
This blog is shaped by a clear conviction: the materials we choose for our students matter deeply. A few years ago, I made a deliberate decision: my teaching would be guided by depth and meaning. Every text, story, and film I propose is the result of a personal and thoughtful choice, selected from books and films I have personally read, studied, loved, and found significant, profound, and enduring. And here we are!
Here you will find my most meaningful teaching resources for middle and high school classrooms. These include lesson ideas, character analysis activities, thematic discussions, classroom strategies, teaching suggestions, and educational movie activities. All are designed to help students engage with high-quality material. Analysis becomes discovery, and stories become encounters. They are not chosen simply because they fit a syllabus; they are rich in beauty, depth, and human insight, and worthy of attentive reading, discussion, and reflection.
Whether we explore epic poetry, modern fiction, fantasy worlds, foundational myths, or significant films, the goal is the same: helping students engage with meaningful literature, read and watch attentively, think deeply, and grow intellectually and morally. Students deserve what is most beautiful, most challenging, and most significant in storytelling.
Latest Posts
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Mystery Writing Activities Through Film: From Vertigo to Knives Out
Read more: Mystery Writing Activities Through Film: From Vertigo to Knives OutWhat if you could turn films into hands-on learning experiences with mystery writing activities? Using Vertigo and Knives Out, middle school students explore plot twists, hidden clues, and suspense, then create their own thrilling short stories.
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Circe Novel by Madeleine Miller: A New Voice from Myth for High School Students
Read more: Circe Novel by Madeleine Miller: A New Voice from Myth for High School StudentsReading the Circe novel with my students opened a new window onto the Odyssey. Miller’s retelling captivated us all, offering rich opportunities to explore character, power, and the human side of the gods.
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Why Every High School Student Should Read D. Grossman’s “Someone to Run With”
Read more: Why Every High School Student Should Read D. Grossman’s “Someone to Run With”David Grossman’s Someone to Run With is more than a novel—it’s a powerful journey through friendship, courage, and self-discovery. Follow Assaf and Tamar with your students across Jerusalem as they face impossible challenges, discover the true meaning of love and loyalty, and learn what it means to grow up.
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Walking Beside Bilbo: Insights on Friendship In The Hobbit for Middle School Readers
Read more: Walking Beside Bilbo: Insights on Friendship In The Hobbit for Middle School ReadersWhat does it mean to be a true friend? In The Hobbit, Tolkien shows that true friendship often grows where we least expect it. Through Bilbo’s journey with the dwarves — full of quarrels, dangers, and discoveries — we see how it shapes us and why it matters so deeply for young readers.
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Teaching with Atticus Finch: Lessons in Empathy, Justice, and Critical Thinking
Read more: Teaching with Atticus Finch: Lessons in Empathy, Justice, and Critical ThinkingTimeless and inspiring, Atticus Finch shows students and teachers alike the power of empathy, justice, and moral courage.
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Using Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief in the Classroom – A Mythology-Based Approach
Read more: Using Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief in the Classroom – A Mythology-Based ApproachWhat if your next mythology lesson felt more like a movie night? Discover Percy Jackson activities that bring ancient gods, heroic quests, and Greek myths to life through The Lightning Thief film—complete with ready-to-go prompts and classroom ideas your students will love.
- Back to School (3)
- Books That Shape Teachers (1)
- C.S. Lewis (4)
- C.S. Lewis – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (4)
- C.S. Lewis – The Magician's Nephew (3)
- Classroom Management (1)
- East of Eden (2)
- Educational Movie Activities (4)
- H. Lee – To Kill a Mockingbird (3)
- Homer's The Iliad (5)
- J.R.R. Tolkien – The Hobbit (6)
- Mythology (5)
- Reading suggestions (6)
- Social Emotional Learning (1)
- Teaching suggestions (11)
