Creative English Teacher

Create Your Own Escape Room or Puzzle Challenge To Get Your Students Up and Moving

October 17, 2023 • Mythology • Teaching Ideas

Escape rooms (or as I like to call mine, “puzzle challenges”) are an exciting way to engage students in your content through gamification. To create one, follow the steps listed below.

5 Reasons to Teach the Salem Witch Trials

October 08, 2023 • American Literature • Five Reasons To Teach Series

The weather is cooling down, the leaves are changing colors–it’s the perfect time to harness this Halloween vibe and study one of history’s most haunting episodes: The Salem Witch Trials. As an English teacher, I combine this with The Crucible for a double dose of toil and trouble for my students. I find the combo of real-life events and the fictional play to be a powerful teaching tool. That being said, here are five reasons to teach the Salem Witch Trials: The Salem Witch Trials are an example of real-life horror. I remember, as a youngster, when I first learned...

It's a Wonderful Classroom

September 28, 2023 • Innovators • Mythology • Teacher Life • Teaching Ideas

Always remember: Creative teaching requires extra effort from you, the teacher. It is a privilege, not a right. From time to time, students must be reminded of this.

Can Stories Save Humanity from the Dangers of Artificial Intelligence?

March 31, 2023 • Teacher Life • Teaching Ideas

Artificial Intelligence has arrived on the scene, and what was once science fiction has seemingly become science reality. While many are heralding the arrival of advanced A.I. with joy and wonder (teachers included), some are concerned about its rapid growth. What will the future hold if A.I.’s power to teach itself and expand its own boundaries increases? What unforeseen problems could arise from giving something that does not have human values power over human life?

Follow Your Whims

January 12, 2023

You may have heard “Familiarity breeds contempt,” but what about “Desperation breeds creativity?” When things aren’t working in our classrooms, we teachers tend to panic—or worse forge ahead with poor results. So what should we do in these situations? It’s been my experience that when I’m in a tough teaching situation, I often get a whim. Whim is related to the words whimsical and whimsy and implies playfulness, but in the moment, it often seems less like play and more like a desperate tactic for survival. Circumstances are forcing us to be creative, and, fortunately, creativity is often the solution...