Joy in learning doesn’t mean games, entertainment, or treats—it is fostered by combining challenge with curiosity, purpose, belonging, and celebration.

Schoolwide reads paired with author visits can strengthen community, promote belonging, and create lasting shared experiences, says teacher leader Kasey Short.

Kasey Short shares activities using children’s poetry anthologies and collections to increase students’ choice while also building their confidence with poetry.

Books that convey nonfiction topics through poems and images help students learn to process information, a skill they can transfer to other texts.

Books that convey nonfiction topics through poems and images help students learn to process information, a skill they can transfer to other texts.

Teacher leader Kasey Short shares eight strategies she uses every day in her classroom to make feedback a driving force for student progress and improvement.

Fiction is a powerful tool to build foundational knowledge across subject areas–deepening understanding and sparking curiosity–says teacher leader Kasey Short.

Teachers can explore different modes of writing to facilitate personal reflection and meaningful connections with other educators.

The new school year is Kasey Short’s favorite time to update her class and school libraries and create lists full of new fiction books for students to explore.

When a teacher is composed and steady, the classroom is more likely to be as well. Here’s how one educator maintains a collective calm.

Novels that explore AI through stories grounded in real ethical and scientific questions spark discussions and critical thinking with students, says Kasey Short

Teaching dystopian fiction offers students a meaningful way to engage with literature and social issues while developing critical thinking, says Kasey Short.

Historical fiction fosters curiosity, inspires empathy, stimulates critical thinking, and helps students better understand complex issues, writes Kasey Short.

Learn how ELA teacher Kasey Short convinces students to read (and come to love) novels in verse. Included: Two dozen titles perfect for the middle grades.

12 more articles featuring middle grades and YA fiction and nonfiction books, with ideas for teaching, independent reading and expanding class libraries!

Creative writing exercises allow students to develop writer voices and find joy in storytelling. See Kasey Short’s many choices for plot, setting and character.