This teaching blog is shaped by a clear conviction: the books and stories we choose for our students matter deeply. Every text, story, and film I write about is the result of a personal and thoughtful choice — selected from what I have personally read, studied, loved, and found significant, profound, and enduring.
Here you will find reflections, analyses, and ideas for middle and high school classrooms. 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 students deserve what is most beautiful, most challenging, and most significant in storytelling. This teaching blog is where that search begins.
Latest Posts
-
A Pre-Reading Roadmap for To Kill a Mockingbird
Read more: A Pre-Reading Roadmap for To Kill a MockingbirdHow can we help students truly understand Maycomb before reading To Kill a Mockingbird? This article explores a pre-reading approach centered on identity, stereotypes, and community rules—key concepts that reveal how Maycomb is not just the setting of the novel, but a system that shapes characters, conflict, and meaning.
-
The Creation of Narnia in The Magician’s Nephew (and in the Classroom)
Read more: The Creation of Narnia in The Magician’s Nephew (and in the Classroom)The creation of Narnia in The Magician’s Nephew is a magical moment where Aslan sings the world into being. In my classroom, this scene has sparked deep reflections on language, imagination, and understanding — and I want to share them with you.
-
Teaching The Magician’s Nephew in Middle School: A Practical Guide for the Classroom
Read more: Teaching The Magician’s Nephew in Middle School: A Practical Guide for the ClassroomHere I share my experience teaching The Magician’s Nephew in middle school. Discover tips on structuring lessons, fostering curiosity, and helping students engage deeply with Lewis’s world.
-
The White Witch and the Concept of Tyranny: Teaching Power and Justice Through Fantasy
C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lewis – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis – The Magician’s Nephew, Middle School ELARead more: The White Witch and the Concept of Tyranny: Teaching Power and Justice Through FantasyThe White Witch in Narnia exemplifies tyranny and power: what about some dynamic, interdisciplinary classroom activities to help students reflect on justice, ethics, and moral decision-making through Lewis’s fantasy novels?
-
To Kill Two Mockingbirds: Stories of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson
Read more: To Kill Two Mockingbirds: Stories of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson“It is a sin to kill a mockingbird,” says Atticus in chapter 10. If you’ve ever had a student exclaim, “Oh, wait, that’s the title! But… what does it mean?”, this article will help you dive deeper into the metaphor, exploring the stories of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson and offering insights for your classroom…
-
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.
- Back to School (3)
- Books That Shape Teachers (1)
- C.S. Lewis (9)
- C.S. Lewis – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (6)
- C.S. Lewis – The Magician's Nephew (7)
- Classroom Management (1)
- Educational Movie Activities (4)
- H. Lee – To Kill a Mockingbird (5)
- High School ELA (2)
- Homer – The Iliad (5)
- J. Steinbeck – East of Eden (5)
- J.R.R. Tolkien – The Hobbit (6)
- Middle School ELA (11)
- Mythology (5)
- Reading suggestions (6)
- Social Emotional Learning (2)
- Teaching suggestions (11)