Monthly Archives: July 2018

Hey everybody. Well, I’m happy to share any of my literature units from the past 17 years… but I’ll settle for this one because it’s probably the most current in terms of emergent media/literacies. I spent some pro-d time with … Continue reading →

As student and as teacher of literature, I don’t have a problem with the principle of there being a canon. I think canonization is less a matter of gatekeeping and more a matter of sedimentation – almost an inevitability, really. As … Continue reading →

Hi folks: Here is a sample of my Death Note graphic novel unit on Microsoft OneNote. Note that this unit is not complete and that there are some links to be updated to conform to copyright.      

here is a link to a published YA novel from my Toronto writer friend Jonathan Marshall Freeman called Teetering.  If you have a group that is interested in presenting it, Ordering and novel info, as well as an excerpt can … Continue reading →

During my practicum, I was asked to teach Indigenous literature to a class of Grade 8s in a Humanities class. I had read a fair number of contemporary Indigenous writers’ work and was initially excited to choose something that I had … Continue reading →

I haven’t read much of the canon—Poe, Wordsworth, 1984, Animal Farm, Dickens, Fahrenheit 51—these names ring bells, but I have never read them. When scholars or fellow English-majors hear this, they often look at me with disbelieving eyes asking “how … Continue reading →

The benefits of using text sets when teaching literature, particularly giving students the option of choosing their own texts and themes, really resonates with me. In grade 10, my English teacher took this approach in our literature circle unit, where … Continue reading →

During my practicum, I taught “The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen”, a non-traditional text that is slowly becoming more popular in many school districts. While my students enjoyed reading the novel, I had some parent push-back because it was … Continue reading →

An activity that went really well during my practicum was a King Duncan Death Scene Rendition. I had students split into groups and re-enact King Duncan’s death in Macbeth with a contemporary twist. I knew the majority of my students … Continue reading →

After reading the article “Courageous Voices: Using Text Sets to Inspire Change,” I reflected on the importance of providing a text set for students that is at each student’s reading level. As a primary teacher I find it a challenge … Continue reading →