I Need to Practice

There's this old joke about Microsoft.

Q: How do you fix a bug in Windows?
A: Document it and call it a feature!

The same thing is true of teaching. How do you get the kids to do work the day after a break? Document the talking and call it a lesson plan!

I discovered this little trick thanks to the genius of my mentor teacher. I give them a scavenger hunt about who did what over winter break. The questions start pretty easy (who went out of town, who saw a movie) and get more difficult (who read a book, who wrote a story). After they find people and talk out their break, you hold a class discussion and move from what they did to curriculum. (The final questions should tie in directly with whatever you have been or will cover in class.)

So, I get to the "who wrote a story, poem, letter, or email over break" question. One student raises her hand and says that Michael wrote a story (we'll say his name is Michael, it's a popular boy's name). There are two Michaels in the class, so one says, "Which one?" in a rather accusatory voice. I said, "Well, did you?" "No," comes back the emphatic reply.

I look to the other Michael and he says, a bit sheepishly, "Yeah, it was me."

The classroom waited in silent anticipation for his explanation.

"Well," the second Michael begins rather quietly, "I read that you can make a lot of money by writing a book." He continued with a hint of defiance, "So, I figured I should get some practice writing a story."

Now that was a good day in English class.