ADVENTUROUS TEACHING STARTS HERE.
Cultivating Critical Thinkers: My Approach to Teaching Literature
As an educator, I've always been passionate about instilling critical thinking skills in my students. It's a topic that I recently had the opportunity to reflect on during a professional development session, and I want to share with you the insights and strategies that I believe are essential for deep engagement in the classroom.
Cultivating Critical Thinkers: My Approach to Teaching Literature
As an educator, I've always been passionate about instilling critical thinking skills in my students. It's a topic that I recently had the opportunity to reflect on during a professional development session, and I want to share with you the insights and strategies that I believe are essential for deep engagement in the classroom.
Challenging the Status Quo
During a recent PD session, I found myself in a bit of a controversial spot. I questioned a fellow teacher's approach to curriculum, which led to a broader discussion about our roles as educators. It's crucial for us to think like our students and to prioritize deep critical thinking over simply entertaining them. We need to focus on developing skills that lead to deeper critical thinking and provide opportunities for students to engage authentically with the material.
Teaching Literature Beyond Comprehension
When it comes to teaching literature, my approach might be a little unconventional. I steer clear of recall-based or plot-based activities. Instead, I encourage students to seek out summaries on their own and focus on the bigger issues at hand. It's about letting go of the minor details and teaching students to read for big picture connections. Comprehension is important, but it shouldn't be the primary focus. We should be guiding our students to think critically about broader themes and societal issues.
The Power of Close Reading
Close reading is a significant part of my teaching strategy. It's not about getting through an entire novel; it's about diving deep into passages and analyzing them. This mirrors adult book club discussions where despite different levels of recall, everyone can contribute meaningfully to the conversation. Close reading fosters a collective understanding of the text and teaches students valuable rhetorical and literary analysis skills.
Pairing Texts and Media for Enhanced Engagement
I'm a big advocate for pairing contrasting texts and media to stimulate critical thinking. For instance, combining literature with podcasts or other media that address relevant societal issues can create a dynamic learning environment. This approach encourages students to engage critically with the material and see the connections between the text and the world around them.
Visuals and Hands-On Activities
Incorporating visuals and hands-on activities is another way to enhance metaphorical thinking and create moments for critical thinking in the classroom. These methods help students to visualize and interact with the concepts in a tangible way, further deepening their understanding and engagement.
Conclusion: Prioritizing Deep Engagement
My approach to teaching literature and critical thinking is all about prioritizing deep engagement, critical analysis, and real-world connections. It's about cultivating students' ability to think critically about the world around them. As educators, we have the power to shape how our students perceive and interact with the world, and it's our responsibility to equip them with the skills they need to navigate it thoughtfully and analytically.
In the end, the goal is not just to teach literature but to foster a generation of thinkers who can analyze, question, and contribute to society in meaningful ways.
READY TO TRY TEACHING EQ DRIVEN UNITS?
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Life's Blueprint: An ELA Lesson Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. King’s legacy is especially powerful in the ELA classroom: his words, his rhetoric, and the passion with which he speaks them is not only worthy of study in its own right, but the overlaps into our content area make the analysis of the layers of his work that much more rich and impactful. Here is a free lesson walkthrough for your middle or high school English class celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
Life's Blueprint: An ELA Lesson Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. King’s legacy is especially powerful in the ELA classroom: his words, his rhetoric, and the passion with which he speaks them is not only worthy of study in its own right, but the overlaps into our content area make the analysis of the layers of his work that much more rich and impactful.
If your experience is anything like mine, I found myself a bit stuck in trying to find something different to read and analyze in honor of his birthday. By the time students got to me, they had already read or worked through “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream”, so a few years back I set out to find another great work to study that would be fresh for students and give them a new angle and understanding of the breadth of Dr. King's work.
What's your life blueprint?
This speech is a fantastic option if you find yourself in a similar position. Take a listen below:
I created a sketchnotes activity for you to use with some other lesson plan suggestions. I'm passing that along to you as just a thank you for being here and because sharing this work is so very important and I don't want anything to stand in the way of getting it done! On a seasonal note, this is the perfect e-learning lesson if school is called off around a snowy or brutally cold MLK day (it’s happened in Chicago before!).
LISTENING WITH SKETCHNOTES
The art of the sketchnote listening activity is that it takes us away from the “fill in the blank” mentality. With sketchnotes, students can actively listen, doodle, draw, sketch, and write in a way that vibes best with their brain’s pace and what emotionally resonates with them. You can play and pause the speech for each number to give students a chance to catch up, to share out loud, or to turn and talk to a partner. It’s important to note that each of the numbered components is NOT a question, rather, they’re phrases from the speech that serve to help students see the outline of his claim at a glance. The space on the page is for them to fill in with the details, evidence, and other words that exemplify that particular portion of the speech.
COMING BACK TOGETHER
Maybe students were turning and talking at a few moments during the speech, but if they haven’t checked in yet, give them that chance. Let them process in a small group table or in pairs through each of the three components of the speech.
Next, create an opportunity for full class discussion. I like to set up a post-it note gallery walk. I place these posters at the center or top of a giant post it note. Then, students move around the room to each of these pull quote posters to:
share a connection
add on to the idea
illustrate how this looks in their mind
elaborate with more detail
When the timer goes off (4-5 minutes is sufficient), students rotate to the next pull quote poster to add their thoughts. As they move, they can bring their sketchnotes with them to reference as they think through the speech with a larger context.
Finally, once students have rotated through each of the posters, you are set up to lead a large group discussion poster-by-poster soliciting students to share their contributions and discuss the speech even further.
GETTING STARTED
I set this lesson up and made the sketchnotes for you already! All you need to do is download them below.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BIPOC LEADERSHIP
The MLK Jr. holiday shouldn’t be the first time that a person of color is celebrated, highlighted, or studied. In the North American calendar, Dr. King’s birthday falls in January, and if we’ve gone an entire semester without looking at non-white leaders and cultural icons, that’s something important to reflect on.
There are opportunities all the time to give students access to meeting and researching the lives of powerful Black American “Influencers”. Before social media culture, activists, leaders, and speakers in the Black community were working tirelessly to shape the cultural landscape of America. Here is one way that I like to do that:
I hope you found these ideas helpful and inspiring. I hope you have a wonderful week at school and happy teaching!
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Planning a Novel Unit Reading Calendar
The art of pacing out the reading during a novel unit can be tricky, so we’re going to take some time today to talk through the process. Whether you’re teaching a classic or a contemporary YA title, there are special considerations to be made for the design of your calendar and how we backwards plan for ELA. Let’s jump in!
Planning a Novel Unit Reading Calendar
The art of pacing out the reading during a novel unit can be tricky, so we’re going to take some time today to talk through the process. Whether you’re teaching a classic or a contemporary YA title, there are special considerations to be made for the design of your calendar and how we backwards plan for ELA. Let’s jump in!
For a while now, I've had the pleasure of guiding countless teachers through the intricacies of curriculum design and instructional coaching. In one of our most recent videos, I delved into a topic that's crucial for any literature teacher: creating an effective reading calendar. Today, I want to share with you the insights and strategies I discussed for building a reading calendar specifically tailored to the novel Fahrenheit 451. You can skim through this post to see the gist and then watch the full video when you’re ready!
Understanding Your Timeframe
The first step in crafting a reading calendar is to get a clear picture of the real time you have available for the unit. It's not just about the number of days on the calendar; it's about the actual class time you can dedicate to reading, discussions, and assessments. This understanding is foundational because it shapes how you'll pace the novel and plan your activities.
Setting Clear Assessment Goals
Before you dive into the reading schedule, it's essential to set your assessment goals. What do you want your students to achieve by the end of the unit? How will you measure their understanding and engagement with the text? These goals will guide you in structuring your calendar and ensuring that each activity aligns with your objectives.
Structuring for Engagement and Ownership
A well-structured reading calendar does more than just outline what to read and when; it fosters student ownership and engagement with the text. I advocate for backward planning, which means starting with your end goals and working backward to determine the steps needed to get there. This approach ensures that every part of your calendar is purposeful and directed towards your learning outcomes.
Decentering the Text for Broader Discussions
In our discussion, I emphasized the importance of decentering the text to allow for broader analysis and discussions. This means assigning larger chunks of reading at a time and not getting bogged down by focusing solely on the text itself, and instead, focusing on the essential question. By doing so, you create space for students to connect the novel to larger themes and ideas, which enriches their learning experience.
A Week in the Life of a Reading Calendar
PIN ME!
Let me give you a glimpse into how I structure a reading calendar. Mondays are for assigning reading, which sets the tone for the week. Tuesdays are reserved for small group activities, which encourage collaboration and deeper understanding. Wednesdays and Thursdays are perfect for close reading exercises, allowing students to dive into the text's nuances. This structure balances guidance with autonomy, giving students the framework they need while empowering them to take charge of their reading.
Flexibility and Adaptation
One of the most important lessons I've learned is the value of flexibility. Every classroom is different, and what works for one may not work for another. It's okay to adjust the reading schedule based on your school's timetable and to be open to rearranging assessment, small group, and close reading days as needed.
Final Thoughts
Creating a reading calendar for Fahrenheit 451 or any novel is a balancing act between structure and flexibility. It requires an understanding of your timeframe, clear assessment goals, and a willingness to adapt to your students' needs. I encourage you to use the template I've provided as a starting point and to check the description box for additional resources.
I wish you all the best in planning your reading calendar. Happy teaching!
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Does Taylor Swift have a place in the ELA Classroom?
And here's the thing: if your students are talking about Taylor, then so should you. This is an open door into engagement and skill building that is not to be missed. Here are three ways to pull the power of Taylor into your classroom and spike engagement among your students…
Well, let's get this out in the open: I'm NOT a Swiftie. I hope we can still be friends, but Tay Tay doesn't have a hold on me in pure Swiftie fashion. To be clear, I'm also not a hater. I'd call myself “Taylor-Neutral”.
Whether you are a die-hard fan or completely out of the scope of Swiftie life, it's impossible to ignore the continually rising wave of her cultural power. Named 2023's Person of the Year by TIME Magazine, Taylor has more than earned her spot in a national conversation – and I bet you she's part of many conversations in your classroom.
And here's the thing: if your students are talking about Taylor, then so should you. This is an open door into engagement and skill building that is not to be missed.
In some ELA teacher circles, I see a hesitation to bring the world of pop culture into our sacred space of literature and critical thinking, but here’s the thing: pop culture and trending icons of the moment are vital tools in getting our students to cross that bridge from their worlds into the deep thought and skill practice that we want so much for them. It may be Taylor today, but keep your eye on other trends that can work in a similar fashion: to create a connection and start a deeper conversation.
Here are three ways to pull the power of Taylor into your classroom and spike engagement among your students:
I already LOVED teaching my annual Person of the Year assignment, but holy smokes, this year will lead to some exciting debate. Did Beyonce get the honor a few years ago? Nope. Did Taylor? She sure did. Last year's award went to the President of Ukraine as a war raged on, and this year's award goes to Taylor…as the world continues to fall apart.
The conversations and writing possibilities around this assignment are endless, but perhaps the most interesting conversation I've ever had with students was determining the criterion for “Person of the Year”. How can a pop icon win it one year, but political leaders earn it in another? What should be considered when choosing the “Person of the Year”?
Taylor Swift's commencement address at New York University has been a favorite of teachers for a long time. This assignment is a highly engaging way to get students to practice their rhetorical analysis skills and break down Swift's approach in sending off a class of graduating students. It’s inspirational for our high school students to envision this stage of their lives - whether or not students are college-bound. The speech is about moving into adulthood and holding firm to one’s identity - a message that will resonate with all students.
This lesson is wonderful to do as an introduction to rhetorical analysis (although it is a bit longer than I’d like — I suggest cutting it a bit) or to use independently as students are reviewing what they’ve learned about SPACE CAT and rhetorical analysis.
Here's what one teacher had to say about this lesson:
“My students LOVED this activity and had some really rich, analytical discussions as a result. I did end up modifying some questions, but this resource was invaluable. The kids were super engaged because Taylor Swift is either super loved or super hated.”
— Elizabeth E
If either of those two ideas aren't what you need right now, maybe this podcast episode will give you the inspiration you're looking for. A few months ago, I had the delight of collaborating on a Taylor-Made episode of The Spark Creativity Podcast. In the episode, I share an idea for using my rhetorical triangle graphic organizer with some of her songs for a quick and engaging lesson. Many more fabulous ELA authors contributed, so make sure to give it a listen!
I hope you've got some ideas now to capitalize on the Taylor energy that seems to always be around. Have a wonderful week at school!
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5 Ways to Look at the Magic of Clarisse in your Fahrenheit 451 Unit
Now, more than ever, we need to have Fahrenheit 451 in front of our students. From the new onset of AI technology to the daily threats of our intellectual and academic freedom, Fahrenheit provides windows, mirrors, and doors into our present and our future. While Montag’s transformation, the working symbolism, and general dystopian world-building are all incredibly important pieces to focus on, I’d like to argue that it’s possible we need Clarisse McClellan the most.
Now, more than ever, we need to have Fahrenheit 451 in front of our students. From the new onset of AI technology to the daily threats of our intellectual and academic freedom, Fahrenheit provides windows, mirrors, and doors into our present and our future. While Montag’s transformation, the working symbolism, and general dystopian world-building are all incredibly important pieces to focus on, I’d like to argue that it’s possible we need Clarisse McClellan the most.
Clarisse.
The enigma.
The one character my students always feel collective sorrow for losing.
She brings us so much in this story but in the chaos of teaching and planning, her magic can be looked over. I’m here to help! Here are the most powerful places to let Clarisse step into the moonlight (too cheesy?):
SKILLS: CHARACTERIZATION - FOIL AND/OR STATIC
One of the very first close reading lessons that we do is a side-by-side close reading between the first introduction of Montag and the first introduction of Clarisse. Between the imagery drawn from nature to the colors used in their description, this is a great place to clearly teach the purpose of a foil or static character. Clarisse’s constancy — her unwavering commitment to being exactly who she is and refusing to conform — is what allows us to see Montag’s transformation. There is a distinct “Montag before Clarisse” and “Montag after Clarisse”. Not all literature gives us such a clear angle to teach this piece of literary craft and I highly recommend using close reading to do this.
SKILLS: FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE - SYMBOLISM
Clarisse is nature. She is water. She is the dew drops on the grass. She is the wind. As we learn about symbolism and track it throughout the novel, Clarisse’s symbols connect our readers to hope and humanity. Clarisse's appreciation for the natural world and her desire to connect with it on a personal level stand in stark contrast to the technology-obsessed, disconnected world of the novel. Clarisse (and her many objects) are a symbol of hope and resistance against a dystopian society. Her existence and actions inspire the protagonist Montag, and by extension, readers, to consider the possibility of change and a better future.
THEMES: HUMAN CONNECTION
If you’ve ever looked around your classroom, I bet you’ve seen phones peeking out of hoodie pockets, fingers flipping through TikTok, and wondered: what on Earth does the future have in store for us? Clarisse is our character to bring everyone back to our humanity (while Mildred does a fine job of warning students of the consequences of continued obsessive technology behavior). Clarisse seeks genuine human connections and meaningful conversations in a world where people are more interested in mindless entertainment and shallow interactions through screens. Her character highlights the importance of real, face-to-face relationships, and every year that I’ve taught this, students DO connect to her. Students DO express the feeling that they’d much rather a world full of Clarisses than a world full of Mildreds.
All of the contrast provided by Clarisse gives us ample opportunity to close read and discuss the roles of other characters. When we look at the Montag and Mildred’s marriage, it is one thing by itself, and an entirely different thing when we consider Clarisse’s impact. Beatty and Montag also have a distinct relationship, and that is shifted entirely as Clarisee’s impact works its way between them.
THEMES: INDIVIDUALITY & QUIET REBELLION
In my Fahrenheit 451 unit, we examine the Essential Question: To what extent is rebellion a requirement for society to progress? Again, Montag typically sits at the center of this conversation, but none of his transformation would be possible without Clarisse. Clarisse values her individuality and refuses to conform to the mindless consumerism and thoughtlessness of her society. Her character serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining one's unique identity in the face of societal pressures - something that is becoming increasingly harder to do for us as adults and especially for students. She thinks deeply and critically about the world around her. She questions the conformity and superficiality of her society, encouraging readers to do the same in their own lives. Her love for books and the ideas they contain represents a rebellion against a society that burns books to control information and thought. This underscores the importance of literature and the free exchange of ideas.
THEMES: THE POWER OF FEAR
Clarisse might be the first person that Montag has ever heard ask a question, much less questioning authority. She challenges the oppressive government and the censorship of books - and in doing so, is killed. The cost of her quiet rebellion, the cost of keeping the lights on, having conversations, and asking questions…the cost was her life. This underscores the power of fear: when we are afraid of what we don’t understand, fear can convince us to take extreme action in an effort to protect our comfort zone. This might be one of the most important themes for students to take away from studying the novel. Clarisse made Montag uncomfortable, but she also brought him out of the dark and into the light. As we work through Beatty’s speech in Part 1, I like to ask students what Clarisse’s reaction would be to what Beatty is reporting. In so many of Montag’s major close reading moments (moments of transformation), his last trailing thought always comes back to Clarisse and the feeling of her closeness and the painful reality of her loss.
Ready to go all-in on Fahrenheit?
If you’re ready to take the leap and transform the way you’ve always taught Fahrenheit or start teaching it for the first time, I have you covered. My complete unit is designed to take you through 5-6 weeks of inquiry driven, student-centered learning. Learn more about the unit here and be sure to click PREVIEW to take a look inside!
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS RESOURCES
20 Speeches and Text for Introducing SPACE CAT and Rhetorical Analysis
During the introductory phases of teaching rhetorical analysis, you need to start off with texts that are approachable and teachable. This helps to build student confidence as the texts get harder and harder each year. Here are 20 places where you can start that journey confidently!
When it comes to introducing rhetorical analysis for the first time, choosing texts can feel like an intimidating task. But before you get bogged down with which text to pick, let’s talk through a few initial steps to help ensure your success.
TIP #1: Begin with a Framework
When I first was told to “teach rhetoric”, I had virtually no training or support. I resorted to what I knew from my undergrad: an overview powerpoint about ethos, pathos, and logos. This is exactly the path that I would actively AVOID if at all possible (I’ve written about that more here), and instead begin by introducing students to the framework that you’ll use in order to do the work of analysis. For me, I’ve found SPACE CAT to be my favorite ( BTW, I also do this with poetry using The Big 6).
TIP #2: SKIP ETHOS, PATHOS, LOGOS IN YOUR INTRO
Okay — hear me out. I’m not saying don’t teach ethos, pathos, or logos. I’m saying don’t use that as an INTRODUCTION to rhetoric.
Here’s why:
Whatever the first thing is that students learn is going to be the thing that they think is the most important. And to be perfectly honest — the appeals alone are NOT the most important part of rhetorical analysis.
So what to do instead? Introduce the RHETORICAL TRIANGLE.
The Rhetorical Triangle sets students up to see the ways in which an argument moves from one person to another. It centers students on their role as analysts and the need to be inside of the argument - not outside attacking it with a highlighter.
For two more in-depth discussions and lesson examples on the rhetorical triangle, start here:
“Be Our Guest” from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
“Mother Knows Best” from Disney’s Tangled
TIP #3: TEACH ON REPEAT
If you’ve not started “template teaching” let me encourage you to make this the day that you start. As you browse through the list below, try to think of these texts as opportunities to teach and reteach the same skills over and over — not a daunting list of individual lesson plans.
Begin by introducing the rhetorical triangle and situation using either of the two lessons listed above. During those lessons, introduce students to the rhetorical triangle graphic organizer template and help them become well acquainted. This graphic organizer will be the TEMPLATE to print and repeat for every lesson hereafter.
Once students are ready to move to more challenging texts, start movin’. What’s the lesson? It’s all baked in to your graphic organizer template. Using just that one handout, students can do a huge variety of tasks all with varying levels of challenge and independence. Here are a few ideas:
In small groups, bullet point details about the speaker. SHUFFLE GROUPS, and in the new group, bullet point details about the audience, SHUFFLE GROUPS, and in the new group bullet point details about the context. Repeat as needed for each element of SPACE.
Read/watch the text together. Complete S - P - A together and assign C - E to work on in pairs
Put students in small groups. Designate areas/tables around your room as S, P, A, C, and E. Have students move through each station with their group and their handout to analyze the text.
Have students choose any text from a provided list and complete the graphic organizer independently for homework / individual work
This template allows you to flex the details of your lesson without having to prep brand new handouts for every single new text!
THE LIST YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR: THE BEST TEXTS FOR INTRODUCING SPACE CAT
This list comes both from personal experience and teacher recommendations. If you have experience or more ideas, please feel free to add them to the comments at the end of this post!
“The Other Side” from The Greatest Showman
Battle speeches from Queen Magra and Baba Voss from the Apple TV Series See
“Be Prepared” from Disney’s The Lion King
“I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Disney’s Mulan
“Under the Sea” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid
“How to Mark a Book” by Mortimer Adler
“Farewell to Baseball” Lou Gherig
Challenger Speech from Ronald Reagan (and grab my close reading template for this speech here)
9/11 Address from George W. Bush
“Offensive Play” by Malcolm Gladwell
Back to School Commercials
What would you add to this list? I’d love to hear it in the comments below!
Happy teaching!
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS RESOURCES
10 Back to School Learning Station Ideas for Middle and High School
One of the best ways to start your back to school lesson planning is with a stations activity. Gone are the days of reading the syllabus out loud, and right in front of us are the days of interactive, meaningful, and focused activities. Get your students started in groups and take them through an orientation to your room, your expectations, and the school year ahead. Here are 10 ideas to get you started.
10 Back to School Learning Station Ideas for Middle and High School
For several years now, teachers have joined the mission to intentionally create a first day and first week of school that are reflective of the kind of classroom culture and environment that they want to create for the whole school year. Gone are the days of reading the syllabus aloud to students and droning on for days at a time. And one of the most popular ideas that has grown to replace these teacher-centered practices is the use of back to school STATIONS. It’s been a cornerstone lesson in my First Ten Days of School practice for the last decade.
Stations as an instructional strategy is relatively straightforward. A certain number of tasks that take a similar amount of time to complete are predetermined by the teacher and become the “stations”. Then, students are broken up into the same number of groups as there are stations. Using a timer, students work at their assigned station for the allotted time, then with the timer, switch to the next station for the next task. This is a great way to begin the process of teaching your routines around this instructional strategy -- trust me, your October self will thank you for starting routine practice early and often!
With back to school season always having a slew of odd ball housekeeping tasks to accomplish, stations is a great way to keep the pace of class moving, get students out of their seats, and begin the process of getting to know each other based on the small group they’re moving.
Syllabus & Questions for My Teacher
After making the switch from a paper to a digital syllabus, I’ve been able to navigate getting the important information it includes in front of both students and parents. With a digital syllabus, I can “assign” looking through it the night before stations, and then, in this station, ask students to revisit the syllabus and on an index card, leave questions and comments for me at the station that I can answer FAQ style in upcoming days. You could also give the students at this station a syllabus “quiz” in the style of true/false or multiple choice.
A copy of my digital syllabus template is available inside my exclusive course for teachers: The First 10 Days: The Complete Back to School Toolkit.
Establish a “Brave Space”
Station time is also a wonderful opportunity to set up intentional experiences for students to see and participate in your classroom expectations. One simple, yet powerful, station idea is to use a section of your room close to a whiteboard (using my FAVE markers) or giant post-it, and write on the board BRAVE SPACE. Explain in the directions for students to write around the word with definitions and examples of what a “Brave Space” should look and feel like in the classroom. I make sure to take a picture of each class period’s answers to use later for debriefing and adding to my digital syllabus under my “Expectations” tab.
FAQ QR Code Classroom Management System
Another way to use your stations activity is to introduce your students to various functional spaces in your classroom and give them a chance to be oriented to how they work, I speak about this at length in episode 58 of the Brave New Teaching podcast as we discuss the importance of functional classroom decor. For me, one of the most important spaces in my room is my FAQ QR Station. This is the place in my room where students come to get their frequently asked questions answered…by a video, not by me. Because we can answer questions about late homework, going to the bathroom, and other policies for only so long before we want to pull our hair out, right? So instead of answering these questions again and again (in October and November, especially), the QR code does all the work for me! This is how I prioritize functional classroom design over splurging at the Target Dollar Spot all summer long..
All About Me Student Survey
At the start of the school year, there’s quite a bit of information that I want to know about my students. Some I want to learn through conversation, but much of it I want to have to refer back to as the year progresses and I see where students are finding strength and struggle. I designed an All About Me Student Survey using Google Forms that I’ve used for years and I use this station to give students time to fill it out rather than making it “homework”.
Student-Created Classroom Decor
Typically each year I try to make one of my stations artsy crafty. The quick little project is usually connected somehow to one or more of the following: my classroom theme, something bookish and Englishy, something connected to authors we’ll study, etc. I love doing these things, but don’t have a lot of original ideas of my own, so I scour the internet for ideas! Here are a few things I’ve done in the past that have been fun and great for a quick station:
Blackout poetry on a random dictionary page: cut into triangles and closepin them to twine for a classroom banner
Contributions to a door decoration
This wreath but with different clipart
A collaborative poster of different sorts
Six Word Memoir
These can be used ANY time of year, but at the beginning of the year, six word memoirs serve as a quick and easy way to get to know students AND see how their writing brains work. Narrowing down their life story to only six words offers powerful insight into how they see themselves and how they creatively and critically approach the writing process. Since the station time might be too short to fully think this out, you might ask for a draft at this station and revisit them for a final revision later in the week.
Create a name plate/Name voice recording
Learning student names is a paramount priority when beginning the school year, but also something that can be very boing for other students to watch us struggle through. Instead of going through the attendance roster every day trying to learn names, use a station to have students create name places and even record a sound bite of their accurate name pronunciation! I show you how to easily do this in this blog post. All you’ll need for the station is paper and markers for the name plate and a few chrome books with tabs open to Vocaroo.com.
Classroom Library Tour
If you are an ELA teacher, another classroom space that you most likely need to share with your students is your classroom library. If you have a system for checkout and returns, if you have a routine associated with first chapter Friday, or just generally want students to begin perusing teh books on your shelves, make this an exploratory station! My classroom library is on a rolling cart: it’s a rotating “best of the best” system and the majority of my books are housed on a database that students access through QR code. Using this as a station during back to school give students a chance to explore that without a time-consuming overview from me and puts the ownership and focus back on the students as they begin that exploration on their own.
Take What You Need Station
Another classroom space that matters to me in the classroom is my Take What You Need station. This is an area by the front of the room that houses all of the little odds and ends of things that students are always asking for: breath mints, hand lotion, dry shampoo, gold star stickers, and more. I keep some coloring pages for students who need time to unwind when they’re feeling stressed, blank note cars to write a hand-written note to a friend, and more rotating goodies as needed.
Goal Setting
Fresh starts with a new semester are the perfect time for students to do some serious and some light hearted goal setting. I like using these one-pager templates as a station where students can do fun goal setting and add to the page as the semester continues. I have them choose three sections that are together, record the date, and share the goal. They can illustrate them as they like! As we move through the year, we revisit this template and add more and reflect on the things written at earlier stages in the semester.
I hope this year, back to school learning stations hit the trifecta for you: establishing routines, building relationships, and setting the bar for rigor. I’d love to take you through my full first ten days of school in my course when you’re ready. I’ve got every lesson, the philosophy behind each step, and a digital drop down lesson planning calendar all inside just waiting for you! Take a peek inside right here…
Happy back to school, everyone!
