The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast | ELA

As you plan for blended learning and shifting scenarios this fall, a flexible approach will allow you to be prepared without being attached to any certain schedule. Let me show you how to do it in your ELA classroom! In this episode, we're looking at four creative principles for flexibly planning your blended learning for English class and then taking a look at how to apply these ideas to a range...

Teacher planning is hard this year with all the uncertainties of fall. Will you be remote teaching? Orchestrating blended learning? Both? In this podcast interview with Angela Watson, teacher productivity and mindset expert, discover strategies for using summer to reset, regroup, and plan for fall despite the uncertainties. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher P...

Trying to plan for remote teaching this fall in your high school ELA classes? In this podcast, we're diving into best practices for grading, discussion, building community, first units and more for distance learning this fall. Join me as we chat with guests Marie Morris and Amanda Cardenas. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our community, Creat...

If you're interested in incorporating Project Lit titles, sketchnotes, the publication of student writing and effective classroom design into your work as an English teacher, you're going to love this episode with Baltimore City Teacher of the Year, Laquisha Hall. Laquisha shares so many wonderful stories to inspire you. Wait till you hear how she managed to find funding for four copies of all twe...

 In this podcast episode, discover a plan for an opening ELA unit that will help you build community in your class and allow you to get to know your students, even if you can't actually meet them in person. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our community, Creative High School English , on Facebook. Come hang out on  Instagram .  Enjoying the po...

It's been a difficult spring term to say the least. But chances are, you still want to find a way to end things on a positive, creative, meaningful note. This episode can help.  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our community, Creative High School English , on Facebook. Come hang out on  Instagram .  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharin...

Lab Atlanta is an innovative program connecting students with the resources and richness of Atlanta, and empowering them to make an impact through project-based learning. Find out more in this podcast episode with its founder, Laura Deisley, and start thinking about how you could incorporate aspects of its model into your own ELA teaching. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Crea...

After a flood ravaged his hometown of Cedar Rapids, IA, Trace Pickering helped lead a transformation in education through his innovative program, Iowa Big.  Listen to this interview with Trace for inspiration on how to create deeper learning experiences for students through real-world opportunities. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our communi...

Grab a smoothie and let's talk about life under quarantine. In this episode, I'm sharing five tips and resources that have stuck with me from a lot of online conversations these last few weeks, and then sharing a picture of life at our house. I hope it's helpful to you.  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our community, Creative High School Engl...

Is your school closing due to the coronavirus outbreak? Here are some creative ideas for you to stay connected to your students and keep them working on their ELA skills, regardless of their internet access at home. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our community, Creative High School English , on Facebook. Come hang out on  Instagram .  Enjoyi...

Hexagonal thinking is a powerful way to help students make connections between characters, themes, ideas, other literary works, and current events. But how to get started? This episode will walk you through everything you need to design an easy, successful hexagonal thinking activity for your ELA classes. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our c...

Wish your students kept talking about classwork out in the halls? Want to tap into the research when it comes to creating opportunities for deep, meaningful learning in your classroom? Of course you do! In this episode of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast, learn from author and researcher Sarah Fine, who visited thirty schools across America with her co-author, Jal Mehta, to discover when and w...

Want the best of teacher tech? Discover five top tools for ELA teachers available in 2020. Screencastify, My Shakespeare, Kaizena, Flipgrid, and Anchor all hold wonderful possibilities for your classroom. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our community, Creative High School English , on Facebook. Come hang out on  Instagram .  Enjoying the podc...

I've worked on so many projects this year, and not all the delightful resources, books, websites and products I've discovered fit neatly into a post or podcast. So today kick back with me and hear about some of the hidden gems I've encountered in my work this year that I think you'll love.  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our community, Creat...

Students always on Snapchat? Harness their love of the app with #booksnaps, a powerful reading comprehension strategy that brings annotation into the 21st century, whether students use Snapchat, Google Slides, Flipgrid, Seesaw, or some other program to create their snaps. In this podcast episode, learn how booksnaps came to be and how to use them with Tara Martin, their creator. Go Further:  Explo...

In search of creative elective ideas? Join my brainstorming session and hear my five favorite ideas for electives right now, then adapt them for your own elective proposal (or innovative new unit).  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our community, Creative High School English , on Facebook. Come hang out on  Instagram .  Enjoying the podcast? P...

Project-based learning is messy and sometimes, intimidating. But it's also AWESOME. In this episode of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast, find out how two teachers are empowering their students by learning to understand their gifts, building real relationships with them, and jumping into creative community projects that make a difference. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Cr...

It's not easy to get students to navigate collaborative work well. There's usually someone who does all the work, someone who stays silent, someone who feels bitter about everything. (Do you still remember it bitterly from your student days? I do. Ugh.) Here's the thing -  by the time they get to us, our students have rarely been taught HOW to collaborate.  In this episode, discover five ways you...

If you're interested in saying goodbye to testing and embracing progressive education, you'll want to learn more about Ted Dintersmith's trip across all fifty states in search of creativity and innovation, and about his new project, "The Innovation Playlist." Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our community, Creative High School English , on Fac...

Want to get students excited about your reading library? Try First Chapter Fridays. This quick episode gives you all the details you need to get started. If you've got a great book and ten minutes, you can give this a whirl immediately!  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our community, Creative High School English , on Facebook. Come hang out o...

Want to get students out of their seats and on their feet? Arts integration is a powerful tool for engaging students creatively with print texts. In this episode, learn from Eileen Landay, co-founder of The Arts Literacy Project and professor emeritus at Brown, about how to use different arts integration strategies to enrich your community and your ELA curriculum. Watch out for La Literatura de Co...

This I Believe began as a radio essay series and became nationally beloved. For good reason! Listening to people talk about the small things they really care about is inspiring. In this episode, find out how to easily do a "This I Believe" personal writing unit in class, culminating in a live performance event that builds community and gives your students authentic purpose.  When I tried this with...

Review can easily get boring. Why not review with the same kind of dynamic, creative activities that make up your daily lessons? (I know, I know, I'm preaching to the choir).  In this episode, get ten ideas for engaging ways to revisit material without lecturing!  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast . Join our community, Creative High School English , o...

Infographics make an ideal project for your high school ELA classroom. Students combine personal interest and authentic audience in this research-based design thinking project, honing their writing, editing, and artistic skills all at once in a highly real-world relevant way. In this episode, learn how to introduce and complete a design thinking infographics project in your English classroom. It's...

Heard of Harkness discussions but don't know how to get started? Wondering how they're different from Socratic seminars? Get answers to all the commonly asked questions in this comprehensive guide to using Harkness successfully in your classroom. Harkness is certainly in my top three favorite classroom tools, so I hope this episode will inspire you to give it a try!  Go Further:  Explore alllll th...