What if your ELA classroom could spark deeper and more meaningful learning? Authors Beth Pandolpho and Margaret Lane Dunne offer 25 foundational learning opportunities for student engagement and self-directed learning. This practical resource helps educators foster student choice, allowing secondary students to develop their authentic voice through critical reading and literary analysis. Research based and standards aligned, these practices support life skills learning and are adaptable to any curricular framework. Grades 6–12 teachers can use this book to: Design classroom-ready, standards-based learning experiences that prioritize student relationships, belonging, and a supportive classroom community - Create opportunities for scaffolding and differentiation - Foster student independence through project-based learning - Deepen literary analysis skills through shared reading and collaboration - Help students explore their own questions and goals through inquiry-based learning Contents: Introduction Chapter 1: Building the Foundation for an Engaging Classroom Chapter 2: Engaging Students With Assigned Texts Chapter 3: Engaging Students in Independent Book Clubs Chapter 4: Engaging Students in Literary Analysis Chapter 5: Engaging Students in Finding Their Voice Epilogue Appendix A: Glossary of Instructional Strategies for Engagement Appendix B: Standards Alignment by Essential Practice References and Resources Index “ The Engaging ELA Classroom is packed with standards-aligned activities and clear ideas for how to implement them in the classroom. Time-pressed English Language arts teachers will find ideas they can use tomorrow.” -- Tom Berger , Edutopia “ The Engaging ELA Classroom delivers just what it promises: an easy-to-use powerhouse of strategies in one well-organized place! English teachers desirous of continuous learning and growth will truly embrace these practical, inspired teaching practices that they can implement and assess in their classrooms tomorrow. With just the right number of high-quality resources to illustrate each essential practice, teachers can see each practice in action, plan standards-based lessons, access ready-to-use reproducibles, and brush up on research-based, high-impact instructional moves. The tables and glossary provide additional information that supports and extends the chapter content. Every essential practice is tied to an assessment, answering the question ‘How do I measure this?’ Finally, the authors keep students at the center of every practice, with an emphasis on increased engagement in a welcoming learning environment. The Engaging ELA Classroom , charged with high cognitive energy, is a pick-up-and-go treasure for new and veteran teachers alike.” -- Elizabeth Roemer , Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Island Trees School District, Levittown, New York “This is a terrific resource for novice as well as experienced teachers. I love the way the book is organized and provides support for teachers as they partner with students to build classroom culture, read and analyze texts, collaborate in book clubs, and develop student writing. I also love that you can read the chapters individually or sequentially, depending on your immediate needs. Throughout, I found myself regularly pausing to reflect on and reassess the whys and hows of my own teaching. Thank you to Beth and Margaret for this timely, well-researched, immediately usable book!” -- Emily S. Meixner , Professor of English and Coordinator of the Secondary English Education Program, The College of New Jersey Beth Pandolpho is an instructional coach for grades 6–12. She has taught English at the high school and college levels for over twenty years. She trained at the Moth Teacher Institute to learn how to cultivate students’ ability to speak and write about issues that matter to them and tell their own stories. She is passionate about finding ways for educators to positively impact student learning while at the same time taking care of their own needs and infusing joy into the profession. Beth has written for Education Week, Educational Leadership, and The New York Times Learning Network and is a frequent Edutopia contributor. This is her third book with Solution Tree Press. Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature at the University of Maryland, a master of science in reading at Adelphi University, and her supervisory certification for curriculum and instruction at Rutgers University. Margaret Lane Dunne, EdD , has over twenty years of teaching experience and is currently an educator on Long Island. Margaret is a contributor to Edutopia, and this is her first book with Solution Tree Press. As an author and a presenter, she enthusiastically shares her insights about better ways to engage students, particularly as the English language arts landscape continues to shift. Margaret received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mar