There’s an unspoken guilt English teachers carry when it comes to “movie days.” Sometimes, it’s not just guilt, but school or district mandates that forbid teachers from pressing play…as if the moment we turn the lights off, we are suddenly those stereotypical “lazy” teachers portrayed in movies.

But this couldn’t be further from the truth! The reality is that strategically using movies in the ELA classroom is one of the smartest things we can do.