Please Don’t Be a Troll

One of my favorite scenes in literature is in Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Three bumbling trolls capture Bilbo and then argue … More

Selma Movie, Selma Play

Buzz about Oprah Winfrey’s new movie Selma is shining a light on the Selma to Montgomery March. The film, which … More

I was recently contacted by a theater company in Maryland which wants to add my adaption of “The Gift of … More

Every so often I get a request from a reader to draft a play based on a specific book: The … More

Students will quickly connect with eight-year old Sheyann Webb. When African-Americans were being denied the right to vote, she became … More

Many kids begin school already knowing how to read. They haven’t had formal lessons. Their parents haven’t been trained in … More

Admit it. You’re using one of those big fat textbooks to teach reading, one of those monstrosities brought to you … More

This time last year I admitted to a high degree of frustration when it comes to standardized testing. It drives … More

Save $5 on any of my Scholastic titles at teacherexpress.com. Symbols of America and Classic Short Stories gives you a … More

The good people of America have some misconceptions about teaching. Planning for a lesson, they believe, is as easy as … More