminating Assessments to Make Literature Relevant
Culminating assessments give students an opportunity to demonstrate the relevance of a text to their own lives and the world around them.
Derek Bunting
Jul 2, 20239 min read
Incorporating Nonfiction in the Study of Literature
Using nonfiction as supplemental material allows us to engage with literary texts in a more nuanced, comprehensive, and relevant manner.
Derek Bunting
Jun 2, 20239 min read
Fostering Effective and Engaging Classroom Discussions
Like all aspects of teaching English, leading an effective literary discussion with students is part science and part art.
Derek Bunting
Mar 3, 202314 min read
Atticus Finch, Critical Race Theory, and Scout's Search for Justice
How Critical Race Theory helps us understand Atticus Finch's complicity in perpetuating the systemic injustices embedded in Maycomb County.
Derek Bunting
Feb 3, 202315 min read
Don't Believe the Hype about ChatGPT
While it is a remarkable tool for generating ideas, ChatGPT will never replace the difficult work of interpreting complex literary texts.
Derek Bunting
Jan 2, 20238 min read
Teaching Grammar as Organically as Possible
Use student writing to differentiate instruction and make grammar relevant, challenging, and productive
Derek Bunting
Aug 2, 202210 min read
Using Grades to Reflect Values
In order to develop an effective grading system, teachers need to determine what they value and want to emphasize in their classrooms.
Derek Bunting
Jul 2, 202213 min read
Managing the Paper Load
A writing program where students write more, receive better feedback, and lessen the burden on teachers requires a non-traditional approach.
Derek Bunting
Jun 1, 20226 min read
Assigning Seats to Build Community
Changing locations and working with different people every month helps students create meaningful bonds with their classmates.
Derek Bunting
Mar 2, 20226 min read
Embedding Diversity into Every Unit
A variety of voices and perspectives not only creates courses and units that are more inclusive, but also more engaging and effective.
Derek Bunting
Feb 2, 20229 min read
Defending Literature from the Left and Right
It's a tough time to be an English teacher, with both the left and the right trying to control what students read in our classrooms.
Derek Bunting
Jan 2, 20229 min read
The Purpose of Literature
In the first days of class we want students thinking deeply about the impact that reading novels, plays, and poetry can have on their lives.
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