Love teaching.
Make it memorable.
Does your class create memories?
Ask me that question and I’ll answer, “Well, sometimes… but not always.”
Some days my class totally rocks. Other days, it falls flat and I wonder why I ever started teaching in the first place. But in the midst of all that self-doubt, I don’t stop doing my job. I just get more creative.
And in those moments of creativity I rediscover how much I LOVE MY CONTENT and how much I love teaching ELA.
Click any box below to browse my 300+ posts on literature and writing!









It’s fun to design lessons that 1) achieve the learning objective, 2) linger in a student’s memory, and 3) grow my passion for my content. Those three things keep me excited about teaching… even at the end of a so-so day.
In other words, I know they won’t remember the comma worksheet, but they and I will remember their Red Badge of Courage color symbolism collage, the poem they transcribed, the day they drew their backyard to discover ideas for a memoir, or the day they made a video of their grandmother reading their favorite verse from Whitman’s “Song of Myself.”








Here’s how my website can help you.
Let me be a resource for finding memorable teaching ideas that will…
- achieve student learning success
- revive your love of teaching
- boost your confidence
- energize your classroom
…because when you feel good about your teaching, you love your job more.
After all, knowing your lessons are benefitting your students — and fueling your enthusiasm for your content and career — is the best way to take care of your teacher-self.
In my 300-plus posts, you’ll find lessons on The Great Gatsby, Beowulf, Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself, ekphrastic poetry, September 11, coffee cup lids (yes, that’s right), Articles of the Week, vocabulary, you name it …even how to teach seniors Braille.
Making English class memorable is my goal as my students and I journey through ELA. I believe I can teach creatively and memorably AND prepare my students for college and career.
ELA Brave and True | Marilyn Yung

Love teaching.
Make it memorable.
Need a new poetry idea?
Enter your email in the space below and I’ll send you a handout (shown below) to show your students how to write Treasured Object poems, one of my favorite poetry activities.

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Discovering our shared humanity, expressing our personalities, tapping our creativities, and digging for relevance in the texts we read and write.
That’s what ELA is about.
I’m interested in your story!

Please contact me to share the creative and memorable ways you’re teaching ELA to middle grade and high school students. I am especially interested in the following:
- memory-making poetry lessons and activities
- writing contests for middle school and high school students
- ways to combine visual and performing arts into reading and writing instruction
- American classics and diverse text pairings
- engaging, effective, and memorable writing lessons for middle and high school students
Use my contact page, email me at elabraveandtrue@gmail.com, or leave a comment on any blog post.
Let’s connect!

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Some Recent Posts
- What’s Up with Meyer Wolfsheim?Three Articles to Explore Meyer Wolfsheim in The Great Gatsby Even though I’ve taught The Great Gatsby only twice, I have done quite a lot of writing about Fitzgerald’s many-layered masterpiece. If you pull down to The Great Gatsby onContinue reading “What’s Up with Meyer Wolfsheim?”
- 3 Resources for Shakespeare in Love3 Resources to Build Prior Knowledge and Background Last week, I published a post about the 1998 movie Shakespeare in Love, one of my very favorite movies. That post recognized the fact that while the movie is indeed R-rated, it’sContinue reading “3 Resources for Shakespeare in Love”
- Shakespeare in Love: What Not to WatchDespite its R rating, you can still teach with this film. Here’s how. If you need a good movie for your British Literature classes, but have always shied away from Shakespeare in Love due to its sexual content, shy awayContinue reading “Shakespeare in Love: What Not to Watch”
Love teaching. Make it memorable. | ELA Brave and True







