But What Does It Do? Rhetorical Analysis with David Jolliffe

Dr. Brandon Abdon

Dr. David Jolliffe walked through the origins of his widely shared rhetorical framework, how he teaches it today, and why every rhetorical analysis...

How to Teach Rhetorical Analysis: Jolliffe's Rhetorical Framework

Dr. Brandon Abdon

I’ve chosen a tired metaphor for this, but it really does work (and is less ominous than the first one that came to mind: icebergs). Picture a duck...

Summary vs. Analysis Lesson Plan for ELA Teachers

Students often rely on summaries as a shortcut to understand literature. While summaries help review the plot, they flatten storytelling into a list...

Student-Generated Questions: How to Teach 3 Levels of Questioning

There is no shortage of professional development on teaching educators how to write questions. We add them to our lesson plans, we spin manual or...

What to Teach in the First Weeks of AP® Language & AP® Literature

Dr. Brandon Abdon

The first weeks of an AP English course carry more weight than the calendar suggests. Some students walk in certain they belong. Others were talked...

Teaching Students to Have Original Ideas in the Age of AI

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly accessible, many teachers are asking the same question: How do we teach students to think for...

AP® Reader Reflection: Thoughts From a First-Time Reader

I never expected my application to be accepted. I was in the middle of my first year teaching AP Literature, and, at least in my mind, I am the...

AP® Reader Reflection: Kite Analysis

What does a broken muffler, a kite, & a capricious falcon have in common? According to the 2026 AP Language & Composition cohort, they are all...

AP® Reader Reflection: Students Are Excellent at Noticing

AP® Reader Reflection: A Vision for Row C Success on FRQ 2

For years, I have taught complex strategies to help students earn the Row C sophistication point, and while most of my students score the point on...