10 Great YA Novels

Summer is here… start reading!Great books help develop strong readers. And strong readers are capable of learning just about anything.One of the joys and challenges of my job as a literature teacher is to continuously find exciting, engaging stories that will...

On Culturally Responsive Teaching

Conference presentation I presented the following case study at Le Sallay Academy’s January 2023 conference on blended learning.Culturally Responsive Teaching in Blended Learning: A Case Study What is culturally responsive teaching?The term culturally responsive...

On Playing with Words

Native English speakers only need to learn around 9,000 words to read proficiently (Nation, 2014; Qian & Lin, 2019). This, out of a lexis of over 170,00 words (and growing!)Hence most of us walk, eat and talk on a daily basis rather than shuffle, feast or...

Teaching with ACCLAIM

What follows was written at the end of last academic year.Twelve months later, nothing has changed except context (a shift from hybrid to full-time online teaching).If anything, the past year has reinforced these observations and increased my dedication to offering...

On Writing a Community

Inside online magazine Pennyblackmusic So immersed are we in text — messages! pop-ups! chats! stories! — it is easy to forget how much creative elbow grease goes into this writing, and the wonderful behind-the-scenes connections this work forges.Creating and...

On Value-rich Education

How smart investments enhance return on education IndebtedSaturday, June 8, 2024 was momentous: it was the day I paid off my student loan. My undergraduate student loan. Twenty-three years and one month after earning my BA at Penn, I settled my debt.Penn changed my...

On Literary Devices

Fun with figurative languageThis is a short video I put together as an introduction for young literature/writing students, and a review for high schoolers who are embarking on more complex topics. Brief, topical videos such as this are part of my ‘modular’ approach to...

On Cultural Cross-Pollination

Reading your way to better writingOne of the things that has been (is) vital to my success as a writer and educator is the fact that, from a freakishly young age, I’ve read everything.Nutritional information. Ancient magazines in waiting rooms. Bumper stickers....

Write Like a Pro: Wa Yang

How Wendy Yang Writes to Success at SAPWelcome to Write Like a Pro — where experts from diverse fields and industries discuss how writing supports their professional success.Professional: Wendy YangCompany: SAP (7+ years)Role: Global Program Management and Development...

Teach, Learn, Drink

Why every educator should be a student sometimesThe Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 Award in Wines is a big deal in wine land. It’s a course designed for wine makers, buyers, distributors, sommeliers, viticulturists, oenology students. Globally, it has...