"before reading" exercise on page 94 and use Martin Luther King's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" as text that we study and use as mentor text for a writing assignment. (Also page 102 T-Chart) I will also use this book's examples of actively letting students observe my thinking aloud about the beginnings of a piece I write in front of and with them. I'll model this process from "raw bones" and ask for their input as I flesh it out and revise. I know that this is the type of process that will get them sitting up in their seats and paying attention, because it won't seem boring to them and it says to them, "I value your opinion and input on this." I believe that will go a long way in establishing trust and good behavior when the full day is my stage.
As for questions, I will never again rely on the "safe" questions that I am guilty of reverting to on some days. You know, the kind of question that allows us to swoop in with the "correct" answer, at the last minute, if no hands go up! From now on I will work hard to formulate questions that cause the students to pause and think about their opinion or that will have them analyze a piece of information in a reshaped way. This will be more invigorating for me and for them.
Carmen's story with school reading was so similar to many students in my classes and I now feel better equipped to help them engage with heart, mind and flow. I'll report back on how this all works!
I forgot to say that the social studies ideas are appropriate to the writing classroom and I will use them. One example, the question about why some people became Nazi sympathizers. These are rich questions that will really get students thinking and curious enough to do research.
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