Kathleen Ryan’s Spring Art Blooms at 5th Ave–53rd St Subway Newsstand

Kathleen Ryan revives a defunct 5th Av–53rd St subway newsstand with vivid spring art, giving weary commuters an unexpected burst of color and wonder.

I love public art displays in the subway system, and New York City’s art initiatives never disappoint. There’s something quietly uplifting about heading to your dull Midtown job, hobnobbing among the listless, only to discover that a familiar niche—once home to day-old newspapers and lukewarm sodas—has become a paean to spring, transforming a tired space into an endless array of aesthetic possibilities. I’m not sure if it makes me sad or happy—and that’s okay.

•

•

•

@mta #nyctransit #art #kathleenmarieryan #publicart #display

PDF for Printing

Free Lesson on Homer, the Blind Poet: Launch Your Greek Mythology Unit with Ease!

Kickstart Your Greek Mythology Unit with a Free Homer Lesson!

Hello, fellow educators! My name is Greig, and I've been teaching English language arts and humanities for over 15 years. One of my favorite teaching strategies is frontloading units with engaging background lessons—and that's exactly why I've created this brand-new free lesson on Homer, the Blind Poet of Ancient Greece.

If you're gearing up to teach The Iliad and The Odyssey, you know how important — and sometimes tricky — it is to help students grasp the rich context behind these epic masterpieces. This freebie makes that task easy, interactive, and fun!

Why Teach Homer First?

Before diving into Achilles’ rage or Odysseus’ adventurous homecoming, it's crucial students understand a few big ideas:

• Who was Homer? We dive into the legendary poet's life (and the mysteries around him), illustrated beautifully with images, including Raphael’s famous fresco from the Vatican Museums.
• The "Homeric Question." Spark lively discussions with your students about the nature of authorship and oral storytelling in ancient cultures.
• Cultural & literary connections. How did Homer shape Greek mythology, moving from nature-spirits to fully-realized divine personalities like Zeus, Hera, and Aphrodite?

What You'll Get in This Free Resource

• 📚 Illustrated Reading Cards: Adapted from secondary sources to boost comprehension and engagement.
• 📅 Two-Day Lesson Pacing Guide: Detailed teacher notes and clear lesson structure.
• 🗺️ Anchor Chart: Easily print or digitally distribute, introducing key characters and concepts visually.
• ✍️ Interactive Task Cards & Question Bank: Use for trivia games, assessments, or engaging classroom discussions.
• 📝 Exit Tickets & Cornell Notes: Quick, effective assessments capturing student writing and insights in real-time.
• 🎨 Frayer Model Vocabulary Templates: Visual vocabulary instruction to deeply embed key terms.
• 🔖 Further Reading List & Answer Keys: Comprehensive teacher support included.

Seamlessly Digital & Printable

Whether your classroom is paper-based, digital, or blended, this lesson fits perfectly. You'll receive PDFs for easy printing and Google Slides and Easel Activities compatible with Google Classroom and other LMS platforms.

Standards-Aligned & Classroom-Tested

This resource aligns effortlessly with multiple standards:

• Citing textual evidence
• Determining central ideas and themes
• Mastering vocabulary in context
• Collaborative discussion skills

Perfect for ELA and humanities classrooms—grades 6 through 10, easily adaptable for advanced younger learners, too!

Ready to Dive In?

Get your students excited and curious about ancient Greek literature. This resource is completely free and ready for immediate download:

Download Now from Teachers Pay Teachers!

If you love this resource or have questions, please leave a comment, review, or reach out directly at support@stonesoferasmus.com.

Happy teaching and may your unit on Homer be truly epic!

— Greig from Stones of Erasmus

PDF Copy for Printing

Behind the Scenes of a Teacher-Creator: How I Turn an Idea into a Resource You Can Use in Your Classroom Tomorrow

Peek behind the scenes! Discover how I turn sparks of inspiration into engaging classroom resources.

A Writing Assessment I made for the Greek hero Perseus

Have you ever wondered how educational resources get made — the ones you find on Teachers Pay Teachers, Made by Teachers, or my blog Stones of Erasmus? Whether it's a freebie you love or a bundle you buy, there's a whole ecosystem behind the scenes. And while every teacher-author works a bit differently, I thought I'd lift the curtain on my creative process — from random idea to clickable download.

Let me take you through the ride. Buckle in.

---

Step 1: The Idea Vault (a.k.a. my Google Doc on Steroids)

It all starts with an idea — usually when I’m on the Q train or in between classes, or in line for coffee. I keep a living Google Doc titled “Content Creation Ideas” that I add to constantly. It’s a messy but magical place filled with sparks: “Ooh, this could be a cool writing prompt,” or “I need a better way to teach allegory!” Let’s just say … I have no shortage of ideas.

Step 2: The Sandbox – Where Ideas Become Real Resources

I call it “the sandbox.” This is where I play, build, and iterate. Here, I:

• Build out slides, PDFs, or Google Forms.
• Make crisp, clean illustrations with Illustrator.
• Clean up and make pretty public-domain images with Photoshop.
• Draft assessments and answer keys.
• Design for print and digital use.
• Differentiate content for different learning needs.
• Add enrichment features like further reading guides or vocabulary extensions.

This stage can take anywhere from two days to two weeks — or more if I’m creating something big (like my recent multi-day unit on the Iliad and the Odyssey).

Step 3: Securing the Files — PDF Magic & Editable Slides

Once the sandbox closes, I move into the technical zone. I use tools like Adobe Acrobat Pro to flatten and secure my PDFs. For digital resources, I lock down Google Slides so the parts I want to stay put stay put — and the parts you can edit stay editable.

Step 4: Listing It Online — Making the Storefront Shine

Writing the product listing means:

• Crafting an SEO-friendly title.
• Writing a clear, helpful description.
• Choosing keywords so other teachers can find it.
• Adding engaging thumbnails and previews.

This is where your resource enters the world.

Step 5: Marketing It — Without Feeling Like a Car Salesman

Once listed, it’s time to let people know! Sometimes, I write a blog post about the myth or topic I covered. I might email my followers or make a short video explaining how to use it in the classroom.

Marketing is about connecting: “Here’s something I made. I think it’ll help. Let me show you how.”

Step 6: Linking It All Together

This final step is about integration. I connect blog posts to store listings, products to related products — helping teachers find exactly what they need and improving visibility.

---

Final Thoughts

Making educational resources is part pedagogy, part creativity, part tech wizardry — and a lot of coffee. Every resource I share has gone through this journey. I hope knowing what happens behind the scenes helps you appreciate the labor of love in every clickable download.

If you're a fellow teacher-author: keep sandboxing, keep linking, keep creating. We’re building something meaningful.

Homer, Blind Poet

Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without sharing one of my polished, ready-to-use resources. Click to download a two-day lesson introducing Homer, Blind Poet, with extension activities.

Download for free from TpT, Made By Teachers, and here on my Blog.

If you enjoy using my resources, drop a positive comment below about how you used it.

—
Greig Roselli
Educator, Writer, Mythology Nerd, and the Heart Behind Stones of Erasmus

Spin the Wheel of Fortune: A 2-Day Tyche & Nemesis Mythology Lesson for Grades 6-10 (Print + Google Ready)

Engage grades 6-10 with a two-day ELA myth lesson on Tyche & Nemesis—printable, Google-friendly, CCSS-aligned, and packed with visuals.

Why Teach Tyche & Nemesis Now?

In every literature class, recurring themes—tropes—spark student curiosity. Few are richer than the paired figures of Tyche (Fortuna), goddess of fortune and chance, and Nemesis, guardian of justice and conscience. Their stories echo from Wheel of Fortune to modern fantasy novels, giving your middle and high schoolers an instant real-world hook.

Lesson Snapshot

• Grade Bands 6–10 (easily adapted up or down)
• Duration Two 50-minute class periods, plus extensions
• Formats PDF for print • Google Workspace™ for digital • Easel™ activities on TpT
• Standards Fully aligned to CCSS RL/L/W/SL, TEKS, and Virginia SOL

What’s Inside the Resource?

• 🔖 6 Illustrated Reading Cards—public-domain art, succinct text, perfect for carousel or gallery walks
• 🗺 2 Map Activities—locate temples at Praeneste & Pompeii to ground myth in place
• 🗂 Anchor Chart + Vocabulary Frayer Models—visual tools for quick reference and retention
• ✍️ 20-Question Bank & Exit Tickets—ready-to-use for quizzes or bell-ringers
• 📝 Note-Taking Sheets—three-box Cornell format fosters evidence collection
• ✅ Answer Keys & 2-Point Writing Rubric—transparent grading and sample responses

How Students Benefit

1. Compare Versions: Analyze Tyche and Nemesis across Hamilton, Apollodorus, and pop culture.
2. Build Vocabulary: Master terms like nemesis, fortune, and fate in context.
3. Think Critically: Debate whether chance or conscience drives human action.
4. Collaborate: Engage in “speed-dating” discussions and trivia showdowns.
5. Write Analytically: Respond to prompts with textual evidence—CCSS W.9-10.9 ready!

Teacher-Friendly Features

• Print or Digital: Seamless in-person, hybrid, or remote.
• No Prep Needed: Download, assign, teach.
• Extendable: Connect to my other mythology sets—Furies, Fates, Titans, Iliad.
• Assessment Ready: Exit tickets + rubric give you instant data.

Classroom Idea: Spin Your Own Wheel

Create a cardboard “Wheel of Fortune” with pockets labeled Reward or Rebuke. After reading, students spin and justify—using evidence—whether Tyche’s gift or Nemesis’s judgment fits a mythic scenario. Instant engagement!

Grab the Lesson

➡️ Download on Stones of Erasmus @ TpT

Let’s Keep the Conversation Rolling

Have a classroom story or a question? Drop a comment below or email me at support@stonesoferasmus.com. I love hearing how teachers spin mythology into gold!

What Three People Said About Using My Humanities Resources in the Classroom with Actual Students

Discover what educators are saying about my engaging, classroom-tested Humanities and ELA resources for middle and high school teachers and students.

Stones of Erasmus is more than just a blog; it is where I go to create fun, engaging humanities resources that spark meaningful conversations and inspire students from grades 6-12.

Teachers, parents, and administrators love my resources! Rebekah shared that she used them “first with adult ESL students and then with my teenage sons as a conversation game,” adding that “the hook and realness of the issues” resonated with both her sons and her students. Frances, who had never taught philosophy before, said, “My students were engaged while reading and discussing the different philosophers. Thanks for putting it all together for us!”

I create fun, engaging Middle and High School ELA activities loved by teachers, perfect for philosophy, mythology, and diverse, growth-minded classrooms.

PDF Copy for Printing 

Sandcastle Moments and Subway Shirts: A Midlife Sabbatical from Queens to the Gulf

On sabbatical and soul-searching, I reflect on family, identity, and what it means to start over—again—from Louisiana to New York.

I woke up this morning from vivid dreams of libraries, petty theft, and people from my past. My mother was telling me to hurry up and get on with it—classic dream logic.

The Sabbatical Life

I’ve taken on a self-imposed sabbatical. That’s the nicest way I can frame it because no one really wants to hear the words “unemployed” or “jobless.” But that’s where I’m at—and it’s a decision I made. I’m a teacher by trade, though I’ve worn many hats (and I’m not even talking about reincarnation).

I plan to be back in a classroom by September. (And if you’re reading this before then, dear reader, don’t jinx it.)

I like to call this a sandcastle moment: one of those times when the tide comes in and sweeps away the intricate structure you’ve built, and all you can do is start again. As a kid, I loved standing in the wet sand, letting the waves rush over my feet, tugging at the earth beneath me. That was the Gulf of Mexico of my childhood—a brown, brackish sea that never made it onto postcards.

Now, as an adult, I avoid beaches. Sand gets everywhere. But childhood made them magical.

Adult Life and the Flotsam of Responsibility

In adulthood, I’ve lost that innocent lens. Bills pile up. Garbage needs to be taken out. Taxes lurk. Cover letters wait to be written. I distract myself by listening to that haunting song from Donnie Darko—you know, the one with the time-traveling rabbit (cue Mad World by Gary Jules).

Still, I know I’m a good teacher because I’m not afraid of mess. I am, however, sensitive—to place, to atmosphere. I left my most recent job after only nine months (a full gestation), right after February break.

Part of that was my gut talking—something I’ve learned to trust, even if I come across as sweet and naïve. And part of it was concern for my mother, who had undergone two major surgeries in as many months. The last time I’d seen her was when we buried my father.

In a dream, a banshee hissed at me: “What if your mom dies, and the last time you saw her was at your father’s funeral?” So, I booked a flight from LGA to New Orleans and went home.

Action Figure Challenge on Chat GPT: A Photorealistic Action Figure of Me Teaching Humanities (Complete with Books, Coffee, and Whiteboard Charm)

A photorealistic action figure tribute to the everyday magic of teaching humanities — complete with books, coffee, and chalkboard charm.

"Greig, Humanities Teacher" Action Figure

I can relate to the "Action Figure Challenge" because it brings back memories of me as a kid ogling the newest He-Man action figures in my local K-Mart toy aisle while my mom gathered supplies from the housekeeping department (if you know, you know). When I noticed people using OpenAI's image-generating capabilities to create bespoke action figures of themselves in their professional roles, I knew I had to participate and share my own creation.

Participating in this challenge also serves as a form of healing from a disappointing experience I had with Hasbro and their G.I. Joe action figure promotion. The deal was simple: fill out a form, mail it in with some money, and receive a personalized action figure crafted to your specifications. However, instead of the custom figure I envisioned, Hasbro sent an obviously generic figure with only a printout listing my specifications. Even as a naïve ten-year-old, I knew something was amiss. So here's to you, Hasbro — you contributed to the end of my childhood innocence.

Now that I'm forty-something, I don't exactly play with action figures anymore, though I still have a few figurines hanging around—a pink capybara and a woolly mammoth from Amherst College. Sadly, all my original G.I. Joe, Star Wars, and He-Man figurines are probably languishing in a trash heap somewhere in Arabi, Louisiana (which, in my imagination, is the universal dumping ground awaiting collection by a garbage boat on the Mississippi River).

There's something reflective and even psychologically compelling about action figures. Ostensibly, they're designed for children — particularly those between school age and pre-adolescence, a time when the human mind is especially attuned to play, mimicry, and exploring inner, yet undeveloped fantasies. As a kid, your agency is limited, and you're often at the mercy of your parents. Toy play becomes a way to compensate for this lack of control, simultaneously shaping your vision of your future self. It makes sense, then, why the action figure challenge is trending now: in uncertain times, we often seek solace by imagining ourselves in a simpler era—even though we know, deep down, such simplicity never truly existed.

Here is the prompt I used and fed to Chat GPT (I also added a photograph for the AI to use as a reference:

A full-figure action figure of a person displayed in its original blister pack packaging. 3D toy style.

The packaging header prominently displays the name 'Greig' using bold, stylish typography appropriate for a modern collectible figure. Below or tastefully integrated nearby, the role 'Humanities Teacher' is shown in a clear, complementary font. The overall text design should feel fashionable, appealing, and thematically aligned with the academic and intellectual world of the humanities.

The figure represents Greig and is wearing a dark navy polo shirt tucked into black slacks, reflecting a relaxed yet professional teacher style. His stance is slightly casual with one hand on his hip, conveying an approachable, conversational classroom demeanor. The figure's face should closely resemble the provided image reference.

Inside the blister pack, next to the figure, are the following accessories: a whiteboard with marker, a stack of classic literature books, a reusable coffee mug, a "grading" clipboard, a small desk nameplate that reads “Mr. Greig,” and a laminated class syllabus.

The packaging card design features a chalkboard green background with faint classical architecture sketches and literature quotes, creating an overall attractive and professional backdrop. Add realistic lighting effects that simulate glossy plastic — including soft reflections, subtle highlights, and shadow gradients on the blister surface — to enhance the sense of depth, transparency, and three-dimensionality, making the toy packaging appear lifelike and premium.

Photorealistic rendering, studio lighting, clear focus on the packaging and figure. --ar 2:3

Have you completed the "Action Figure" challenge? Share a link to your creations. I'd love to see 'em.

PDF Copy for Printing