By Jessica Salfia One of the things in my professional career that I’m most proud of is the work we’ve done to create WVELA. This conference is an opportunity for West Virginia’s ELA teachers to come together and share, collaborate, and grow. We all know that there is some truly Read more…
Fellow teachers! We have written a lot on this blog about using regional writers in our classrooms, and if you haven’t checked out the #AppalachianSyllabus tab on this web site, you need to. If you’ve wanted to explore Appalachian literature and studies, but didn’t know where to start, consider Read more…
By Jessica Salfia Understanding visual rhetoric is not just an important part of most AP Language and Composition curriculums, but it is an essential skill our students need as members of society. We are bombarded with images—images intended to persuade and influence us. Our students must be able to identify Read more…
By Jessica Salfia Vocabulary is one of those things that I’m always tinkering with, and I’ve tried it all: memorization, flashcards, quizlets, words of the day. And despite a few successful strategies, vocabulary is always one of those things that feels like no matter what I do, it could be Read more…
By Jessica Salfia This summer and fall my 11th grade Advanced Placement: Language and Composition students read Water Street by Crystal Wilkinson. An anthology of short stories about the residents of a mostly black community in Kentucky, the characters of Water Street weave and wend in and out of each Read more…