Creative English Teacher

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...

Too Cool for School? Why Script-Stories Are Perfect for High-Schoolers

January 02, 2023 • Creativity • Readers Theater Script-Stories • Short Stories • Teaching Ideas

Reader’s theater script-stories have the unique ability to defeat disengagement with high-school students. Maybe you are high-school teacher looking for a new way to connect with your students. Maybe you are looking for a way to make your content fresh. I encourage you to give script-stories a try. You may find that students who seem “too cool for school” are anything but.

Animal Farm, Planet of the Apes, and 1984: A Totalitarian Timeline?

May 22, 2022 • British Literature • Teaching Ideas • World Literature

Are Animal Farm, Planet of the Apes, and 1984 three parts of a totalitarian timeline?