Dearest Teaching Colleagues: We’re thinking of you these days. What brings us special joy is knowing that we’ll get to see so many of you at the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention (NCTE 2017) in November. Thousands of smart, brave, curious teachers gathered in one place—and all for the good of their… Continue Reading »
Teaching Colleagues, I write today with such a sad heart, brought low by the death of Betsy Walsh. As Head of Reader Services, she presided over the Folger Reading Rooms—the inner sanctum—for many years. While the word “preside” reflects something of her job description, the woman herself was so much more: a welcoming, warm, intellectual… Continue Reading »
Originally published September 22, 2015 Editor’s Note: We’re reposting one of our most popular back-to-school teaching ideas. Try it out and let us know how it goes! We’re on Twitter @FolgerEd Debbie Gascon’s brilliant advice to start the school year with Shakespeare has made my hot, humid classroom one of the coolest places to be… Continue Reading »
Editor’s Note: Over the next few months, we’ll be highlighting individual lessons from our CrossTalk education project, Essential Everyday Bravery: Thinking and Talking about Identity and Difference in Your Classroom. To learn more, check out the CrossTalk webpage. Today’s lesson comes from Baltimore teacher Amber Phelps, who gets students thinking deeply about identity and vulnerability… Continue Reading »
A new school year is underway! As always, you’re doing the most important work on earth. As always, we’re with you. And we’re getting ready to share a whole new wave of support for you and your classrooms. Exciting stuff! Stay tuned. What’s in store for the Folger teaching family, including YOU? Where have we… Continue Reading »
In the teaching world, there’s a lot of talk about making texts relevant for today’s students. With Shakespeare, who asks the big, human questions, I have had success letting my students make their own connections to Shakespeare’s words, find and construct their own relevance. The Folger offers tons of active, performance-based approaches to connecting students… Continue Reading »
