25 Fun Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals for Teachers

Professional Development and Inspiration

Before I started teaching, I worked in retail, so I am a Black Friday veteran. In the last decade, Black Friday has shifted to a more digital activity rather than in-person trampling.

That means it’s time to warm up your wishlist and get ready for a festive shopping spree! Here are my favorite goodies, deals and steals for Black Friday!

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5 Best Sellers

These Moore English best sellers are ideal Black Friday treats!

Although I never would have expected it, What is McCarthyism? Listening Guide is my #1 best seller. I pair this listening guide with The Crucible to help students understand Arthur Miller’s purpose for writing.
“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is my favorite TED Talk for the classroom. It pairs well with Things Fall Apart. I love this talk so much that I even wrote an entire blog post about it!
These 7 Literary Analysis Stations are one of my favorite strategies for helping students process literary elements. Stations incorporate movement and collaboration and help students work through theme, plot, characterization, and figurative language. Read about how I use these stations in my classroom.
Next semester, I will be using this lesson to Introduce Literary Criticism. My seniors will be reading Macbeth and applying different literary lenses. I like this lesson because it’s a quick visual to help students catch an overview of different critical perspectives. Here’s how I use this lesson.
One of my early classroom frustrations was teaching author’s purpose. To remedy this difficulty, I developed an acronym superior to P-I-E. This resource helps students Move Beyond P-I-E.

5 Engaging Games

I don’t know about your family, but we usually play cards after Thanksgiving dinner. I love sitting around the table, snacking on leftovers, laughing with family, and listening to football in the background. To bring that feeling into the classroom, check out these classroom games:

The Tone Game is one of my classroom staples. Sometimes I pair this game with literary analysis stations because students can play together; it’s kind of like Apples to Apples for literature.
Next semester, my sophomores will play this Rhetoric Card Sort alongside reading Julius Caesar. After reading the play, students will use their persuasive skills to write their own argumentative speeches.
I am constantly surprised by students’ love of BINGO. Even the crankiest seniors love to play BINGO; plus, this is a pretty good activity to leave with a sub. When we play as a whole group, I love Literary Devices BINGO, but I also use Single-Player BINGO when students work independently.
Especially in this world of fake news and AI-generated writing, it is essential to help students understand what makes a source credible. To facilitate this discussion, I use this Source Credibility and Bias Card Sort.
Early in the year, I use the Parallelism and Parallel Structure Game. Parallelism is a tool students can incorporate into their writing, and once they identify it, students are pretty quick to pick up on this structure.

My Personal Favorites

If I were doing Black Friday shopping, this is where I would start. I love a bargain, so I look for the deepest discounts and the best ways to stretch my cash.

Right now, my sophomores are finishing To Kill a Mockingbird; we use the resources included in this ultimate bundle, including writing journals, task cards, and lesson plans.
One of the most-popular Moore English resources is The Odyssey Bundle. I do not care for the version of The Odyssey in our textbook, so I created this version with side-by-side questions to help engage students.
These 4 Steps for Pre-Reading Poetry are a bread-and-butter necessity in my classroom. By internalizing these strategies, students of all levels are able to engage with poetry. This decreases some of their poetry intimidation. Read more about these steps!
Classroom acronyms are one of my tried-and-true teaching strategies. This led me to craft the American Literary Movements Bundle. I came up with acronyms to help students remember the characteristics of each movement, including anticipation guides and journal prompts. Read more about how I teach literary movements.
One of the best bargains from Moore English are these First Impression Book Reviews. This $1 deal is a fun way to engage students in their independent reading books and help students learn about what others are reading.

Best Classroom Supplies

Like many teachers, I have a dangerous love affair with office supplies. Black Friday is the perfect time to treat yourself. These are my must-have classroom supplies and goodies.

Books to Buy on Black Friday

My favorite gifts are books, both for myself and for my classroom. For Black Friday, invest in your classroom library with some of these recommendations!