Teaching Resources
I post a variety of unit plans, projects, and assessments for teacher use in English classrooms at the secondary level. Come take a look!
The following are a series of resources I have developed that are available for free for teachers and other educators. Please reach out to me if you would like to collaborate on furthering any of these projects!
Linguistics Inquiry for Universal Design
Reading and writing remediation doesn't have to be juvenile. By letting students explore aspects of language through inquiry, we can make remediation more meaningful, mature, and universally applicable. Inquiry based learning can be brought to ELA teaching by drawing on the scientific study of language: linguistics.
Reading & writing remediation systems for ELLs and students with reading disabilities (i.e. dyslexia) already draw from linguistics; for example, Project READ is a teacher training course by the International Dyslexia Association that uses "morphology, phonology, vocabulary, and spelling to explore the written word and educate students who are struggling to master the reading process." However, few if any actually teach linguistics concepts directly to students, relying instead on vague descriptions and euphemistic terminology. But at the high school level, students are ready to learn about linguistics! Teaching the concepts as they are studied scientifically also legitimizes the work and allows it to be universally applicable for all students.
Visual Supports, Differentiation Tools, and SEL Resources for the High School Classroom
Much of the free content available for providing visual supports for students with disabilities is aimed at very young children. However, visual supports like communication grids and visual schedules are helpful for people of all ages! Other socio-emotional support systems, like Leah Kuyper's Zones of Regulation, are proven to work for adolescents and adults, but only have materials for elementary classrooms.
This project aims to create and provide differentiation tools and SEL resources that are specifically developed with adolescents in mind. From video game aesthetics to books to cats, the materials here are intended to pique students' interests and help encourage them to use these tools. If you have a request for a specific style, aesthetic, or want to cater something to a student's interests, please contact me!
Please note that the Zones of Regulation is a program that must be implemented with fidelity. The Zone resources are meant only to supplement the program created and distributed by Social Thinking Inc. and should not be utilized independently from the rest of the curriculum.