What a time to be an English teacher. My seniors just finished The Handmaid’s Tale and today we begin Parable of the Sower.

The American Indian Youth Literature Award for best young adult book goes to ‘Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories,’ edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith #ALAyma

As we kick off #alayma this morning, I want to say that I STILL THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA! What morning show wants to bring back the fun and glory, shine a little light on these beautiful books for kids? Everyone says they care so much about getting kids reading. Help us make it happen! #kidlit

The ALAYMA broadcast once again reminds me how angry I am that Twitter was destroyed by Musk. It also irritates me to see how many groups and companies exclusively post there.

American Indian Librarian Association Youth Literature Award #ALAyma Best Picture Book Honors Braided Roots by Pasha Westbrook, illus Madelyn Goodnight Fierce Aunties by Laurel Goodluck, illus Steph Littlebird For a Girl Becoming by Jo Harjo, illus Adriana Garcia

Raven's Ribbons by Tasha Spillet, illus Daniel Ramirez We Weave by Daniel W. Vandever, illus Deonoveigh Mitchell Winner Chooch Helped by Andrea L. Rogers, illus by Rebecca Lee Kunz

Watching the ALA Youth Media Awards on my phone while attempting the Ticketmaster war on my laptop. Thank goodness it’s a snow day!

It’s Youth Media Award season. While we hope to see some #youngteenlit receive awards, we decided to create our own list. Introducing the First Annual Young Teen Lit Top 10 Award list, announced on January 25, honoring books from 2024-2025 that we and our MS students enjoyed the most. #yma #yma2026

May the odds be ever in my favor.

“Recent events have brought Trump’s governing style into sharper focus. Fascist best describes it, and reluctance to use the term has now become perverse. That is not because of any one or two things he and his administration have done but because of the totality.“ Better late than never.

"Pope Leo XIV on Saturday stressed the risks of generative artificial intelligence, how it could usurp human identities and relationships, influence public opinion and deepen social polarisation."

Oh good. 😡😩

This. If you make money pretending to teach or you only teach to shill TPT, you should be using that privilege right now.

A few days ago I set off the smoke alarms while cooking and now my dogs hide whenever I cook. Get smart dogs, they said. It will be fun, they said.

What a time to be teaching Handmaid’s Tale followed by Parable of the Sower.

Not Mayor Mamdani telling everyone at his press conference that today is perfect for borrowing Heated Rivalry from the public library. 😂 We love pro-library announcements!

Join us this Wednesday (1/21/26) at 7pm ET to debrief on #NCET25 and #CEL25. We invite anyone who views themselves as classroom, school, district, community, or state-level leaders in ELA/literacy. Must be an NCTE member. An hour of casual reflections! #NCET26 #CEL26 ncte.org/reflect-rela...

Today is World Aids Day. The current administration has barred federal offices from acknowledging it. In middle school I memorized Elizabeth Glaser's Address at the 1992 Democratic Convention for a forensic competition, and I've never forgotten it. awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/2017/03/21/a...

I would pay a substantial amount of money to know how she chose her giant square emoji face to attach to this tweet.

#ThesisoftheWeek for Week 3 of October is inspired by a beautiful poem by Marjorie Saiser entitled "Crane Migration: Platte River." Find this prompt & others on the Poetry as Practice Blog! (Photo credits: Chris Helzer/The Nature Conservancy & USGS) poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...

Check out our upcoming #CEL virtual session open to all NCTE members & literacy leaders. @tanisleads.bsky.social @oonziela.bsky.social @hcodymiller.bsky.social @bnjmnkwdcck.bsky.social @sjeducate.bsky.social @thereadingzone.bsky.social @teachkate.bsky.social @angelastockman.bsky.social

feels like the holidays start earlier every year

The memes are the ideology. I really wish more people understood that over the past decade. Every time I reported a student using a meme like Pepe as a school avatar I was told to calm down because “it’s just a joke”. The jokes are a meme and the memes are the ideology now.

Launching a resource that I hope helps ELA teachers! Thesis of the Week = low-risk formative literary analysis practice. Weekly poems & practice w/ thesis statements are NOT for a formal grade, but intended to grow students' writing efficacy. poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...

“Don’t say thoughts and prayers. These kids were literally praying. They were in church.”- Mayor Jacob Frey

‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens theonion.com/no-way-to-pr...

Again. 😭 I’m so tired of being angry while politicians send thoughts and prayers. Do. Something.

You know what’s great about the state of education? Every single tech company advertises an app/extension to teachers, lets them use it for free, and then makes it a paid subscription.

Rewatching Derry Girls; it’s just as funny as the first time I watched it.

I am not at all surprised to learn that the most right-wing NJ teacher influencers are also pro-AI and pro-standardized testing.

All these Hamilton videos reminded me that the Schuyler sisters were just as messy as the Fisher brothers. #tsitp #hamilton

A lot of folks not in the classroom making decisions negatively impacting the classroom—folks who will face absolutely zero consequences for these decisions while students and teachers do. Make education worse, climb the ladder = education in America

My FYP is currently Taylor Swift, Bonrad edits, Gilded Age behind the scenes, 90s-2000s music, and the fall of democracy. As they say in John Proctor is the Villain, “I contain frickin’ multitudes!”

This fall we are getting new Taylor Swift music, Wicked: For Good, new Ed Sheeran music, and the finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty? 😍🥰

As an OG elder Swiftie this is wild and amazing. (Why yes, I did start a free trial of YouTube Premium so I could watch this ad free on my TV).

*English teacher hat on* I am so fascinated by how Jenny Han is centering the female gaze in this season of TSITP (esp the last 2 eps). It’s jarring how the relationship b/w Belly + Conrad is so different from what we see in the majority of media. 1/2

We are so back. 🤡 #taylorswift

I saw John Proctor is the Villain for the second time yesterday. I can not stress enough how incredible this production is. I cried again, and my friends who were seeing it for the first time were stunned by the production. You have until Sept 7 to see this show. It should be mandatory viewing.

Do people not remember the sexist manboys in Home Improvement or Everyone Loves Raymond, Girls Gone Wild during every commercial break after 10pm, or cancelling Ellen because her character came out as gay? Any feminist, queer, or trans representation could only be found at the small indie theater.

#CopaAméricaFemenina Tell me you are watching this game without telling me.

Flashbacks to the Eras Tour tonight as I frantically search TikTok for clips from the performance of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl. My reaction so far is OH. MY. GOD.

Someone in my neighborhood is setting off huge fireworks at 10:45pm. No warning. Nothing earlier. Just a whole lot of house-shaking booms at almost 11pm. Now I’m sitting in the bathroom w/a terrified dog. Why are fireworks a thing on any day, let alone random non-holidays?!

July reading!

For no reason at all I want to remind you that I created three thematic guides for English/ELA teachers who want to bring climate change education into their curriculum. #edusky

“My commitment to banning AI tools comes from my commitment to ensuring that students grow and nurture their voices and acquire the skills that our education system promises. [Banning AI] made me a better…educator, and it’s crucial for my students’ future success.” www.edutopia.org/article/bann...

Sorta feels like "they are actively gutting cancer research" should be finding more purchase out there

Heard an interview w/a young person who was in the Manhattan office building yesterday. She said she + a few of her coworkers took charge and led the rest of their floor because “We were the youngest. We knew what to do because we practiced for active shooters our entire school career” (paraphrased)

Many of the places under a tsunami warning or watch are *only* served by public broadcasting. Thanks to Congressional Repubs, including AK's Sullivan & Begich, the stations that disseminate warnings could run out of money to operate w/in a few months. Because who needs tsunami warnings, amirite?