Hello Teachers, There’s something about music that sparks ideas—especially when it comes to creative writing. For this task, students will write a 100-word story inspired by a song. Think of it as musically inspired microfiction: listen, imagine, and turn the feelings, images, and characters inspired by the song into roughly 100 words. Some students, of course, will be confused. They’ll ask: “How am I supposed to write a story from a song? That doesn’t make sense.” Good. That’s exactly the...

Hello Teachers, This is one of my favorite TED Talks. I love the drawing activities, but even more, I love its message about our abilities—and the beliefs we have about what we can and can’t do. Here’s the video and a response worksheet you can use with your students. Video: Why People Believe They Can’t Draw—and How to Prove They Can Click on the worksheets for the link. Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Email Sponsor Today’s email sponsor is 1440. These sponsorships help me continue creating and sharing...

Hello Teachers, I taught an English class at a private institute in Tbilisi, Georgia, around 2009. In one class of 16-year-olds, most of the students were fluent in three languages: Georgian, Russian, and English. We could have academic conversations, in English, about European geopolitics. And we could compare and contrast American and Russian literature. (Although they would tell me that I should learn Russian to be able to truly appreciate the beauty of Russian literature.) Most of these...