Blog Archives

The Rhetoric of Rap: Harnessing the Power of Hip-Hop When Teaching Rhetorical Moves

Rather in-the-face of literary tradition, participants will explore how hip-hop/rap lyrics can be used to teach rhetorical moves and examine expert use of language in many situations. The session presenter will highlight a unit she’s taught in high school classrooms for almost 10 years, sharing ways to harness student engagement through the use of rap lyrics, examining context, appeals, reading like a writer, and a little literary analysis. Turn the love of a fascinating musical genre into a real-world way to teach rhetorical concepts.

Note from presenter on session materials: These slides are Google Slides, but feel free to email and I will send you access to view. Thanks for attending!

Throwing Open the Doors: How to Make AP English Language Accessible to More Students

AP Language, the most popular exam in the AP portfolio, should be open to all students who are searching for a challenge, but too often teachers are stuck as to how to forge the necessary skills. How can teachers throw open the doors and offer the right kind of support? As more and more schools move away from traditional tracking, the students in AP Language arrive with a wider variety of skills and skill deficits.

This session will introduce techniques and approaches rooted in cognitive psychology and brain science that work with students new to the AP experience, including exiting EL students. Approaches will include logical thinking applications, rhetorical analysis exercises, vocabulary acquisition that works, essay revision approaches, and pathways to deepen discussion and move students into more sophisticated thinking. Participants will be offered workable student-centered solutions to the barriers that prevent students from entering and succeeding in AP Language. Both experienced teachers and those newer to AP Language will benefit from the presentation. The presenter, Rita Thompson, has over a decade of experience teaching AP English Language in a Title I school. Though not required, attendees may want to bring a tablet or laptop to access resources.

Session materials:

Teaching Texts with Multiple Perspectives: Analyze “Perspective,” Cultivate Humanity

Cultivate humanity by preparing your high school students to see the world and all it encompasses (past, present, future) by reading texts that encourage analyzing multiple perspectives so they, as the next generation of readers, thinkers and leaders, can be more tolerant and accepting of others around them. Three specific novels are intertwined in this presentation: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Pushing Back with Love and Joy: Why Queer Representation Matters

Join the presenters as they share their favorite books that center and celebrate Queer Joy in Literature. Despite living in a state that prohibits book banning and mandates instruction honoring the contributions of LGBTQ+ people, our students still have limited access to literature in which Queer joy is represented. This session will highlight joyful, identity-affirming literature that spans all ages in a fast-paced jubilee and discuss how the books can add to cultivating an inclusive classroom experience. A robust list of books with links to purchase from independent bookstores will be provided. Door prizes will be given! Come and make a new TBR list for your classroom.

 

The Nostalgia Project: Discovering Community Through Poetry, History, and Human Impact

In preparation for a return to school following the pandemic in 2021, East Aurora School District partnered with Dr. Badia Ahad, Loyola University Provost, to train staff district-wide on the concept of Nostalgia, Reclamation, Regeneration, and Retribution. Following the training, The Nostalgia Project was born. As an element of a four-part interdisciplinary unit ending with a four- part podcast, students shared their oral and written histories in the format of narrative poetry inspired by George Ella Lyon’s poem “Where I’m From” while considering their childhood homes, families, and community. Transitioning to social studies, math, and science, students learned about the history of their city and the diverse immigrant groups that worked to contribute to the identity and uniqueness of where they are from; compiled information about demographics of the area they chose to investigate and created their own data representation with projections; and proposed a way to resolve a social, environmental, or political issue in their city in a way that would benefit the community as a whole. In this session, educators will gain specific knowledge of the project in order to collaborate with their colleagues to provide a rich interdisciplinary experience for students to become experts in their community and to “forge a better future.” Attendees are suggested to bring a device to access links to resources presented during this session.

Session materials: PDF 1; PDF 2

The Larry Johannessen New Teacher Forum

This open discussion session focuses on challenges, hopes, and strategies for success in teaching. Student teachers and teachers in their first few years of service are invited to talk about challenges and victories. Experienced teachers and others who care about the struggles of novice teachers are encouraged to attend and share their ideas.

Read with Choice: The Rebecca Caudill and Lincoln Titles

Come learn about the titles for the 2025 Rebecca Caudill and Lincoln Teen Readers Choice book awards! Learn about new, great books and also how you can run the program at your own school, if you want. Learn how you can get involved in helping select the books that go on the lists as well!

Increase Student Engagement and Learning through Culturally Responsive Teaching & Leading Standards

Learn about ISBE-issued CRT leading standards through collaborative exercises. Create and share instructional practices and supplemented curriculum materials in a digital community. It is suggested to bring a device to access Google slides. Links and QR codes will be provided.

Session materials:

  • PDF
  • (PRESENTERS’ NOTE: If you would like to further your learning in Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards, please reach out to Jac & Melissa using this google form: https://bit.ly/moreCRTL)
  • Queer-Joy.pdf

 

Make Time To Write!

Looking for new ways to energize your instruction through creative writing? This session will offer strategies for helping students gain a better understanding of point of view, punctuation, mood, narrative distance, and syntax by giving students the opportunity to write letters, spoken (and unspoken) dialogues, and poetry in a range of voices. Why not ask students to write a deferral letter in the voice of Meursault or imagine Jane Eyre and Janie Crawford as college roommates and write the dialogue when they first meet? Why not re-write the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet in a spaceship or re-imagine the soldiers in The Things They Carried as junior high school boys on a basketball court? Creative writing helps students unpack character motivation, and builds empathy and connection with different lived experiences.

Re-writing scenes from different characters’ perspectives can help students develop a deeper appreciation for the limitations and possibilities of the author’s selected point of view. Attendees will look at student samples and consider nimble creative writing possibilities for commonly taught novels in grades 9-12 as well as short stories, poems, and even independent reading. Writing can also be a great way to get students to connect with their classmates through sharing their writing with one another. The session will give teachers tools to strengthen students’ reading and writing skills and to establish a greater sense of community in the classroom.

Session Materials: Slides

Empowering Multilingual Learners: Leveraging Asset-Based Language and Effective Strategies in Mainstream English Classes

This presentation aims to explore the transformative potential of asset-based language frameworks and practical strategies for supporting multilingual learners in mainstream English classes. By shifting the focus from deficit-based models to acknowledging and harnessing the linguistic strengths and cultural assets of multilingual students, teachers aim to create a positive and inclusive learning environment. Attendees will gain insights into differentiated instructional techniques, effective assessment methods, and collaborative learning approaches, supported by real-world examples and success stories. The session encourages interactive participation, fostering a space for educators to exchange ideas and best practices, contributing to a more inclusive and effective approach to teaching English to multilingual learners in diverse educational settings.

Session materials: Slides