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Countdown to NCTE/ALAN: Nine Presentations We Are Involved In at #NCTE18

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In honor of our favorite conferences—the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Annual Convention followed by the ALAN (Assembly on Literature of Adolescents of NCTE) Workshop, we are doing a countdown over the next two weeks. Each day, we will feature a list that reflects the number of days left until the conference! We can’t wait to see many of you there! If you can’t be there, make sure to follow #ncte18 and #alan18 on Twitter and other social media to participate in this amazing PD from your home.

 

C.34 Honoring Student Passions: Using Genius Hour to (Re)Find Voice and Address Equity

Raising student voices requires time, space, and place for individualized, passion-based learning. Through interactive learning activities participants can use in their own classrooms, presenters will define Genius Hour and show how it can be implemented to facilitate equitable learning environments. They will share authentic student work from conception to completion.

Ricki is Presenting with Dr. Pamela Coke

E.18 Using Diverse Literature to Build Awareness and Empathy in Middle Schoolers

To help build awareness and empathy in middle schoolers, we must expose our readers to a wide range of diverse literature. Two middle school educators and six authors will discuss how diverse literature can help build empathy, tolerance, awareness, and an understanding of social justice.

Chair: Kellee Moye

Authors: Angela Dominguez, K.A. Holt, Jennifer Richard Jacobson, Jewell Parker Rhodes, N.H. Senzai, & Lindsey Stoddard

Respondent: Jennie Smith

F.07 Raising Student Voices by Using YA Literature to Encourage Acting Up and Speaking Out

Young adult literature changes us; it touches us and heals us. This Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE (ALAN)-sponsored session will offer roundtables, led by leaders of ALAN and YAL authors, that focus on the merits of YAL, YAL as mirrors and windows, and YAL’s call to action.

Kellee’s Roundtable: YAL and the Canon, will look at using young adult literature in place of or in addition to the canon, and will include an exploration of the idea of text sets, companion texts, or replacement texts.

Ricki’s Roundtable: YAL as Mirrors, will focus on diversity in young adult literature and the need for students to see themselves in the books in their schools and libraries and shows all students that they have a voice.

Other roundtable leaders: Beth Scanlon, Lisa Schreff, Lois Stover, Mark Letcher, Daria Plumb, Wendy Glenn

G.04 Teaching for Equity and Justice with Young Adult Literature

In this conversation session, award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson discusses the ability of young adult literature to address social justice and equity with adolescents. Afterward, attendees rotate through three 15-min. roundtables of their choice to discuss a rich diversity of texts, issues of social justice, and teaching methods.

Ricki’s Roundtable with Wendy J. Glenn as respondent, Piecing Me Together: Race, Class, Power, and Privilege

Chair: Victor Malo-Juvera

Other Roundtable Leaders: Many teacher educators from ELATE

H.02 Meet the NCTE Editors

Participants will have the opportunity to meet journal editors, explore the publishing possibilities available with the NCTE journals program and with assembly journals, and discuss specific article prospects with the editors. Submission guidelines will be available for all NCTE journals.

Chair: Kurt Austin

This year, this session conflicts with the ALAN Breakfast, which Ricki is helping with. Because this is her last term as an editor for The ALAN Review, it doesn’t make sense for her to attend. That said, attend this session and look to get your ideas published! All of the NCTE journals will be there!

During H.02: ALAN Breakfast

ALAN Breakfast with A.S. King! We are so looking forward to this event! We include it on this list because we will be helping to set it up. It begins at 7am, and we look forward to seeing you there!

I.36 YA Lit IS Complex! Authors and Teachers Explore the Complexity of Writing Young Adult Literature

This session brings together YA authors and classroom teachers to explore text complexity through the lens of writing craft. Keynote speeches and roundtable discussions will explore how complexity can be found and made in YA lit when we weave authors’ accounts of writing process with close analysis of texts themselves.

Kellee’s Roundtable with David Levithan, focusing on his Every Day series

Ricki’s Roundtable with Ibi Zoboi, focusing on Pride

Chairs: Jennifer Buehler, Cathy Fleischer

Other roundtable leaders: Sarah Andrew-Vaughan, Wendy Glenn, Meredith Novak, Daria Plumb, Beth Scanlon, Beth Shaum

Other authors: Elizabeth Acevedo, David Arnold, Sharon Draper, Emily X.R. Pan, Randy Ribay, Andrew Smith

J. 13 In-Class Book Clubs: Fostering Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Choice

Student-centered book clubs allow students the freedom to discuss titles they choose, thus creating positive reading experiences while utilizing two best practices: student collaboration and independent reading. Attendees will circulate through roundtables led by educators who have implemented in-class book clubs and will share book ideas, strategies, and student responses.

Kellee’s Roundtable: “Metacognition in Middle Schoolers”

Other roundtable leaders: Leigh Anne Eck, Sarah Krajewski, Amber Kuehler, Jennie Smith, Kelly Vorhis, Melinda Wallace, Sherry Williford

M.02 The Future is Now: Exploring 21st Century Teaching Ideas with the Next Generation of English Teachers

In this wide-ranging session sponsored by the ELATE Graduate Strand (ELATE-GS), undergraduate and master’s level pre-service and novice English teachers from across the nation will lead roundtables exploring 21st-century teaching ideas and research-driven pedagogical practices. Please join us to support this next generation of English teachers and NCTE members. *Student presenters are determined after the program deadline. Attendees will receive a separate program with the names of roundtable leaders and their presentation titles upon entering the session.

Ricki is Sponsoring three Master’s students to present at this session

Chair: Alan Brown

Other Roundtable Leaders: Many graduate students and teacher educators from ELATE

NCTE here we come! Hope if you are there that you will stop by!

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Native November is Coming…

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Native November is coming. This means that the Natives are (sometimes) celebrated as living people instead of people of the past. November is a good month in that it recognizes the cultures as alive and well. Like Black History month and other months, it is great that schools dedicate a month to consider the cultures. But Native Americans live every day, so it shouldn’t be relegated to just one month.

November is a scary month for parents of little ones. It comes with the risk that your child might have to participate in a Thanksgiving play with paper/fluorescent feathers. They will be asked to run across the stage doing the “Indian call” by chanting and hitting their mouth with a flat hand. The pilgrims will walk with grace across the stage (with no sign that they intend to steal the Natives’ land, of course). They will sit down to a nice feast, and everyone will feel happy about that nice time in history when they go to eat their Thanksgiving dinners. (Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy eating on Thanksgiving as much as the next guy, but I recognize the holiday for what it is. Cultural genocide is a real thing.)

As November approaches, we should think carefully about the ways in which we honor Natives all year long. I always get anxious as November approaches because it brings difficult memories of my own schooling. We should think about representation and whether we willingly cheer on a team that uses a Native slur as its team name or a cartoonish representation of a Native person. We should think about the literature we teach and the ideologies we value. What are your thoughts about Native November?

 

Speak Out! For Banned Books #BannedBooksWeek

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This week is Banned Books Week (hooray!). Banned Books Week is one of my favorites. I always find it helpful to talk first about how books are classically banned. This video from ALA is great:

This often leads well into a question and answer period where we talk through why certain topics appear often on banned books lists. Next, I show the following infographics, which I find helpful. The first one is a bit dated, but it is beautifully done.

For more banned books infographics and fun graphics, in general, click here!

We had a great discussion today about where politics belong in the classroom. Students offered some phenomenal comments about how they could be fair in their presentation of politics but also show they didn’t support hateful speech. In past years, I’ve had students read popular banned picture books to talk through how and why books are banned. This has proven very effective as well.

We always end by talking through the many resources available to teachers. These include those available on NCTE’s Intellectual Freedom Center. If you haven’t checked this out (or ILA’s comparable resource center), I recommend these resources highly.

Happy reading! Let’s celebrate our FREEDOM TO READ!

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Teaching Tuesday: Using Dialogue Journals with High Schoolers

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When I was my Methods of Teaching English course as an undergraduate many moons ago (with my smart, thoughtful mentor Wendy Glenn), she used dialogue journals with us. I absolutely loved the idea and used it with my own students when I became a teacher. Since my graduation, I’ve seen dialogue journals used in a variety of different ways. Many teachers have students write to each other. I like this, but there is something particularly special about getting to know your students through their dialogue journals and having a conversation with them.

I follow the way that I was taught to use dialogue journals. I begin with a prompt and staple it to the first page. The student writes a response to the prompt or writes about anything of interest. I then write back (a minimum of a paragraph but usually longer). The student then responds to me and writes back to me. Throughout, I introduce new prompts, or the students can continue our conversations.

How do I evaluate them?

I choose to evaluate dialogue journals based on completeness. I ask students to write a lengthy note to me, and as long as they do this, they receive an A. For me, dialogue journals are not about the grade. They are about a) me getting to know my students, b) me showing my students that I am interested in their lives and passions, c) me learning about my students’ interests to cater the curriculum to their needs, and d) me learning about their strengths and needs with respect to writing.

How do I purchase that many journals?

I invite students to get their own journal. They enjoy picking them out. But I always buy a few dozen cheap journals before the school year starts (during the crazy sales) to support students who prefer to use mine. To prevent a divide between the haves and the have-nots, I typically say, “If you don’t feel like going out and getting one, you can have one of mine.” Some teachers request department money be allocated for this.

How do I grade 100 dialogue journals in a semester?

Easy. I stagger when the students turn them in. I take home five to seven journals a night, and I read students’ journals every two weeks or so. If I am having a light grading time period, I take more of them home. I know that this is the scariest part for teachers, but I have always found it to be manageable. I have learned so much about my students’ lives in these journals, and they have been an invaluable part of my teaching.

What ideas do you have for using dialogue journals with students? What recommendations do you have for teachers? I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions! 

Teaching Tuesday: Books for Ricki’s Fall 2018 Adolescents’ Literature Course

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Selecting books for my Adolescents’ Literature course is always a struggle. There are so many good books out there, and a week after I submit my book order, I always wonder if I should have used X book or highlighted the amazing work of X author. I will admit that some of my favorite authors aren’t even on the list. I try to mix it up each semester. I believe that I am only keeping four (of almost forty) books from last semester. This allows me to spread the author love and placate my guilt for not being able to include X work or X author. I am really excited to hear what the students think about the books this semester! Sharing this list brings some anxiety for me. I really struggle to build a list that is diverse, but I recognize that I am missing major topics and texts. This feels inevitable, but it doesn’t make it feel right.

For some of the weekly topics, only one book is listed. This means the entire class is reading the book. For other topics, three books are listed. This means that the class is divided in thirds. Each third reads a different book, and then we look across the texts to talk about the topic. I recognize that categorizing books has its problems, but we unpack this and discuss how it also helps us talk about many aspects of adolescence in a focused way. Many of the texts on this list could fit under several topics.

Identity (and Complications with Studying Identity)

If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth

Nontraditional Forms of YAL

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Family and Friendship

Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Sexuality

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Gender

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

Time and Place

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Grief

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X. R. Pan

Nonfiction

Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi

Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman

Mary’s Monster by Lita Judge

Mental Health

Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert

Considerations of Class

The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner

Me and Marvin Gardens by A.S. King

Refugees and Immigration

Refugee by Alan Gratz

American Street by Ibi Zoboi

A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi

Disability and the Body (Literature Circles)

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Girls Like Us by Gail Giles

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

The Politics of Adolescence

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

What books do/would you include on a course list? 

Teaching Tuesday: Small Things to Build Community and Rapport in Your Classrooms

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For any seasoned teacher, they will tell you that building a community within your classroom will help not only with discipline but also with achievement since students who feel comfortable and engaged in a classroom will be more successful. Here are some tips for helping build rapport and community within your classroom:

Spend Time

Spend some time at the beginning of the year getting to know your students. I know this seems like a no brainer, but you know that your curriculum map always yells at you to get started. However, students are going to do better in your classroom if they feel like it is a place they want to be and learning about them will help you make the classroom that place.

Inventory

Have students fill out interest and book inventories sharing about themselves and read them! After receiving them and reading them, write each student back a letter. The letter can be quick, but make it personal. Take it to another level by recommending books based on their interests!

Allow Input

For rules, for procedures, for texts, for lessons… let students have input! What is the easiest way to get buy in? Allow students to feel ownership of what is going on in the classroom.

Share

Don’t forget to also talk about yourself! Show them you are human.

Collaboration

Part of making community is students trusting and respecting each other. The only way to do this is to allow students to get to know each other through group work.

Greet

Greet every student, every day. Show them from the minute they walk in that you care and are happy they are there. It is such a small thing that will make a huge difference.

Listen

Remember, these are kids we are teaching. Don’t jump to conclusions. Listen to them; they have a story to tell. This will show them that you respect their stories, and giving respect leads to receiving it.

What do you do to help build community in your classroom?