Summer Fun: When the Teacher Becomes the Student

While I’m not a huge fan of the heat that summer brings with it, I do love using the extra time to relax, spend time with family, and continue growing and learning as a teacher. Summer Break is the time I refine units, reorganize my classroom, read lots of books, create new units, and learn as many new teaching tricks as possible. Although this summer has been so very different from past summers due to the pandemic, I’m still making use of the free time to tweak my teaching and find new ways to engage and challenge students in or out of the classroom. If I want my students to be sponges, learning as much as possible, then I, as their teacher, need to be a role model for them. Learning is an enjoyable and never-ending journey, much like the epic 1980s film The Never Ending Story. I just wish I had a luck dragon like Falcor to fly me to school every day. How cool would that be?

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As one of my summer professional development goals was to complete The Modern Classrooms Project online training program, I made sure to devote time to this task. Although it did take several hours to complete the training, I found it incredibly useful. I’ve been wanting to create blended learning units for years now, but just didn’t really know how to go about doing so. The training modules take teachers through the process of creating individualized, differentiated, and blended learning units. It explains the rationale, pedagogy, and research behind why and how this method of instruction works best for all students.

Direct instruction only works for a small percentage of the students in any given class, as some students don’t learn best that way, while others may have already learned the material. What happens in a lecture-based or direct instruction classroom is silent pandemonium. Some students are bored, while other students are lost, and only a tiny handful of students are engaged in the process of learning.

The Modern Classrooms approach is all about creating self-directed learning modules or units for the students. The students will watch a teacher-created video using a Guided Notes Worksheet created by the teacher. The students watch the video at their pace. They can pause, rewind, or fast forward depending on their learning style. Once they have completed the Guided Notes Worksheet and video, they complete a Practice Worksheet to apply the knowledge they just learned. The students may use their Guided Notes Worksheet to complete the Practice Worksheet. As they are completing this process, the teacher is meandering through the classroom, observing students, checking in with students, and answering any questions that arise. Once the students have shown that they understand the new material or learning objective, they complete a Mastery Check, which is a quiz of sorts. They cannot use any notes or other resources to complete the assessment. If they demonstrate mastery of the specific skill covered in that lesson, they move onto the next lesson or activity. The students work through the unit at their own pace, seeking help from the teacher when needed. Those students who work quickly, can move swiftly through the unit, while those students who need more time to work or process learning, can move at a pace that works for them. Each unit contains assignments that every student must do, tasks that students should do if they have time, and challenge tasks for those in need of a push.

This method of teaching makes a ton of sense to me. It provides genuine differentiation of learning for the students, while also creating agency within the students. They learn at their pace, as each unit is self-directed. The ownership of the learning is then taken over by the students, creating more engagement within them. The students become the driver in the classroom when teachers utilize this style of teaching. This blended learning method challenges the students who need to be challenged, while also allowing opportunities for teachers to support and help those students who may need it.

As I completed the training, I began creating my own blended learning unit. I decided to tackle my introductory Language Arts unit and transform that into a Modern Classrooms unit. As this unit serves as a review for some and is new for others, it made sense to me to try changing this unit first. I began by planning out the objectives I want the unit to cover, the activities I want the students to complete, and the final assessment. Then, I created a Learning Map that guides the students through the unit. As in-person school is going to look and feel very different for my micro school this year, I tried to keep that in mind when planning out this unit. Although the students will be able to challenge themselves with the three writing activities I’ve chosen, I did not include any extra extension assignments or group tasks for this first unit. I want to see how it goes. If I feel like I need more challenging tasks for those students who work quickly or can incorporate more group work because a COVID-19 vaccine has been created and administered to the families in my community, then I will definitely incorporate those into future blended learning units. This being my first foray into the Modern Classrooms approach, I wanted to start small.

The green text boxes represent the video lessons the students will complete. The blue text details challenge tasks or writing assignments the students can tackle. While they will need to complete at least one of them during the unit, they don’t have to do all of them. Those students who love to write or like a good challenge, will be probably choose to do all three, while those students who take more time to process the learning covered in the video lessons, will not have time to do all three writing assignments. The red text boxes are the should do tasks. While I would like to see every student read their writing piece aloud after they complete it, it is not a requirement. This is one of those differentiated pieces. While I will gently nudge those students who I feel need to read their writing aloud to themselves or have the time, to do so, it is not a mandate. The final two red text boxes are required for all students. Should I have put them in a different color? Perhaps? I wrestled with that for a while. I will be sure to explain all of this to the students when introducing this new unit.

Once I had the learning map for the unit set, I began creating my video lessons, Guided Notes Worksheets, Practice Worksheets, and Mastery Check quizzes for each of the nine learning objectives. This was time consuming, as I needed to create a Google Slides presentation detailing what I wanted to mention in each video lesson before I could record the video. It was indeed necessary and helpful to do this, as it allowed me time to process my thoughts and think about how I wanted to deliver the lesson in the video. Once the videos were recorded, I posted them to my Google Classroom page so that they will be all ready to go for the students come September. Using the videos as my map, I created the Guided Notes Worksheets and Practice Worksheets. I made sure to use similar wording on the worksheets so that it lined up with what the students heard and saw in the videos. As I know that my school, as of right now, is set to open in-person in September, I printed and copied all of the worksheets and quizzes.

CLICK HERE to view one of my video lessons. CLICK HERE to view the Guided Notes Worksheet that accompanies the video lesson. CLICK HERE to view the Practice Worksheet that goes with the video lesson.

The final pieces of the unit puzzle were the assignments. I created and posted to our Google Classroom page the three challenge writing assignments, the proofreading tasks, and the final two required assignments. While I’m not big on grading rubrics because I feel that they steal thinking from the students and turn them into work machines, I outlined the requirements and graded objectives for the tasks, but did not list every bit of minutia for the assignments. I want to empower the students to think for themselves and ask questions if need be. If I force-feed them everything they need to know about a task, when do they begin to think for themselves? How do they learn to ask questions? So, no, I’m not a rubrics kind of educator.

Here is one of the challenge writing assignments I created for the unit.

I felt super pumped about completing my first blended learning unit. I am excited to implement it with my new class of fifth graders. I can’t wait to see how it goes. I’m sure that there will be bumps along the unit journey, but what’s life without a little adventure and craziness? Wait a minute, don’t answer that question during this pandemic. If this unit goes well, I will create more units modeled after the Modern Classrooms approach. While I do teach all of the subjects in fifth grade, I didn’t want to jump into the deep end without my bathing suit on; and so, I decided to start by creating one blended learning lesson. Who knows? By the end of the year I could be using this same style of unit for Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts.

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I want to give a shout out to the Modern Classrooms Project for making this training free for teachers. THANK YOU! You rock! If you are a teacher or know a teacher who has not delved into this approach to teaching, please look into it or spread the word. I can’t wait to see how much more engaged and focused my students will be during this unit. I’m hopeful and grateful. I also want to give a BIG THANKS to Bitmoji for creating such a cool app. I truly believe that my students will really love seeing the animated version of me in each of their video lessons. They are so lucky!

The Benefits of Allowing Students to Explore, Design, and Build in the Classroom

Waiting for the recess bell to ring when I was in elementary school was like waiting for paint to dry or Christmas to arrive. Listening to the teacher drone on and on about things of which I have no recollection, I thought about what I was going to do during recess. If it was going to be outside recess, I had to vacillate between spending my time on the swings or playing marbles. If it was to be inside recess, then I had to think about which board game I wanted to play. So many choices, with not enough quiet time for me to make my decision in a meaningful way. If only the teacher would stop talking, I used to think to myself.

Recess was most definitely one of my favorite parts of elementary school because it was that one unstructured time in which I could play or do something that I wanted to do. Sometimes I would spend my recess period reading or creating some epic machine out of wooden blocks or LEGOs. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to choose what I to do during those very short recess periods. If only school had been more like recess when I was younger, I might have been more engaged and invested in what the teacher spoke about.

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There is tons of research and information available on the phenomenal benefits of unstructured play time for kids. Students need time to be creative and play, as it allows their brains to grow and develop. Students are more engaged when they are in charge of their learning. Self-directed and individualized learning are the new catch-phrases in education these days; however, both concepts have always been examples of best teaching practices. Educators around the world have been making use of student-centered learning for years. When students drive their own learning, they are far more engaged in the entire process of education. Students that are doing, are learning.

This past week, I led a summer camp at my wonderful school on making and building. The students tinkered, failed, tried new solutions, followed directions, crafted their own directions, designed products, built various objects, learned new skills, had fun, and connected with their peers in compassionate and caring ways. It was amazing!

Successes

• The students faced many challenges and difficulties throughout the week, but were able to persevere and overcome them. They worked through the problems they bumped into as they built bridges from balsa wood, roller coaster tracks out of cardboard, and a cat sweater closet using wood. They never gave up, but instead asked for guidance. Rather than providing the students with solutions, I posed questions or made suggestions. In the end, they did the work. The students learned the value in failure this week.
• The students gained valuable skills throughout the week. Students learned how to safely use a hot glue gun to attach materials together, a jigsaw to cut wood, a drill-driver to make holes and screw fasteners into their materials, and a knife for carving and whittling. I provided direct instruction for the students on using the various tools available in our school’s Makerspace.
• Every student accomplished the project they set out to complete by the end of the week. The students overcame challenges, found new and innovative ways to tackle a problem, and used their time wisely in order to finish what they had wanted to do when the camp began on Monday. One student discovered that brad nails were not going to effectively attach the thin pieces of plywood together, and so she utilized caulk and hot glue to attach the pieces of her cat sweater closet together. Another student realized that her ice box had some leaky spots, and so she worked to revise her creation in class on Thursday. She added more tin foil and hot glue to help solve her problem. I tried to get the students to see the value in employing a growth mindset and being open to all sorts of possibilities and options. If a student attempted to apply the solution they had brainstormed and it failed, I asked them, “Okay, so now what?” This helped to make failure a vital part of the engineering process.
• The students compassionately and safely offered help to their peers when needed. Students who needed to use the jigsaw to cut wood, paired up so that one student was holding the wood for the other student who was cutting their material. Periodically, a student would say, “Is anyone available to help me hold my material so that I can screw the pieces together?” Students would mask up and head over to offer help. It was amazing. The students learned how to offer and ask for help this week. One student who tried to do everything on his own at first, finally discovered that he needed help, and asked for it. Teamwork really does allow the dream to work.

Challenges

• From my vantage point, it felt like I had not gathered all of the “right” materials for one of the students. One student did not seem super engaged at points throughout the week, and I feel as though it was because I hadn’t helped him to find the best project for him. While he seemed to like learning how to carve soap stone into arrow heads and whittle wood into arrows, I feel like he wasn’t totally engaged in the work. He always seemed a bit distracted and interested in what the other students were making. I asked him on many occasions if he had other ideas or projects he wanted to tackle, and his response was always the same, “No.” Although he shared that he loved the camp and being around other kids, I feel as though I could have done more to inspire and better engage him.
• Tuesday morning, I had the students spend some time tinkering while following directions. They chose to either build a motorized vehicle or explore a Little Bits STEM kit. Regardless of the selection they made, they needed to follow directions to be successful. Although the students who chose the Little Bits kits had fun putting the circuit pieces together and built some awesome vehicles, I did not have enough kits for every student. Those students who created the motorized vehicles, struggled to follow the poorly made instructions and the screws were made for the fingers of infants. The screws were so difficult to handle and get into the holes. While working through one’s frustration can be beneficial to learning the art of perseverance, I wonder if the challenges caused too much frustration for the students. If I was to offer this camp again next year, I would find better tinkering kits for the students to use.

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Overall, I feel as though this camp was successful and allowed students the opportunity to explore, play, design, fail, build, revise, and have fun. The feedback I received from the students was all positive. They loved having the space and time to build. So many of them shared that they love to build and tinker with objects, but don’t have a place or the tools to do so in their homes. They enjoyed being able to build and play throughout the week. They loved taking risks and trying new things. They liked learning new skills. One student was so excited to learn how to use a hot glue gun and a drill/driver. She wants to ask her parents for a hot glue gun of her own now.

Inspiring students through unstructured play is crucial in the learning process. Students need to be provided the time and opportunity to explore, try, fail, and try again. Meaningful and genuine learning comes about through engagement. Students are best engaged in the process of learning when they are doing.

Fostering an Open Dialogue with Students on Race and Inequality in America

Being a cis-gendered, white male ally, I know that I am no expert on racial injustice or inequality. While I didn’t choose my skin color, I can’t shed my white privilege. I am afforded far more than people of other racial groups, genders, and ethnicities. As I recognize this, I am also angered by the fact that people with different skin colors and genders aren’t given these same privileges. Why is it that I can walk into a store without being watched or followed by clerks? Why is it okay for me to feel safe walking around a city or town at night without facing persecution or much worse? Instead of wallowing in my frustration and madness, I decided to do something about it.

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This week at my school, I led a four-day intensive workshop on race for students in the greater Concord, NH area. It was a part of our summer camp offerings. Due to safety protocols, we were, sadly, limited to how many students could attend. The workshop was, however, fully attended. Never have I been more proud and amazed of this rising generation of students. They are more awake and aware than students I worked with 10 or more years ago. They are able to see the injustices occurring all around them and are working hard to make our America a safer, more equal country for all races, genders, and people. It’s amazing!

Monday

We began the workshop by acknowledging all in attendance. Each student created an acrostic poem using their name and personal characteristics that they feel describes them. They then shared a bit about themselves with the group. This recognition led to acceptance. Attempting to work towards becoming anti-racist involves more than just a mindset. It takes effort to change the way our mind interprets the world around us. Helping students to see the value in every human with which they come into contact is a crucial first step. We need to be kind and open-minded, I told the students. We need to get to know our neighbors and people that we see out in the world beyond our bubble of comfort. This first activity helped to foster just that sentiment. Effective and compassionate communication is one of the foundations of equality. We must learn to interact with our fellow humans in a positive and caring manner in order for change to come.

I then facilitated a discussion on race. I asked the students to share their thoughts on race and equality. I asked the students a series of questions about race and had them raise their hands if their answer to my question was affirmative. I was not a bit surprised to see that some students felt as though being color blind or not seeing color is an effective way to address the issue of race. We then watched a video that discussed the myth of race as well as the negative impact color blindness has on our world. By refusing to see the color of someone’s skin, you are refusing to truly see and acknowledge them for who they are. We need to accept that race is a social construct in which humans created to foster a sense of hierarchy and power. How could a slave owner sleep at night if he thought of his black slaves as being equal to him? This led to the creation of classifying humans into sub-species. Black and brown people became a lesser category of humans, which helped to support the theory that slavery was completely acceptable. This video was a perfect wake-up call for the students in the camp. Some of them were surprised to learn about the roots of race and racism in our country, as many of them had clearly never learned about these issues in a concrete manner prior to this workshop.

I then had the students do some writing on how they see race after having completed a discussion and learning a bit of the basics around race in our country. I was impressed with the level of depth and insight which the students brought to their writing. They did a fabulous job processing this new knowledge.

Here are some excerpts from their writing on Monday.

• “I always believed that it was good to just think that people who are diverse or black or brown are just people and that is that. But, I now realize that I should accept those diverse people for who they are or what they feel like.”
• “I think that racism is wrong and really awful. Some people can be racist without even knowing it.”
• “So what can we do about these issues? We can stand up for the people that get jailed just because they are black. We can stand up for the people that get killed by the police. And most of all, we can stand up for equal rights for everybody.”

We then began working on the literature portion of the workshop. As a group, we read and discussed the novel Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes. We previewed the book and analyzed the cover. Why is the cover red? What does that symbolize? What about the stop lights being red? What does that mean? The students had some phenomenal responses as we analyzed and discussed the book. The students then either read silently on their own or listened to me read the book aloud. Over the course of the first three days, we finished the novel. The students seemed to really enjoy this book. Some students finished it before the camp even started or shortly after day one. Our discussions were powerful as we got into the various issues of race, bullying, police brutality, bias, and privilege discussed in the novel. We analyzed lines from the book and discussed the author’s purpose. We dug deep. It was so powerful!

We closed our first day with a discussion on bullying. We watched a news segment on racial bullying and then talked about why this happens and what we can do to prevent it from continuing to take place. The most effective thing we can do as white allies is to speak up, say something, and educate others. Let bullies and other people who are treating people unequally because of any sort of difference know that it’s not acceptable to do that. The students seemed to understand this. I was also blown away by how honest the students were. Several of the students shared that they feel that they would not feel comfortable right now going up to a stranger in a public setting and calling them out on bullying, being biased, or for making racist comments. I get it. Being anti-racist is very difficult, I told the students. It’s a life-long journey and process that we can strive towards.

Tuesday

Day two is where we really picked up the intensity and jumped into some heavy topics. We discussed the roots of bias and racial prejudice. We watched a video on a study conducted at the Yale Baby Lab. We also talked about a recent study done by a group in Canada on racial bias. They concluded that babies can form racial bias as early as six-months old. This, they believe, is the result of seeing mostly same-race faces. When all you are exposed to is white faces, then that is what you believe is “right.” I got the students thinking about how ingrained bias is within us. Our brains are wired to prejudge and be biased. We need to break the cycle and change our thinking. The conversations during this session got very deep and insightful. The students were open and felt comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas with the group.

We also discussed white privilege and how it affects us. While we didn’t choose to accept our privilege, non-white people didn’t choose to not have any privileges because of their skin color. People of color don’t have the same privileges as white people. That is a fact. It is something that people need to be aware of. So, what can we do about it? We discussed the idea of making the privileges rights for all people. If one group of people are able and allowed to do something, why can’t everybody else be treated the same way? The students seemed to understand how their skin color puts them many steps ahead of non-white people. The first step forward is to accept the reality of the issue, and they did that Tuesday morning. The students also did some writing on white privilege and how it makes them feel. Again, their writing was incredibly authentic and insightful. I was so impressed with how they were analyzing and processing everything that we were learning.

Here are some excerpts from their writing on Tuesday.

• “I’m white, I get it, I think I understand. Just kidding, I don’t, ‘cuz I never really will. My privilege, my skin, my great grandfather’s land. I have blood on my hands and weight on my shoulders.”
• “White privilege is something that shouldn’t be a thing. White privileges are privileges white people get, but black people don’t. It’s wrong, but for some reason white people get the privileges anyway.”

We also discussed and practiced some self-regulation techniques over the course of the week. The students shared some strategies they use to help them calm down when they are feeling strong emotions. We also practiced mindful meditation twice during the week, as a way to help the students see the power in self-care and being in charge of their feelings and emotions. When our emotions take charge, bad choices usually ensue.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, in between reading and discussing Ghost Boys, we learned about and discussed the Black Lives Matter movement and its history. When did it become a thing? How has it evolved over time? We also talked about racist phrases people use as a way to protest against the Black Lives Matter movement. We discussed how all lives matter is not an anti-racist idea. How can all lives matter until Black lives matter?

One of the most powerful discussions and video clips we watched was on the history of policing in our country. It’s no wonder there are so many instances of police brutality against black and brown people, as the first organized policing in our country came in the form of slave catchers. Policing was created to keep the black people “in line.” The students shared some ideas on how to reform policing in our country. We also talked about how not all police officers or departments in our country are a part of the problem. Many police officers are working to unify communities; however, several bad apples have spoiled the concept people have of police in general.

Our final writing activity involved the students imagining a more perfect, utopian America where all groups of people are treated equally and racism does not exist. After almost three days of learning and education, I wanted to give the students the opportunity to imagine what is truly possible. I was blown away by what they wrote. I am so hopeful and optimistic for the coming years. While things are going to be challenging and difficult, we will get through this in a positive manner. We will persevere and work towards a more equal country.

Here are some excerpts from their writing on Wednesday.

• “My utopian future will have no more poverty causing many people, mainly black, to be disadvantaged. We won’t have racist people in positions of power. Young people and kids will hold marches and rallies, and speak up for what they believe. Black people won’t be categorized as shady or shifty.”
• “For America to live up to the saying in tiny print on our NH license plates ‘Live Free or Die,’ I want no more hate or greed in the world. I would like the future America to look and be free.”
• “Race is a social construct that negatively impacts the lives of people in groups that are minorities. In the future, race will still be seen, however, it will not affect the way we treat people that have skin of a different color from others.”
• “I think the future should resemble equality and peace. There will probably be some racist and sexist people, but I think there always will be. I hope to see a very fair and diverse future. I hope to see people, that instead of judging citizens by their appearances, take a closer look at their personalities. Right now, I think all of that depends on what we do now. What we can do to influence other people. Nothing changes the fact that we need to change what’s happening to black people.”

By the end of day three, the students were energized. They were feeling moved to take action. They were reading some of the other texts I shared with the group and asking amazing questions. They were getting to know each other better and really working to create a better America for all people.

Thursday

Our final day of this beneficial workshop was filled with meaningful discussions and activities. The students transformed their thoughts and ideas on race and equality into images. They crafted pictures to show how they view everything we talked about throughout the camp. I was so amazed at how creative and thoughtful the students were in designing their pictures. Amazing!

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We talked about gender differences and sexual identity. We watched a video that nicely explained the differences between gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and biological sex. We had a wonderful discussion on the differences between the four ideas. We also reviewed the most complete LGBTQQIP2SAA acronym, which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, pansexual, two-spirit (2S), androgynous and asexual. This final day of camp was all about recognizing and educating ourselves on all of the other under-privileged groups in our country. Being anti-racist is more than just seeing all racial groups as equal, it’s about viewing all people as being equal.

We also talked about the Indigenous Peoples, sometimes referred to as Native Americans. We watched a video segment that got into how they see themselves, race, and their heritage in the context of America. It was very interesting and eye-opening. We had a great chat about what we learned. We also talked about immigrants in our country. Should all immigrants be granted American citizenship? We dug deep into economic disparities, persecution, and so much more. The students did a fantastic job driving the conversation forward.

To help remind the students of their privilege, we played a game often called “Two Steps Forward,” which has students move forward or backward if a statement applies to them. I had the students move based on about 30 different statements. After, we talked about why some people were further back from others. Gender identity, disabilities, religion, and how and where we are raised can cause people to be many steps behind their peers who aren’t faced with those same challenges. It made the concept of privilege real for the students.

We closed the camp with a final discussion on what it means to be anti-racist and how we can continue to work towards being anti-racist. We generated a list of things we can do in the coming days, weeks, months, and years to apply what we learned this week. The students talked about organizing protests, educating themselves and others, being kind, writing to our elected officials, and much more. I feel confident that the future of our country is in good hands. The students are impassioned and want to foster change in our world. I love it!

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At the end of the workshop, I had the students complete a feedback questionnaire so that I could learn how they felt the camp went for them. Did the camp meet their expectations? What was their favorite part of the camp? Did they enjoy the video clips? Was Ghost Boys the best book to use for the camp? Did they feel heard and respected?

Here are some of their responses.

• “This camp was amazing and honest. It was important for our community.”
• “It lived up to my expectations because I met new people and learned about being anti-racist.”
• “I found it both fulfilling and stimulating, and was thrilled when we discussed other issues that were similar.”
• “This camp was more than I’d ever hoped it would be. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot.”
• “My favorite part was reading Ghost Boys.”
• “The conversations were really eye-opening.”
• “My favorite part of this camp was the talking. I liked the different ideas and solutions everybody had. I learned a lot just by that.”
• “My favorite part was the Steps Forward game as it helped me realize what privileges exist and are prevalent in society.”
• “I felt respected because people listened to me.”
• “I felt heard this week because we spoke in turns talking, and I felt safe speaking my mind.”

What a special and eye-opening week it was for everyone. My goal for this workshop was to educate others on the issues impacting race and under-privileged groups in our country. I wanted them to see what I see. That was all I hoped to accomplish in a week. However, so much more took place. We made action plans, discussed and analyzed a novel, openly shared our ideas on issues, and learned how to be more accepting and anti-racist people. It was amazing! Every school and community needs to have these kinds of discussions, especially those with a predominantly white population. Our world needs more allies as we work to move forward. I left the camp feeling hopeful and encouraged. Despite all of the negative news I read online, it makes me happy to know that there are lots of people in this country who want to and are willing to foster change. United, we will move forward. I believe that our thoughts on a better America will come to fruition in the future. I trust in humanity, and I know that the future generation of adults will be more than ready and able to take the reins and lead us forward in a positive and more equal direction. To quote a sign my wife held at a recent Trans Black Lives Matter march, “I understand that I will never understand. But still I stand.”

Choosing the Right Read-Aloud Book with which to Begin the New School Year

Introduction

When my son was younger, my wife and I would read to him every night before bed.  He loved listening to the fantastic, fun, and wild stories that we would read aloud to him.  He would become so enthralled in the nightly stories that we would need to talk about them before he could fall asleep.  He would ask lots of clarifying questions.  One of his favorites was Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes.  We would often read this story to him when he had a difficult day, as it would remind him that the next day would be better.  Although my son is now 19 years old and, sadly, no longer requests a story before bed, we do often reminisce about the stories that we read together when he was younger.

Luckily for me, as a teacher, I am able to get my fix of reading aloud on a regular basis.  I find it engaging and therapeutic to read aloud to my students.  I notice that even when I’m reading a book I’ve read numerous times before, I can easily become lost in the story.  The prose swallows me whole like a snake devouring a tiny mouse.  I become a part of the adventure, mystery, humor and comedy as I read the book aloud.  I get into the characters and read the text with gusto.  It is so much fun!  My students love listening to the various books I read aloud to them during Language Arts class, and usually beg me to keep reading when it’s time to stop.  They don’t want the story to end.

Benefits of Reading Aloud to Students

If you teach fifth grade, why are you reading aloud to your students, you may be asking yourself.  Fifth graders can read just fine on their own.  Why take more time away from the curriculum to read to students?  Why do I read aloud to my students?  That’s like asking, why do you use Project-Based Learning or retesting methods in the classroom.  I read aloud to my students because it’s a best teaching practice.  I do it because it’s a vital part of my Language Arts curriculum.  I use the read aloud text to teach reading and comprehension strategies.  I read aloud to my students to help them find the joy in reading.  I read aloud to my students to foster a sense of inclusion and community within my class.  I read aloud to my students because the benefits are immeasurable.

Choosing the Right Read-Aloud Book

The easy part is deciding to read aloud to my students at least twice a week.  The challenging part is determining what book to read to them.

• Do I choose a book that I know many of my students have already read and love?  While there is certainly value in reading treasured stories to students, I don’t see the the point in reading a familiar story to my students as part of our Language Arts curriculum.  As I enjoy employing the elements of surprise and the unknown when reading aloud to my students, I attempt to choose books that my students have not yet mentally consumed.  I find the read-aloud experience is far more enjoyable when the students don’t know what to expect.  They hang on my every word, desperately waiting to find out what happens next.
• So then, do I choose a book that aligns with content I’m covering in other classes, such as Science or Social Studies?  I do like that I can help the students make connections between the read-aloud novel and what we are learning in another subject area.  It makes the content more tangible for the students that way.  Two years ago, when we studied space in Science, I read the class Space Case by Stuart Gibbs.  As it touched upon some elements of astronomy, the students were able to draw connections between the book and our Science unit.  As an added bonus, it was hilarious.  Perfect!
• But what about simply choosing a great book that students have not read?  So many wonderful and amazing new young-adult novels are being published on a weekly basis.  What about reading a new book aloud to students?  Sometimes I do that.  This past winter, I read my class Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly.  What a terrific book about a hearing-impaired girl coming to terms with the loss of her grandfather and not being able to effectively communicate with other members of her family.  The prose was tantalizing and the story was relatable and engaging.  My students loved it.
• Or perhaps, should I choose a book that addresses current issues in our world?  With the racial unrest we’ve all read about in recent months, wouldn’t it make sense to choose a book that digs into this realm so that I can foster meaningful conversations with my students?  Or, would that be too controversial?  Well, I’ve never been a teacher to steer away from difficult topics conversations.  I’m all about getting students comfortable talking about uncomfortable things.  If we want to inspire our students to go out into the world and bring about change, we need to teach them how to see the world through multiple perspectives.
• Then there’s always the fun factor.  What about choosing a book that is super fun to read aloud?  During our unit on Poetry two years ago, I read my class Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston.  Talk about having fun when reading aloud.  The book, written entirely in verse, tells the story of a young girl trying working with a Zorgle to find a group of missing Zorgles.  The rhyming and flow of the book made it so enjoyable to read aloud.  I felt like a poet at an open mic night every time I read aloud to the students.  It was awesome!

While there are of course many other ways in which a read-aloud book can be chosen, the key to choosing the right read-aloud novel is purpose.  Teachers must choose a book that serves a purpose, regardless of the rationale for why.

My New Read-Aloud Book

Over the past several months, we have been inundated with a plethora of new information and ways of living: Social Distancing, wearing a face covering, racial unrest, George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, Pandemic, COVID-19, and many more.  The new normal, is that there is none.  Every new day brings something different: States are reopening, states are closing, COVID-19 cases are going down, reported COVID-19 cases are increasing exponentially, schools are reopening in the fall, schools may not reopen in the fall.  Nothing is certain in this new world in which we are now forced to live.  Instead of living in the past or trying to plan for a future that may never exist, we should be trying to find a meaningful way to live in the present moment.  Right now, many teachers don’t know if they will be teaching remotely or in-person for the upcoming school year.  So, why not plan those activities, lessons, or units that can be implemented in either version of what the new school year will resemble?  We know that we will need to begin a new academic year, and that means creating a class community, protocols, and much more.  For me, one of those permanent fixtures in whatever form school takes in September, is the read-aloud book.  I need to begin the year with a read-aloud text that will unite my students and the curriculum.

Over the past month, I’ve done much thinking about which book I wish to use to begin the new, turbulent school year.  Will I stick with the one I’ve utilized over the past two years?  Wishtree by Katherine Applegate is a fine novel that has brought clarity to the Community unit with which I usually start the year in Social Studies class.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?  The students love the book, and it’s a wonderful model for teaching reading strategies.  However, as it was released almost three years ago, I’m finding that more of my students have already read it.  Also, I’m altering the Social Studies unit with which I’m beginning the year.  The unit is more focused on the entire USA, instead of simply the town in which the school is located.  Plus, Wishtree barely tips its toes in the pool of controversy and reality.  It hints at bias, prejudice, and immigration, but strays away from getting too ensconced in the pool of challenging ideas.

In this time of uncertainty, I feel that it is my duty to help my students peel away the layers of subterfuge and political correctness that have been held over their eyes for too long.  It’s time to get real with our students.  It’s time that we have difficult conversations in our classrooms about race, religion, immigration, policing, prison, and much more.  I’ve realized that I can no longer simply gloss over these vital issues with my students.  I need to tackle them head-first.  And so, I’ve chosen a new read-aloud novel for the upcoming school year: Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson.  It tells the story of a culturally and ethnically diverse group of fifth grade students who learn to embrace their differences as strengths through telling their stories.  How perfect is that?  It addresses immigration, race, family dynamics, economic disparities, and so much more.  The prose grabs you by the heart at the very beginning and never lets go.  It’s relatable and will allow me to engage my students in conversation on numerous difficult issues. I’m very much looking forward to using this new read-aloud novel and I can’t wait to see how it will change me and my students.  To paraphrase the sage wisdom with which Henkes provided my son, “Last year was a difficult school year.  This new year will be better.”

Seeing the Treasure in the Trash: Creating a Happy Little Social Studies Unit

High school was a time of discovery and exploration.  Don’t worry, I was a friendly explorer, unlike those wretched conquistadors that caused much suffering and death in the name of freedom and exploration.   I was a happy young man in search of new music, friends, movies, love, fun, and garbage.  Yes, that’s right, I was in search of garbage.  Not the band, oh no, not a fan.  I mean actual garbage that people toss away.  You see, it was in high school that I discovered that one person’s, or in this case one company’s, trash, can truly be someone else’s treasure.

Dumpster diving is the act of rummaging through other people’s garbage in search of that special something.  As there was not much to do in the small town of Lebanon, NH, late at night, my friends and I would scavenge through the dumpsters of various companies and organizations that had offices in our sleepy little town.  Although we usually left our nightly excursions with some small trinkets, we never found anything substantial or exciting, until that one night in late July.  There we were, at about midnight, in the middle of summer, literally jumping into this giant dumpster in search of something worthy of our time and effort.  When my friend pulled out a television remote, our excitement began to grow, as we all new what that meant: There was probably a television near by.  Sure enough, when I pivoted and looked behind me, a very large TV stuck out of the pile of battered electronics.  We shouted for joy, softly, so as to not call attention to ourselves in the middle of the night.  I then had one of my friends help me fish that television out of the dumpster and pack it into our car.  While my parents would freak out if I brought a large screen TV into the house, one of my friends ended up bringing it home.  The most interesting part of this whole vignette is that I never found out if he got the television working.  Perhaps it was a dud and deserved to live out its plastic existence in a landfill somewhere, or maybe, it did work.  I like believing that it was a working treasure, that all of our hard work paid off.  I like to think that good things can happen to good people.  To me, that glass will always be overflowing with clean and cold water.

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Like my friends and I discovered in high school, if you look long and hard enough, you will find the treasure and beauty in everything, even something that resembles trash.  Luckily, I had the wonderful experience of doing just that, recently.

As one of my professional development summer goals is to revise and retool the social studies unit that I generally use at the start of each academic year, I decided to dig in and give it a shot.  Although I didn’t have a clear idea of exactly what I wanted the unit to look like when finished, I did have some foggy notions swirling about my beautiful brain.  I knew that I wanted to inject an engaging and fun project into the unit, but was unsure of what the journey to that point might look like; however, I forged ahead regardless.  My first iteration of the revised unit felt clunky and disconnected, like a broken television.  While I had added in the project I wanted to include, the unit felt more like a series of separate, unrelated lessons on different concepts or topics.  It lacked flow and life.  It felt like demo tape that a band releases before getting with a producer to craft a polished and brilliant debut album like Pearl Jam’s 10 or Coheed and Cambria’s The Second Stage Turbine Blade.  While it wasn’t yet the beautiful jewel that I had hoped for, it wasn’t simply trash.  The nucleus of its treasure was hidden deep within it, and I just needed to find it.  I needed to change my perspective so that I could transform this awkward unit into something more, something great and engaging.

So, I took a break from it.  I let the unit sit for a few moments and simmer.  I gathered my thoughts and started thinking about what comes next.  How could I alter this unit to make it more meaningful and relevant for my students?  While I see the value in teaching students about the community of which the school is a part, do I need to spend so much time discussing the concept of community?  Could I just jump right into teaching about the town?  How will I then connect the town to the rest of the country?  I did much thinking before I sat down with the unit one more time.  Then, I cut lessons, chopped discussions, added activities, and found a way to bring about cohesion to this unit.  I subtracted the clunkiness to get to the heart of the unit.  I want the students to see how the town of Hopkinton is connected to the state of New Hampshire, and how the state is a part of something even larger, greater.  And, I managed to do just that.

As our country is in the midst of epic turmoil, it is important to me that I empower my students to become agents of change.  I want them to be able to look at the problems facing our great nation and find solutions to them.  I want them to want to foster change within the world.  I want my students to be able to see how important the upcoming presidential election is for our country.  I want my students to be self-aware and know what is going on around our country and world.  I believe that this new unit is just the bridge I need to make my desires come to fruition in the coming school year.

I call this super unit Understanding our Country and it will be divided into three parts.  Part one will focus on the fundamentals of social studies.  The students will learn about what I’ve aptly called the Big Ideas when learning about a new place: Geography, History, Government, and Culture.  I will be sure they understand what each Big Idea represents and the importance it holds.  I will have the students practice applying these Big Ideas as they learn about our fine town.  Once I feel as though they have a firm grasp on these Big Ideas, they will complete an interactive research project on the US.  It is my hope that this project will engage the students and empower them to truly see our country for what it is, full of possibility and wonder.

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Expedition USA Project

Introduction

The most effective way to learn about a new place, is to travel to that place and explore it.  While, sadly, Mr. Johnson informed me that we cannot go on a cross-country field trip to explore the great United States of America, even if we wear fun masks and ride in separate train cars, we must do so virtually.  So, let the excellent, virtual, expedition begin!

Purpose

The purpose of this project is two-fold: 

• Learn more about the great country in which we live through some virtual exploration.
• Practice crucial study skills including note taking, working with a partner, and using Google Maps.

Part I: Brainstorming

1. Meet with your assigned partner
2. Brainstorm ideas
   • Make a list of all the places in the US that you and your partner want to visit
     • You must choose at least 5 different locations around the US to virtually visit:
       • One must be somewhere near the East Coast, Atlantic Ocean
       • One must be somewhere near another country
       • One must be landlocked
       • One must be somewhere near the West Coast, Pacific Ocean
       • One must be a National Park

Part II: Research

1. For each location you will be virtually visiting, gather online research and take notes on your findings

Part III: Google Maps

1. Create a New Map in Google Maps that includes the following information:
   • Unique title for your expedition
   • Separate Marker for each location you will virtually visit
     • Details about what you will do while there, in your own words
     • Details about what you will learn while there, in your own words
     • Details about why you want to visit that location, in your own words
     • Picture from your virtual visit, with attribution
   • Lines showing how you traveled from BHS to each location and then back to BHS
     • Details about method of transportation, cost, and time it took
     • Kilometers traveled
     • Picture from your travels, with attribution

Part IV: Presentation

1. Present your Google Map and expedition to the class

Graded Objectives

Your handwritten notes will be assessed on the following objectives:

• Students will be able to extract the main idea from an online source in their own words.
• Students will be able to craft neatly organized notes with separate headings for different sources or topics.

Your finished Google Map will be assessed on the following objectives:

• Students will be able to paraphrase information learned, in written form, regarding a research topic.
• Students will be able to utilize the Google Maps app to accomplish a task.

You and your partner will also be assessed on the following objective:

• Students will be able to collaborate and work with a partner to accomplish a task.

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I created this project with lots of wiggle room so that the students can and will ask questions.  I didn’t detail or mandate how the various stages of the project will be completed because I wanted to empower the students to choose.  I want the students to determine how some things are done.  I left the instructions a bit vague on purpose, so that they would be confused and want to ask questions and know more.  Students who are thinking and doing, are learning.

This project will conclude the first part of the unit.  The closing activity will have the students make a list of what they learned about the United States of America in completing this project.  I will again get them thinking in terms of the Big Ideas.  I will have them create a chart showing the Big Ideas that they’ve learned regarding our country.  My hope is that they will notice that they have learned very little about the government and history of the US, as parts two and three of the unit pertain to those Big Ideas.

Part two of the unit will focus on the American Government and will feel very much like a civics unit.  The students will explore the hows and whys of our governmental system.  We will then dig into the big election taking place in November of this year.  We will discuss the political parties in our country and learn about the candidates running for president.  My hope is that during this portion of the unit, the students will be inspired to ask many questions about why things are done a certain way in our country.  I want to provide them with just enough information, that they will want to know and learn more.  I want my students to be curious and wonder.  I want them to question things.  I want them to think freely.  I believe that this part of the unit will get them doing just that.

The final part of the unit will allow the students to learn more about the roots of our culture and history.  Who were the first true Americans?  Were there people living in what we now call the US prior to the Europeans setting foot on the new land?  In this third part of the unit, the students will learn about the native people who took care of and respected this land long before the colonists moved in and took over.  This portion of the unit will conclude with an interdisciplinary project in which the students will research a tribe of Native Americans and then craft a historical fiction story regarding that tribe.  My hope is that this final part of the unit will also inspire the students to ask questions and wonder why things happened the way they did in our country.  I hope that it will empower my students to ask why and also conjure up strong feelings and emotions within them.

I will close the entire unit by having the students fill in any gaps they may have in the Big Ideas chart we started at the close of part one.  Throughout the unit, we will also discuss current events happening in our country.  I want the students to pay attention and be aware of what’s going on around them, as they develop the skill of self-awareness.  I want them to wonder and ask why.  I want to empower my students to see problems affecting the citizens of the US.  I want to get them thinking about possible solutions.  I want to empower my students by providing them with knowledge, information, curiosity, and questions.  I want them to ask why and how.

And that’s the unit.  I structured it this way so that I could create different learning opportunities and activities for the students.  I wanted to find unique ways to teach the crucial study skills they will need to be successful students, as well.  As it is an election year, I want to capitalize on the current event aspect to help them make connections between information learned.  I want this unit to be engaging and fun for the students.  I want to challenge their thinking and broaden their perspectives on our amazing country.  I completely overhauled the unit that I’ve used in past years to make something special and wonderful.

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While it took me a few rounds to get to what I have now, I am pleased with the result.  I found the treasure in the trash.  I can’t wait for the new academic year to begin so that I can implement this new unit.  I can’t wait to watch my students explore and wrestle with US maps.  How does this thing fold?  Do I fold it this way or that way?  It will be like watching me try to assemble a piece of furniture I purchased from Ikea, quite the comedy routine.

The entire experience of creating this new social studies unit empowered me to feel like an explorer, charting a course for new lands and information.  I loved sifting through the online research I discovered throughout the process.  Educators have created some amazing units and posted them online for the world to see.  There is a wealth of information out there on our fine country and how to go about teaching students all about it.  This experience did at times bring me back to my dumpster diving days.  Trash or treasure?  Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, my friend.