Creative English Teacher — American Literature

Five Reasons to Teach "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and Other Short Stories by Washington Irving

November 11, 2020 • American Literature • Five Reasons To Teach Series • Short Stories

When the leaves start to change and the weather gets a bit cooler, that means it’s almost time for my go-to Halloween story: Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” In the lineup of American authors, I feel like Irving gets short shrift. Sure, his stories aren’t super deep, but they’re fun, which should count for something! They are also some of the first works that can be considered distinctly American. Before I get too far ahead of myself, here are five reasons to teach the short stories of Washington Irving. Washington Irving was America’s first celebrity writer. In the...

Five Ways to Spice Up American Literature

September 23, 2020 • American Literature • Teaching Ideas

I get it. Sometimes literature surveys can be boring, but they don’t have to be!

Ten Reasons for Teaching Moby Dick

December 16, 2019 • American Literature • Five Reasons To Teach Series

Most people probably wouldn’t equate Moby Dick with fun, but it’s honestly my favorite work to teach. Here are ten reasons why.

Five Reasons for Teaching Early American Literature

October 03, 2019 • American Literature • Five Reasons To Teach Series

Teaching Early American Literature isn’t easy. Native American literature covers many different tribal traditions and customs, so where do you start? Even those who deeply respect the Puritans, probably can’t categorize their writings as “fun.” And the more you learn about the first explorers here in America, the more you seem to dislike them. So why not just skip America’s early years? Aren’t they just our country’s awkward transition time? Well, not exactly.

Life Lessons from Classic American Literature

August 25, 2018 • American Literature • Encouragement

I created this infographic with some life lessons from classic American Literature. To see it actual full size, you might have to right-click it and save or open it in a new window. Enjoy! If you have time, leave me a comment below and tell me your favorite from this list!