@writeonwithmissg: If you want to shock your students into learning tomorrow morning, this is the short story I recommend to EVERY English teacher! 👀 There are no ghosts, no haunted houses, and no Poe. It’s technically a dystopian story, which is exactly why it gets left off most spooky season reading lists. But a government deciding a kid’s future is far more disturbing than any monster (and your students will feel that by the final line). It’s short enough to finish in one class period, which is a lifesaver in October when everyone’s attention span is shot. 🎃 Get ready for the ending, because your students will lose it and they’ll actually want to flip back and track down every clue they missed. That makes it a perfect story for reviewing plot and theme, and it’s an easy entry point into a conversation about dystopia. I took it a step further with an escape room and a little prank. (I told my students they had to take a mandatory government exam first... IYKYK. If you don’t, do read it right now: “Examination Day” by Henry Slesar! (You can find it on Common Lit.) Want the print and digital escape room? You can find the L I N K in my B I O but let me know if you have any questions!! PS: While you’re here, what are your fav disturbing, spooky, and unhinged short stories to teach?! Lemme know in the comments!!

Abby Gross aka Miss G

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Tuesday 20 October 2026 00:36:45 GMT