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Ms. Ellwanger’s Classroom Edit display name

  • New Haven Academy
  • New Haven, CT
  • Nearly all students from low‑income households

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I developed a strong Independent Reading program at NHA, a social-justice-focused high school where I teach English and Reading classes. My students are an extremely diverse group of 9th through 12th graders who LOVE to read. I buy books at library sales and thrift stores to build my classroom library so that every students will find books to connect with, but I can't always find copies of the my students' favorites. My students need more copies of those books that fly off the shelves, the ones they talk about and pass around. When our 9th graders hear that they will have time in class to choose, read, discuss and write about the books they read on their own, most of them are surprised and excited; a few very reluctant readers are intimidated, thinking this will be another unsuccessful or difficult reading assignment. I want to be sure to have books in the classroom that I can recommend to those kids who may struggle to find books they like. This list of books I'm requesting is a type of "greatest hits" of NHA. These copies will be read over and over again!

About my class

I developed a strong Independent Reading program at NHA, a social-justice-focused high school where I teach English and Reading classes. My students are an extremely diverse group of 9th through 12th graders who LOVE to read. I buy books at library sales and thrift stores to build my classroom library so that every students will find books to connect with, but I can't always find copies of the my students' favorites. My students need more copies of those books that fly off the shelves, the ones they talk about and pass around. When our 9th graders hear that they will have time in class to choose, read, discuss and write about the books they read on their own, most of them are surprised and excited; a few very reluctant readers are intimidated, thinking this will be another unsuccessful or difficult reading assignment. I want to be sure to have books in the classroom that I can recommend to those kids who may struggle to find books they like. This list of books I'm requesting is a type of "greatest hits" of NHA. These copies will be read over and over again!

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About my class

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