As the vibrant colors of autumn settle in, with leaves turning golden and crisp, the school year finds its rhythm, and with it, our drive as English educators reaches its peak. There’s something about those first few weeks of September that fills the classroom with an infectious energy—students eager to start fresh, teachers bursting with creative ideas to inspire young minds. During this time, I find myself particularly motivated, pouring every ounce of passion into crafting the ultimate English learning experience for my students.
Yet, as the days grow shorter and October rolls in, it’s no secret that the initial buzz can begin to fade. That back-to-school excitement, which once electrified the room, can quickly transform into a sense of monotony. By mid-October, you might notice the sparkle in your students’ eyes begin to dim, replaced by a familiar glaze as routine sets in. It’s a challenge we all face—keeping that momentum alive while balancing the everyday demands of teaching.
But don’t worry—just when the classroom vibes start to feel a bit stale, the magic of the fall season comes to the rescue! October brings with it an array of opportunities to spice up our lessons, and the excitement of spooky activities can work wonders to reignite both our students’ and our own enthusiasm. From eerie short stories to chilling creative writing prompts, there are countless ways to tap into the seasonal energy and breathe new life into our educational journey.
It’s like a gust of wind filling the sails of my teaching ship, propelling us toward our destination with renewed energy and excitement. The beauty of it all is that spooky activities are the secret sauce that can work wonders for your class. These engaging and captivating activities are something I refuse to let go of easily, as they are the key to sparking enthusiasm and igniting the flames of curiosity in my students.
Are you finding yourself in the same boat as I am—facing that mid-semester slump where your once-enthusiastic students seem to have lost their spark?
It’s a situation that every teacher faces at some point. No matter how dynamic our lessons are, there are times when it feels like our students are just going through the motions, and all our efforts to reignite their passion fall flat. If you’ve been wracking your brain, trying to figure out how to get your students back on track, you’re not alone!
The good news is that with the right activities, you can easily transform that classroom energy and get your students excited again—sometimes it just takes a fresh approach. Over the years, I’ve experimented with different strategies to keep my students engaged, and I’ve discovered a few that they absolutely love. These activities not only tap into their creativity but also align with key learning goals, making them perfect for building both enthusiasm and skills. Let me share with you some of my favorite go-to activities that my students can’t get enough of—and hopefully, they’ll spark new excitement in your classroom, too!
One of the most popular trends in the classroom right now is blackout poetry, and spooky season provides the perfect opportunity to weave this creative activity into your lessons. If you haven’t tried it yet, blackout poetry is an engaging way to have students interact with text in a fresh, artistic way. The process involves taking a page of printed text—typically from a book, article, or in this case, a spooky short story—and transforming it into a poem by blacking out all the words except the ones they choose to keep for their poem.
What makes this activity particularly powerful during the fall is its versatility. My favorite twist is to use pages from eerie short stories, like Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart or Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. Not only do these stories capture the mysterious, chilling tone of the season, but they also give us the chance to dive into rich, complex texts with our students. I usually begin by having the class read the story together, analyze key themes, and engage in discussion or related activities that strengthen their understanding of the material. Once we’ve explored the story, the real fun begins! Students use a template that helps guide them in creating their blackout poetry with the help of a useful template.
They select words from the story that stand out, crafting a completely new poem that captures their unique perspective. The results are always astounding—students take ownership of their poems, and you’ll often find deep, thought-provoking ideas shining through in ways you didn’t expect. It’s one of those activities that combines creative freedom with literary analysis, and the best part? Students are fully engaged the whole time.
Another spooky-season favorite in my classroom is a fun, creative activity where students are tasked with convincing others to “buy” their carved pumpkin. Each student is given a photo of a uniquely carved pumpkin—some spooky, some funny, some downright weird—and they must use their persuasive writing skills to craft a pitch. The twist? They’re not just writing about the pumpkin; they’re trying to sell it!
I provide them with a structured template for this spooky writing activity that guides them in describing their pumpkin’s features, explaining why it’s the best option for Halloween, and persuading others to choose theirs over the competition. It’s an activity that really taps into their imagination and gives them the chance to practice persuasive writing in a playful, low-stakes way. The creativity that comes out of these pitches is always impressive, and the students have a lot of fun thinking of outlandish reasons why their pumpkin should be the winner.
To take this activity up a notch, I often incorporate a speaking component. After writing their pitch, students present their pumpkin in front of the class, practicing their public speaking and persuasion skills. This addition not only makes the activity more dynamic, but it also ensures that students are practicing multiple skills—writing, speaking, and thinking on their feet. It’s a full-circle experience that keeps them engaged from start to finish.
Prepare yourself and your students for an unforgettable adventure—enter the world of a Haunted Houses escape room experience! This thrilling activity is designed to not only entertain but also to challenge and sharpen your students’ reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. It’s the perfect blend of fun and rigor, and one of the most exciting ways to get students actively engaged with the content.
Here’s how it works: Students enter the “escape room” scenario by tackling a series of Haunted Houses-themed reading passages, each packed with spooky, mysterious details that will keep them hooked from the very beginning. But here’s the twist—each passage comes with a set of challenges that requires them to go beyond surface-level reading. They’ll need to decode context clues, make inferences, and apply their close reading skills in order to “escape” from each haunted house. The suspense builds as they move from one challenge to the next, solving puzzles and unlocking new layers of the story.
The structure of the escape room encourages collaborative learning, as students work together in small groups to solve each reading challenge. It’s a fantastic way to develop teamwork, while also giving students the space to think critically and creatively. You’ll be amazed at how they rise to the occasion, debating answers, sharing interpretations, and pushing each other to think more deeply about the text.
There’s something uniquely thrilling about sharing spine-tingling tales in the ELA classroom. These stories hold a special kind of magic, instantly capturing students’ attention and drawing them into the narrative. Whether you’re planning a Halloween-themed unit or simply looking to infuse some excitement into your literature lessons, spooky tales have the power to transport your students to worlds filled with mystery, suspense, and the supernatural.
What makes these stories particularly effective in the classroom is their ability to engage readers on multiple levels. The suspenseful elements naturally pull students in, but beneath the surface, these tales often offer rich themes, complex characters, and opportunities for critical analysis. They provide the perfect foundation for teaching narrative structure, symbolism, and foreshadowing, all while keeping students on the edge of their seats. Additionally, the supernatural elements open the door to creative writing prompts, debates on literary devices, and even philosophical discussions on fear, morality, and the unknown.
Do your students love reading short stories as well? Mine find it easier than longer pieces of writing and this is why I like to challenge them to read more. I created a special 5o short stories challenges choice board from which they can choose to read things outside their comfort zone. After hooking them with one of the scary stories above, they are eager to get more and this is the perfect moment to introduce my challenge board. If you want to do the same, I have a surprise for you before we get to the next part of fun Halloween activities. I am giving you this challenge for FREE right in your email inbox. So click on the picture below and get your students reading!
If you’re looking for a way to get your students truly hooked on poetry, why not offer them a cohesive spooky poetry lesson? There’s something about the eerie, atmospheric quality of spooky poems that instantly captures their attention, making them perfect for the classroom. My students have been especially captivated by classic poems like The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes, The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, Song of the Witches from Macbeth or The Witch by Mary Elizabeth Coleridge.
These poems not only fit the spooky season perfectly but also offer rich language and imagery, making them ideal for exploring literary devices such as alliteration, metaphor, mood, and tone. Because they have such vivid language, they help students visualize and connect with the text on a deeper level, keeping them engaged while also encouraging critical thinking.
One of the ways I extend this enthusiasm is by having students create one-pagers—a highly visual and creative way to synthesize their understanding of the poem. In this activity, students illustrate key themes, quotes, and symbols from the poem on a single page, using a combination of images, words, and design elements. The one-pagers not only encourage students to interpret the poem creatively but also give them a chance to express their thoughts in a visually stimulating format, making it an engaging alternative to traditional analysis.
Additionally, I like to incorporate bingo boards to keep the lessons interactive. The poetry bingo boards are filled with tasks that challenge students to look deeper into the poems they’re reading. For instance, squares might ask them to identify five examples of imagery, find a metaphor that creates a sense of unease, or rewrite a stanza in modern language. As students complete these tasks, they gain a deeper understanding of the poems’ structure and meaning while enjoying the competitive, game-like element of bingo.
So, that’s a glimpse into what spooky activities season looks like in my classroom. From blackout poetry to haunted escape rooms, there’s no shortage of ways to bring the Halloween spirit into our lessons while keeping students engaged and learning. But I know every classroom has its own unique flair, and I’d love to hear what you’re doing with your students this month!
What spooky or Halloween-themed activities have you found to be a hit? Whether it’s a creative writing project, a reading challenge, or a thrilling group activity, share your ideas below. By exchanging strategies and ideas, we can all keep our classrooms vibrant and inspiring throughout the season. Let’s inspire each other to make the most of this spooky time of year and keep our students excited to learn!
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