We teachers are apparently a bunch of pyromaniacs. Ask us for metaphors to describe our roles as educators, and many of us turn on the torches: we want to spark students’ interests, to ignite their passions. We hope to be lights and candles. Filling the vessel is out. We want to teach our students to build their own fires.
So, how do we do it? Fresh off of the freedom of the summer, what can we do in our classrooms to get students fired up?
The NWA Writing Project is pursuing one option we know has potential – creating opportunities for kids to join in conversations about the issues surrounding them. Every week this school year, we’ll be posting a set of materials that we hope will provide fuel for your conversations. These texts are intended as bell-ringers – quick opportunities for students to read, write, and talk about nonfiction sources. Here’s what we’ll include:
- Lesson plan with CCSS
- Powerpoint slides
- PDF copies of 3-4 texts (for easy printing)
For the time being, we’ll be targeting 6th – 12th grade, but if you teach elementary school, and you’d like a resource like this, give us a shout, and we’ll gauge interest.
So, that’s one idea. How do you do it?