Dear colleague,
For many years now I've been grateful to be in touch with Alfred G. Waters Middle School in the Appoquinimink School District in Middletown, DE. My first visit there was for a PD on literacy across the school day, and it helped me clarify the ideas that I would eventually lay out in These 6 Things: How to Focus Your Teaching on What Matters Most. Since then, school leader Dr. John Tanner has continued following my work and finding smart ways to weave it into what the AGW Shark faculty are working on.
Last school year, Dr. T shared something he observed teacher Chrissie Curcuru doing with her English students. It was so good that I had to ask for permission to share it with you, as it's one of those things you can take and use tomorrow if you'd like.
The Rainbow of Why Reflection Activity
(Here's a link to make a copy of the worksheet.)
Basically, Chrissie just combines the Rainbow of Why thinking tool (explained in this guide and in the Value section of The Will to Learn) with the mechanics of Chris Hulleman's “Why This Could Matter” t-chart intervention. But to help her middle school students find more success, she's translated the different colors of the rainbow into sentence starters, thus helping her students get into the work of writing with greater speed and effectiveness.
If you've struggled before in using the t-chart exercise, it might be worth printing this guy off and giving it another go.
Sharing in case it helps!
Teaching right beside you,
DSJR
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