About: Michelle Areaux

Michelle Areaux was born in Nicholasville, KY where she currently resides with her husband Anthony, and sons Connor and Cooper. She attended the University of Kentucky where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education and Asbury University where she earned her Master of Arts. Currently, Michelle is a middle school language arts teacher at Edythe Jones Hayes Middle School in Lexington, Kentucky and an avid reader. Her first novel, Wicked Cries, motivated her to continue writing and publishing novels for both young adult and new adult audiences.

Recent Posts by Michelle Areaux

What Is a Harkness Discussion? A Teacher’s Guide

Black teacher sits down with 2 students at there table
A Harkness discussion is a student-led method in which students sit in a circle or oval, taking turns to pose and answer questions while the teacher guides rather than leads. It originated at Phillips Exeter Academy through Edward Harkness's 1930 gift, with traditional groups of 12 students and one teacher. I've adapted it to a…
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Using Technology in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Honest Take

Three elementary students tapping tablet screens at a shared classroom desk
Using technology in the classroom works when the tool solves a problem you already had. School-issued Chromebooks and tablets, shared assignment platforms, and digital texts can shorten feedback cycles and widen access to reading material. The gains come from what the device replaces, not from the device itself. [xyz_feat_school] I spent years keeping devices out…
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What Is an Anchor Text in Education? A Teacher’s Guide

Young teacher in a red shirt helping a child student with her work
An anchor text is the core text, usually a novel, picture book, or other rich piece of writing, that a teacher builds a thematic unit around. Other resources, from vocabulary to assessments, connect back to it as a central reference point. A strong one is grade-level-complex and aligned with your standards. [xyz_feat_school] Teachers often balance…
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Text Coding: A Reading Strategy for Struggling Readers

Teacher and young student reviewing a reading annotation card together at a classroom table
Text coding is a reading strategy where students mark up a text with symbols: a star for important information, a question mark for confusion, an exclamation point for surprise. As a text coding reading strategy, it can give students a concrete way to track their thinking while reading, and it can be used across content…
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