Notes from the Inkpot
Writing, teaching, creating - one ink-stained idea at a time.
50 Spring Poetry Writing Prompts for Teens: Titles, Images, Forms, Voice & Technique
Spring poetry invites writers to slow down and look more closely — not just at nature, but at how change is represented through image, style, and mood. From quiet moments of emergence to unsettled transitions, spring offers rich material for thoughtful, craft-focused poetry. This collection of 50 spring poetry writing prompts for teens draws on a range of visual styles, symbolic imagery, and poetic techniques. Designed for older students, the prompts encourage ekphrastic responses, careful language choices, and exploration of form, voice, and meaning rather than surface description.
70 Spring Writing Prompts for Teens: Story Starters, Characters, Settings & Visual Ideas
Spring writing invites stories of change, return, and new beginnings — but not all renewal is simple or easy. The season brings shifting light, reopened spaces, and moments where something old gives way to something new. This collection of 70 spring writing prompts for teens encourages students to explore growth, uncertainty, and quiet transformation through character, setting, and mood. With flexible, classroom-ready ideas, these prompts work across genres and abilities, making them ideal for seasonal lessons and reflective writing.
The Resurrection Collection: Writing Into the Dark History of Body Snatching
Edinburgh, 1828. Anatomy lectures are full. Graves are not staying closed. As medical knowledge advances, a quiet trade emerges in the shadows of churchyards and lecture rooms. Bodies are exhumed, sold, recorded, and forgotten — while institutions continue as normal. The Resurrection Collection is a document-led creative writing experience inspired by the real history of body snatching, anatomy, and institutional silence. Through fragmented records, personal writings, ledgers, adverts, and modern historical commentary, writers and students are invited to investigate what happened — and what was deliberately left unrecorded. This isn’t a single story or a guided prompt. It’s an archive. The documents don’t agree, some voices are missing, and the truth depends on what you choose to trust. Every reader uncovers a different version of events — shaped by inference, interpretation, and the uncomfortable spaces between evidence.
My Favourite Texts to Teach in March (Novels, Plays, Short Stories & Poems)
March is a turning point in the school year. Students are no longer settling in, but they’re not quite finished either — and that shift matters. This is the moment when texts about voice, power, and resistance begin to land differently. From novels and plays to short stories and poems, these are the texts I return to every March because they meet students exactly where they are: questioning, restless, and ready to think more deeply.
The Ultimate Guide to Ekphrasis (for Secondary Classrooms)
Bring art and writing together with this in-depth guide to ekphrasis — from Homer to high school. Includes examples of famous and classroom-ready poems, student-friendly activities for poetry and prose, and creative ideas for cross-curricular work with Art. Bookmarkable and ready to use.
What Are Digital Writing Boxes? (And Why Teachers & Writers Are Quietly Obsessed)
Digital writing boxes are downloadable sets of fictional relics and documents that spark creative writing through curiosity, investigation, and worldbuilding. In this post, I break down what they are, why they work for both teachers and writers, and how The Soot & Shadows Series blends historical mystery, folklore, and atmospheric relics into a flexible creative writing tool. If you’re tired of prompts that say “imagine a door…,” you’ll love this.
15 Best Fantasy Novels to Teach in the Classroom
Fantasy is one of the most powerful genres to teach — high-interest without being low-rigour. This post explores 15 of the best fantasy novels for the classroom, from classic texts to contemporary favourites, each chosen for their discussion potential, thematic depth, and ability to engage students in meaningful thinking and writing.
20 Best Texts to Teach in January: Fresh Starts, New Beginnings, and Smart Classroom Momentum
January is one of the most important — and underestimated — teaching months of the year. After the break, students don’t need noise or novelty; they need texts that rebuild focus, invite reflection, and spark meaningful discussion. This curated list of 20 novels, short stories, poems, films, and podcasts offers flexible, high-impact texts that work across ages and formats, helping you reset classroom momentum without overloading your planning.
70 January Writing Prompts for Teens: New Beginnings, Aftermaths, and Turning Points
January is a month of quiet turning points — what comes after the celebrations, when routines return and choices begin to matter. This collection of 70 January writing prompts invites teen writers to explore aftermath, new beginnings, and moments of change through plot hooks, opening and closing lines, character ideas, settings, and visual prompts designed for classrooms or independent writing.
70 Christmas Writing Prompts for Teens: Story Starters, Characters, Settings & Visual Ideas
Christmas is a season full of contrasts — cozy fireplaces and glittering lights, but also mystery, magic, and the occasional bit of chaos. These prompts invite teen writers to explore the holiday across genres, from festive romance and fantasy adventures to gothic tales and eerie mysteries. With 70 story starters, titles, characters, settings, and picture prompts, this collection sparks creativity for classrooms or independent writing, offering fresh takes on the season that go far beyond the expected.
10 Best Christmas Poems to Teach (And How to Teach Them)
Christmas in the classroom is always a balancing act. You want something seasonal to capture the spirit of December, but it still needs the depth to justify lesson time. Poetry is the perfect answer. From Christina Rossetti’s wintry devotion to T. S. Eliot’s existential Nativity, these ten poems offer rich imagery, layered themes, and plenty of scope for creative writing.
20 Great Texts to Teach at Christmas (or during Winter)
Looking for meaningful texts to teach in December? These 20 Christmas and winter-themed classics — from short stories and poems to films and podcasts — offer rich discussion, creative writing opportunities, and seasonal engagement without sacrificing academic depth.
12 Engaging Podcasts to Hook Teens and Deepen Classroom Analysis
Podcasts aren’t just background noise or Friday-afternoon filler. Used intentionally, they become rich texts for analysis, offering students access to real voices and real perspectives. From true crime to poetry to investigative journalism, podcasts allow students to explore ideas, examine viewpoint, and analyse how meaning is constructed through sound, structure, and tone. Here are twelve powerful podcast recommendations to transform listening into real learning.
10 Dystopian Texts to Teach Beyond 1984 (Classroom Ideas & Creative Writing)
Every time dystopian fiction comes up in the classroom, 1984 takes centre stage. And for good reason — it’s chilling, essential, and one of those texts I’ll always defend teaching. But Orwell isn’t the whole story. Dystopia is also about fear, climate collapse, isolation, memory, love, and the choices people make when systems fall apart. This post shares ten powerful texts that go beyond Orwell, each with themes, classroom ideas, and creative writing extensions you can use straight away.
The Best Netflix Shows and Films to Use in the Secondary Classroom
Streaming doesn’t have to mean “switching off.” Netflix is packed with series and films that open up rich discussions in the secondary English classroom — from dystopian cautionary tales like Black Mirror to tender coming-of-age stories like Heartstopper. Used thoughtfully, these titles can spark debate, connect literature to students’ lives, and bring themes like identity, grief, and power into focus. This guide rounds up some of the best options, with classroom pairings, creative activities, and cross-curricular links to help you use screen time as a powerful teaching tool.
Micro Writing for the TikTok Generation (Why Short Bursts Spark Big Ideas)
Micro writing is about stripping things back — short bursts of creativity that can grow into something bigger. This post explores how daily prompts, complete with titles, images, opening and closing lines, and plot ideas, can be used for quick five-minute writes that fit neatly into any lesson. Think of it as a clean, minimalist approach to writing practice: simple to set up, but powerful in what it sparks.
Halloween Gothic Short Stories & Creative Writing Bundle: Teach Analysis and Imagination in One Go
Looking for ready-to-go Halloween ELA activities? This Gothic short story and creative writing bundle is perfect for middle and high school lesson plans. Explore The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Monkey’s Paw with complete activities, then let students create their own eerie narratives through the Victoriana Creative Writing Mystery Box. A time-saving, engaging way to combine analysis and imagination this October.
10 Personal Reading Rules We Should Let Students Break
We tell students to read for pleasure — then load them up with rules that would put most adults off books too. Sit at a desk. Finish what you start. Only read “serious” texts. In this post, I share the 10 reading rules I think we should let students break, from rereading favourites to abandoning books that don’t fit. When reading feels personal, comfortable, and choice-driven, students don’t just read more — they actually enjoy it.
The Back-to-School Writing Task That Helps Me Understand Every Student
One simple writing task. That’s all it takes to start building real relationships with your students. Here’s the first-week activity I always use to understand who’s in front of me, and why it works year after year.
7 Free English Classroom Resources I Actually Use (And Still Love)
Seven free English teaching resources I’ve actually used in real classrooms. From creative writing prompts to post-reading tasks, these are my go-to freebies that still hold up, and they’re all ready to download.