Change can be hard. Whether you have been in the classroom for years and are accustomed to your routine or are early in your career and just appreciate the things that work, the notion of change can be downright scary. In schools, though, change is a constant.

The thing about teaching novels is that it is an investment. It is an investment of your time in planning and the students’ time in the classroom. It also can literally be an investment: novel sets are not just delivered fresh to schools each year.

Here are 3 ways to pair novels in the classroom like a pro. Pairing is a fantastic way to provide students critical space to make robust text-to-text connections, engage in meaningful discussion, and hone their analytic skills.

New books shed light on new perspectives. Mainstays in literature have universal themes, yes, but the world has also changed in profound ways since many of them were written. Books in classrooms should reflect our times and our current understanding of history and society.

Book selection is a meticulous process that deserves our utmost care and contemplation. There are several additional factors to consider when finalizing book choices for your students. After all, our goal is to develop an instructional plan for the entire year.

The free end of year letter writing activities for students below are perfect for those final days of school. Whether you’re packing up your room, move to another classroom, building, or district, or finishing that final stack of grading, the end of the year can be stressful and hectic. Keep your students engaged by giving them purposeful and simple (i.e. easy, no-prep!) writing activities.