Teachers Carry Big Bags of Tricks

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that we have to tap dance, and tap dance fast. It is in those situations that I'm thankful I'm an old teacher because my bag of tricks is pretty large.

I had been using the book, A Quiet Place by Douglas Wood to work with 4th graders on adding rich details to their work. As I read, we charted specific nouns, active verbs, similes/metaphors, and personification. As a whole group, they helped me brainstorm examples of these on my favorite place, the beach. Later students were asked to meet with a partner to discuss their individual quiet places and brainstorm some possible words they could use before filling out their graphic organizers. The lesson had gone great with the 4th grade class and I left them independently writing with their classroom teacher, as I rushed to my next class.

I walked into a 3rd grade class prepared to pull a small group for remedial help, only to find out I was teaching two 3rd classes as a large group (We do that to maximize my contact time and the teachers are there to support and monitor as I teach.). Quickly I pulled out the book again and began to read it asking students to listen to the pattern of the story and the language being used. After several pages of reading and discussing, I asked students to take out their writer's notebooks, draw a t-chart, and we started to listen for specific nouns and active verbs used by the author. After reading the story, I asked students to label the right side of the t-chart with their personal quiet place and brainstorm some specific nouns and active verbs they could use. We ran out of time and two days later, I went in to model how I had written a poem about the front porch in the house where I was born after showing students my brainstorming that looked just like theirs. Students then worked independently to write poems or stories as the classroom teachers and I rotated around the room conferencing. The results were wonderful!

You know, so many times we spend hours planning every part of a lesson carefully, and then the unexpected happens. It is, often, in those unexpected times that the best lessons are born. It is when we go with our gut, our knowledge of what kids need to know, and we use our bags of tricks. That's why I love children's literature!!!! Every book has the potential for lessons that connect with kids in ways no textbook or basal can. So...old teachers, don't forget your bags of tricks and, young teachers, start filling yours. I assure you there will be ample time to use them.