Link to my Prezi from the Strategies for Teaching Literature course at West Chester University, presented on March 15, 2016. Click here to see the Prezi, which includes 20 strategies I use for teaching literature.
All posts by “Tricia Ebarvia”
Slice of Life 8: This I Believe
My students and I are in the midst of an argument unit, and this week we’re talking organization. When I think about where I was when I first started my career regarding teaching writing versus where I am now, I’m amazed at the difference. When I… Read More
Finding Moments Worth Writing About
It’s just after 7:20 a.m. and my students are settling into their seats. Although it’s early, this class is lively, with students generally willing to try out whatever their English teacher has planned for them that day. This morning, I pass out cream-colored quarter sheets of… Read More
Steps Toward an Inquiry-based Classroom
For years, whenever my students and I read a novel, I would pass out a study guide with a list of questions for each chapter. By giving students the study guide questions―questions I wrote―I could make sure that students wouldn’t miss anything in their reading.… Read More
Letting Go (and Getting Students to Do the Talking)
Although this is my 15th year of teaching, I have always struggled with discussions. It’s not that my students and I don’t have engaging or thought-provoking discussions. We do. But I often put the pressure on myself to lead (dictate?) our discussions, and I’ve never been confident that… Read More
Fostering a Reading/Writing Life Using Independent Reading
Presented on October 16, 2015, at the PA Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (PCTELA) Annual Conference, Harrisburg, PA. CLICK HERE TO VIEW PRESENTATION. Feel free to browse this site for additional materials and ideas. Much of the information shared in the presentation is… Read More
How I made time for reading . . . and had one of the best years ever (Part 3: A Weekly Framework)
With the first week of school behind us, the groundwork for our independent reading endeavors has been set. This week, my 9th grade students walked around my room, browsed the classroom library, and marked titles that they’re interested in reading. Through our scavenger hunt, students learned the ins and… Read More
How I made time for reading . . . and had one of the best years ever (Part 2: The Power of Booktalks)
Although I’d been doing some form of independent reading for several years, with each year better than the one before, I came into last school year determined to commit in a way I hadn’t before. I wanted to find a way to make students’ independent… Read More
How I made time for reading . . . and had one of my best years ever (Part 1)
I‘m ashamed to admit that for many years, I rarely built in any time for independent reading. The extent of independent reading in my classroom was taking students to the library to check out a book, telling them it was due by X date, and… Read More
Making space for learning: a classroom tour
August always brings mixed feelings. On the one hand, I’m always surprised and sad that summer is coming to an end. Lazy days at the pool, s’mores over a campfire, water ice after dinner—I know I’ll be missing these days all too soon. On the… Read More
Tricia Ebarvia 
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