Dear High School Teachers, Subscribe to these 13 Newsletters Today!

Professional Development and Inspiration

As an English teacher, I read a lot. In the past, I’ve shared some of my favorite professional develop reads. However, I also do a lot of my learning online, and I subscribe to an unreal number of newsletters, some aimed at teachers and some aimed at larger audiences.

Today, I want to share my top newsletter recommendations! To be clear, I’m not affiliated with any of these newsletters. I just think they’re interesting or inspirational!

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General Interest and Academic Recommendations

Incorporating current events in the classroom is a great way to make content relevant to students. However, it can be hard to find current events that are well researched and credible. It’s all too easy to end up with biased, unbalanced, or poorly researched pieces. That’s where these newsletters come in handy!

First, the New York Times Learning Network is an absolute must for teachers of all stripes! The NYT Learning Network includes so many incredible features: mentor texts, lesson plans, professional development, contests, vocabulary quizzes, access to the NYT Teaching Project, and a complete writing curriculum!
My students have a variety of diverse interests, some of which are totally outside of my comfort zone. To help students engage, I often seek out texts that suit their specific interests and needs, which is why I subscribe the JSTOR Daily, the Smithsonian Magazine, MIT Reader, and Popular Mechanics.

Social Justice Newsletters

Incorporating social justice pedagogy and resources in my teaching is an area in which I can always improve. For this reason, I read a lot of newsletters focused on creating a more diverse curriculum, advocating for inclusivity in education, and working toward antiracist teaching.

Facing History and Ourselves, including their blog Facing Today, is an incredible resource for educators. This is a treasure trove of resources designed to help teachers engage students in difficult conversations. My favorite part of Facing History is the incredible lesson plans!
Similarly, Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) provides a huge variety of resources, articles, and lesson plans for teachers focused on making social justice part of their classrooms and schools. Learning For Justice features resources on so many topics. These include race and ethnicity, religion, class, ability, identity, immigration, bias, and activism.
Additionally, Anti-Racism Daily covers a huge number of issues related to racism and the work of being antiracist. One of the strengths of ARD is its ability to help readers understand how racism affects every part of life, especially in America, including racism in the workplace, its effects on the environment, and its role in the criminal justice system. I religiously read the weekly digest because it spotlights questions from readers.
Lastly, the Radical Copyeditor evaluates how language affects all aspects of life, including how language shapes identity, can be weaponized, and can improve the world. Ultimately, the Radical Copyeditor comes from the perspective that “language is not neutral.” Perhaps more than any other newsletter listed here, this one has the most immediate effects on how I communicate.

Newsletters for English Teachers

It’s no surprise, but half of what shows up in my inbox focuses on English teachers! These are some of my favorite newsletters for finding inspiration, staying engaged, and growing as a professional!

Poetry Foundation is always a great source of poetry for teachers. In particular, their thematic collections are a great place to plan a unit or plan for synthesis!
Similarly, the American Academy of Poets has a variety of newsletters, including Poem of the Day! I love the seasonal poems they always suggest!
Lit Hub Daily exposes me to a variety of genres and upcoming releases. I love the diversity of their suggestions, including essays, criticism, poetry, podcasts, and short fiction.
Another favorite literary magazine is The Millions, which is always adding to my TBR!
Finally, I have to put in a shoutout for Moore English. Each week, I share ideas and inspiration for teaching reading and writing, organizing the classroom, teaching with technology, and maintaining balance as a teacher! Sign up today!