Teacherscribe's Teaching Thoughts
October's Teaching Thoughts Newsletter
Lead from Behind
How we treat others
Always be learning
The World is a Fine Place and Worth Fighting For
Book of the Month -
This great text is all about the amazing multi-genre research paper. If you haven't heard of that before, please give it a try in your classroom.
The MGRP involves focusing on one topic and exploring it via several genres. For example, I had a student, Sam, who wanted to focus on the Marvel Movies for his MGRP. Sam painstakingly reviewed every single Marvel movie as one genre. Then he wrote an analysis of why Thor: Dark World was the worst of all the Marvel movies. He did a thorough ranking of all the Marvel movies and analyzed why he ranked them where he did (Thor: Ragnarok was his top choice). He also included an art piece that he designed.
This assignment also works great in place of a classic research paper. For example, I had students write literary analysis of novels in my College Comp class. However, I gave them the option to do a multi-genre literary research paper instead. One of the genres had to be research - a classic 4 page lit analysis of a theme in the novel. However, the other three genres could be whatever the students came up with. One of my favorite examples was on Pride and Prejudice where the student not only wrote a lit analysis of the theme of marriage for status, but she also included a detailed list of wedding invites for the wedding of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, a "Where Are They Now" section for each main character, and a formal lay out of what their wedding tables would look like!
I would submit that by being so creative, this student actually gained a deeper understanding of the novel that she would have by writing a much longer and more traditional research paper.
The best part is that because students tend to write about things they are passionate about or really interested in, they surprise themselves with the results.
I recall turning one student loose to write about the MTV series, Teen Wolf, and she submitted a 103 page paper! It contained the genres of a personal narrative entailing how she became addicted to the show by binging the entire season all night long at a friend's house (on a school night too)! Then she included a creative script where she wrote her own Teen Wolf episode including everyone in our class as characters! She had an analysis of the top deaths in the show. She even wrote an impassioned letter to MTV pleading with them not to cancel the show.
Just give it a try. Especially if you dread bringing home that stack of boring, traditional research papers and having to grade them all. This will change that for sure!
Here is a folder full of past examples of the MGRP.
Teaching Thought for October
I have been teaching high school English long enough to have former students who are now teachers – and even colleagues – now. I’ve attended the weddings of former students. I have bought cars and homes from former students. I’ve run into them all over the state. And every time I come across a former student, I might not recall their name right away, but there are two things I can recall almost immediately – where they sat in my class and what they wrote about. I think this is part of what you mean by “collective soul.” Something about spending so much time together and reading our writing together and discussing the same texts causes something special, collectively to happen.
This actually was illustrated at the end of last spring. I had a former student, Brooklyn, die from cancer at the age of 21. She was diagnosed with Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma shortly after she graduated high school. It was an aggressive death sentence. And it broke my heart. In January Brooklyn, her best friend, our choir teacher, and I had lunch. It was the final time I saw her. During lunch we took part in what I love about the very best classes – we told stories, we laughed, we sought to make sense of difficult things, we laughed even more, and we let our guards down. Three days ago, Kristie and I attended Brooklyn’s wake. Kristie encouraged me to say a few words. I racked my brain for stories about Brooklyn, but I was drawing a blank with truly meaningful stories that I could share. Then it hit me – thanks to Google Drive, I still have all of the writing Brooklyn did for me over the course of her junior and senior years. So, I went there.
Brooklyn had a great voice and style in her writing. She was so damned funny and quick witted. As I read her work, there she was. With me again. So, I emailed a couple paragraphs to myself to share.
The wake was difficult. A lot of former students were in pain. When I saw them, that collective community from class came right back and we often fell into each other’s arms bawling. This was going to be difficult.
When the pastor finished his remarks, he asked if anyone would like to say a few words. This is always the worst part about wakes. People in northwestern MN don’t exactly like to share let alone speak publicly. So, there was dead silence. Kristie nudged my leg. Thankfully, Brooklyn’s aunt got up and shared a few words first.
Then more silence. No one stirred. There was only the sound of sobs and sniffles.
The pastor approached the podium, but I stood up and worked my way up there.
As I did so, I heard several of my former students start to sob. They knew what was coming. Ironically, this gave me courage, though. For I knew that what I was about to say was important. And the students knew it too. I took their sobs as a sign that this was going to be powerful.
And with that, I did the only thing I could do to celebrate Brooklyn’s life: I read her words. And it brought the house down. Everyone chuckled and shook their heads as her words echoed across the funeral home. Brooklyn was there with us. I was just the vehicle that communicated her words. When they were done, I offered a few words about the impact Brooklyn had on me and my classes. Then I headed back to my chair next to Kristie.
I didn’t make it more than a couple steps when Brooklyn’s mom reached out and grabbed my hand in a vice like grip. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much.”
If that’s not the power of voice and style and the importance of what our students have to say, I don’t know what is.
Why I Love Teaching
The inspiration and passion of my colleagues. I see this more than ever now that my own two kids are in the school system now.
I recall getting a text from Cash's elementary teacher during distance learning. She had her daughter were out driving, and they would be coming by our house in about 10 minutes if we would be around. Cash bundled up and dashed out the door. Sure enough, Mrs. Vigen came by and pulled up (still keeping social distancing in mind) and visited with us for awhile.
I recall Kenzie's teacher whipping out power tools for an intense pumpkin carving session in her third grade classroom.
I see that passion Kenzie current 8th grade teacher brings to her classroom in how she works with her students to design their own rules and regulations for class.
I see how Cash's history teacher has him doing a personal time capsule so he can reflect on important items from his past.
These are but the tip of the iceberg for the amazing things my colleagues do for our kids every day. I couldn't be more proud to work with them.
Podcast of the Month - American Shadows
This is a historical podcast that delves into some of the darker and more tragic events of our past.
This particular episode "Hell on Earth" tells the story of the 1944 Hartford circus fire and tragedy. The story telling is excellent and the facts are thorough and always leave me asking myself, "How could this really have happened?"
Some of my favorite past episodes have been -
"Mysterious" - What happened to the Roanoke colony? And what is "Croatoan"?
"Under the Weather" - How one man's need to control information on storms at the weather bureau led to needless lives lost in the 1900 Galveston hurricane
"Glow" - This episode, the premier episode as a matter of fact, focused on the "Radium Girls," and their horrific story as they fought to get compensation from the large corporations that poisoned them.
Video of the Month - Keanon Lowe becomes a hero
Thoughts from Twitter
Give this a try in your classroom . . .
Article of Interest - Having Students Learn by Teaching
The best part was not only didd the students who had to teach the lesson learn more than they would have as students, but it caused the students to be even more engaged in the lessons their peers created. And the very best part? I learned so much from them!
Bonus content of the week - This Principal is Amazing
The young man was embarrassed over his hair cut.
What did this principal do? He offered to fix it for him! Yes!!
In case you missed it,
Chief Inspiration Officer of Room 205
I am married to the most amazing person in the world, Kristie. It was love at first sight. At least for me. And it still is.
We have four wonderful children, Casey, Koko, Kenzie, and Cash. And now we have been blessed with six grandchildren!
I also happen to have the greatest job in the world: teaching English to high school students.
I am in my 25th year of teaching at Lincoln High School. I graduated from Lafayette High School in Red Lake Falls in 1992. I decided to enter the field of education because of two amazing teachers, Mr. Mueller, my fourth and sixth grade elementary school teacher and assistant baseball coach, and Mrs. Christianson, my 9th grade English teacher.
I attended Northland Community College, and had my life changed by the amazing Dr. Diane Drake. Then I transferred to Bemidji State University in 1995. There I had amazing professors who further inspired me to teach English (Dr. Helen Bonner, Dr. Mark Christensen, Susan Hauser, and Gerry Schnabel). I graduated with my BS in English Education in 1997.
I student taught with the wonderful Lisa Semanko and then began teaching full-time at LHS in 1998.
I took a year's leave of absence in 2001-02 to return to BSU for my MA in English. There I had the privilege to teach and work closely with my greatest mentor, Dr. Mark Christensen. I earned my MA in English in 2006 and was honored with "Thesis of the Year" for my creative non-fiction, braided, multi-genre memoir, "Meeting Myrtle: A Biography."
In 2013, thanks to my dear friend and mentor, Dr. Jodi Holen, I was offered an adjunct teaching position fall semester at the University of North Dakota. Tuesday nights I teach Intro to Education: Teaching and Learning 250 from 5-8. Those three hours fly by in about ten minutes.
Then in 2016 I was blessed to win a WEM award (thanks to a nomination from a former student (and now an elementary school teacher), Ciera Mooney).
In 2017 I became part of the #pineconepd podcast club along with Brian Loe, Jeff Mumm, Kelsey Johnson, Kelly Weets, Josh Watne, Tevia Strand, Megan Vigen, Mariah Hruby, Laura Brickson, Loren Leake, Katie Hahn, Melora Burgee, and new members all the time. This has been one of the best forms of PD I've ever been a part of. They make me a better teacher every time we meet. Please think about joining us in the summer at the Pine Cone Pub from 6:30 - until we've solved all the world's problems. For that evening anyway.
In 2021, I became head coach of the Powler football team. It is a dream come true. I have an amazing staff and had an excellent mentor in two amazing former head coaches, Jeff Mumm and Bryce Lingen. I couldn't have asked for greater men to learn from.
Finally, thanks to the inspiration of Shane Zutz (our former principal) I devised this as a way to distribute my Teaching Thoughts and add more content to, hopefully, help out and inspire others.
Email: kurt.reynolds@myprowler.org
Website: http://teacherscribe.blogspot.com
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