Caiti Teaches

Introduction

Hello everyone! My name is Caiti, I am a soon to be high school english teacher, working on my master's degree at Columbus State University. I have always had a passion for literaure and creative writing, and I am so excited to be able to share that with the younger generation. This website works as a resource for my future career, and for any english teachers who need some fresh ideas for their classroom. Since I do not have any first hand expereince in the classroom yet, I hope that this website will serve as a catach-all to organize some lessons and tools that will serve me in the classroom. I also hope that it will be a great resource for other teachers as well! Below you will find lesson plans linked, teaching tools for those in the field, and a list of Student Rights I plan to use in my classroom. This website will be updated periodically, so be sure to check back soon for new content!

Exemplary Lesson Plans

The dictionary defines the word exemplary as "representing the best of its kind". With this in mind, I set out to find lesson plans for high school english classes that stand out. The following lesson plans are well thought out, clear, and most importantly, engaging for the students. You will find lesson plans that build upon the students understanding of famous texts, as well as creative writing lesson plans to jumpstart the students creativity and develop their confidence in writing. I chose some creative writing centered plans, because it is something that I have always enjoyed and I think that it would be a great outlet for students to express themselves and explore creatively while developing a deeper understanding of writing and poetic forms. Other lesson plans were chosen because they offer an interesting and challengning way for students to get involved in different important narratives. All of the lesson plans linked have thorough explanantions of the goals and steps, as well as links to extra material used.

Exemplary Lesson Plans for High School English

Exploring the Power of Language with Six-Word Memoirs - ReadWriteThinkWhat do the words we write really have to say about us? In this lesson, students examine the power of word choice as they write six-word memoirs of their lives.

This lesson plan is geared for grades 9-12, and is meant for three 50 minute sessions. I chose this lesson plan because I think it is well thought out and that students will have a lot of fun coming up with their memoirs. The lesson includes group discussions and watching other teens perform their memoirs online. Since the memoir can only be six words, students will learn about simile, symbolism, and the importance of word choice.

Chinua Achebe’s "New English" in Things Fall ApartThis lesson provides a Common Core application for high school students for Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart. Students will undertake close reading of passages in Things Fall Apart to evaluate the impact of Achebe’s literary techniques, the cultural significance of the work, and how this international text serves as a lens to discover the experiences of others.

This lesson plan goes along with the novel "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. I chose this lesson plan becuase I think this novel is so important for students to read, and the lesson plan offers an insightful look into the language, proverbs, and folklore of Igbo culture within the novel. I think that it is so important for students to learn about other cultures, and this book is an excellent way to learn about Igbo culture as well as the effects of colonization. I think that this lesson plans focus on language is a great way to hone in on different topics and to develop a deeper understanding of the novel. This plan is meant for students in grades 9-12

Put That on the List: Collaboratively Writing a Catalog Poem - ReadWriteThinkUsing the structure of a list poem, students combine creative expression with poetic techniques and language exploration in order to write group poems about what really matters in their lives.

This is a wonderful lesson plan geared towards students grades 9-12. This lesson looks at the poem "Fear" by Raymond Carver, and has the students work collaboratively to come up with their own catalog poem in the same style. The students will work together to brainstorm different emotions, as well as coming up with ideas and situations that they associate with those feelings. By the end of the third 50 minute session, each group will have a finished catalog poem to share with the class.

Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find”: Who's the Real Misfit?Known as both a Southern and a Catholic writer, Flannery O'Connor wrote stories that explore the complexities of these two identities . In this lesson, students will challenge these dichotomies while closely reading and analyzing "A Good Man is Hard to Find."

I chose this lesson because it offers such an in depth lesson for students grade 9-12 on one of my favorite short stories. I think that the actvities are insightful and challenging for the students, and will all help them immerse themselves in the story. I think that studying the work of Flannery O'Connor is especailly intereseing for students in the south, which is where I grew up and where I plan on teaching because of the sourthern themes and critiques woven throughout her stories.

Teaching Tools

CommonLit | LibraryView the CommonLit collection and filter by grade level, theme, genre, literacy device and common core standard.

This is an amazing resource for teachers! After making a memebership, you will have instant access to a library of texts, short stories, and passages ready to print and use in your classroom. I chose this tool because as a teacher, I think it would be incredibly helpful to access to a database like this while making lesson plans and a wonderful source of material for students.

GoodreadsDiscover and share books you love on Goodreads, the world's largest site for readers and book recommendations!

Goodreads is a wonderful app for readers and students alike. I think that this would be a great tool for students to find books that interest them, as well as keep track of the books they read throughout the year. The review option also gives them an opportunity to practice writing their own book review, which would offer them a chance to think more deeply about the text.

Write your best with Grammarly.Grammarly makes sure everything you type is easy to read, effective, and mistake-free. Try it today:

This is a great resource for students to help build their writing skills as well as their self confidence! Grammarly is a program that helps check documents, from papers to emails, for grammatical errors. I chose this resource because I think it can help students recognize grammatical errors and develop stronger writing and editing habits that will help them in life as well as university.

Purdue OWL // Purdue Writing LabThe Purdue University Online Writing Lab serves writers from around the world and the Purdue University Writing Lab helps writers on Purdue's campus.

This is practical and extremely helpful resource for students to have at their fingertips. This wesite has all the checklists and requiring for formatting an academic paper in any style, including citations. As a college student, this website was a huge help when writing my papers, and I know I will share it with my students as well.

Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home. Sign up for free!

I chose this teaching tool because it is an excellent way for students to review for an exam while having fun! With this resource, you can make your own review questions or use prewritten questions. Students are able to compete by choosing the correct answer from their cell phone app. I think this is a method of reviewwould really help the student feel more prepared and confident with the material. I would love to use this in my classroom!

Student Bill of Rights

Every student has the right to a learning environment that is safe and free from bullying.

Every student has the right to any supplies they may need to succeed in the class.

Every student has the right to make an appointment to discuss any problems they may have with the class or the material.

Every student has the right to speak and be heard in group discussions.

Every student has the right to know about projects and tests at least two weeks in advance.

Every student has the right to express themselves in a respectful manner.

This is a two day lesson plan sequence that focuses on Poetry of Resistanance. This lesson is geared towards middle school students, with 7th grade ELA standards.

Poetry of Resistance .pdf