Keeping it fresh

The rapid pace of societal change, Dungeons and Dragons, primary sources, and the notion that aliens could have placed a nonferrous metal tracking devices in the body of an unsuspecting middle-aged woman.  It’s been a summer filled with teaching inspiration, despite my being out of commission for a few weeks with a knee replacement.

I am pondering how best to use this inspiration to motivate my less-than-enthusiastic, new freshmen.  Here’s what I am thinking as August 3 draws nearer:

Elements of video gaming-design, persistence, teamwork,  and mastering levels by simply reiterating their avatars’ adventures with a new life and new knowledge to be more successful- will have a place in my Writing Workshop this year.   I plan to use the unpredictability and fantasy elements of my sons’ vintage D and D books to create writing circles who will craft fantasy narratives from their avatars’ points of view.  Who says there is no time for PBL?  I’d rather have writers who are engaged and learning than robots that just practice test skills.

Learning how Millennials think and behave has caused me to refine some classroom practices to engage more students.   Millennials like to work in groups.  So I’ll be looking for more ways to crowd-source information and report and archive it in addition to using charts, posters, and digital discussions, on Today’s Meet or Canvas.

One way I am appealing to my Millennials’ visual needs is to integrate more images and videos.  Integrating primary sources provides inspiration that they will immediately connect with and be able to write about.  It also supports inference and argument.  The Library of Congress has excellent teacher resources on its website and regional workshops to help educators use them purposefully.  I will be presenting a session on writing narrative from primary sources in Bloomington this week for Indiana Writing Project.

Carving out time for students to think about their lives and reflect on their activities and interactions is another way to engage students.  I need to be sure I am allowing my kids time to think… to process.  After the surgeon removed the mysterious piece of metal that had somehow been lodged in my leg for the past ten years, I needed think time to ponder the possibilities.  And there were many!  Excellent fodder for creative writing.

Keeping it fresh.  Using my surroundings to inspire me for the coming year and new crop of students.  That’s what makes summertime so vital for teachers…  and for students.