One of the unexpected joys of working with teachers in a coaching cycle includes what am able to take away from the experience. This year, the talented teachers I have worked with have taught me so much. One of my goals is to share more of the amazing things that teachers are doing in their classrooms as much as possible. In the spirit of this, I would like to highlight one teacher’s spin on the traditional “publishing party.” In Elizabeth Link’s second-grade classroom, students brought their nonfiction topics to life by creating a Living Library. Here’s how it happened in her words: I was beginning to feel like our writing unit celebrations were feeling a bit stale for the kids and me. Having the students reread their pieces to a buddy no longer felt engaging. Because we were preparing to celebrate a nonfiction writing unit, I felt this was a great opportunity to create more enthusiasm around a writing genre that can sometimes feel bland. At first, I did some brainstorming of my own and came up with the idea that the students would act like library shelves holding their books. I thought it would be fun for them to become animated once a first grade buddy chose their book to read. I felt like my idea was headed in a good direction, but needed perfecting. I presented my class with the idea and we immediately began brainstorming together. My imaginative second graders collaborated to create the concept of the Living Library! The Living Library involved students dressing to match their nonfiction topics and standing as statues holding their writing masterpieces. Once a first grade buddy approached them to ask about their book, they came to life and shared their piece! As soon as they finished sharing their piece, they returned to their location and became a statue again until they were chosen by a new reader. The first graders were instructed to ask, “Why should I read this book?” The second graders prepared memorized 1-2 sentence responses to persuade the readers to choose them from the library. This enabled them to be not only informative, but persuasive as well. The thing I loved most about the celebration was the excitement from the kids! It was also wonderful to see them self-monitoring the entire process. I look forward to enhancing this idea next year by encouraging more students to be in full costume. I also plan to invite all grade levels in to visit the Living Library, as well as family visitors! In reflection, I felt that the Living Library acted as a showcase for their learning and an enriching culmination to the unit!
3 Comments
Kelly
5/24/2017 06:45:34 am
This sounds like a really fun way to share with others. I am sure the students took a lot of pride in their work and their writing.
Reply
5/24/2017 11:27:34 am
I was fortunate enough to spend some time with the students during this lesson. It was a wonderful experience and the students learned so much about their topics. Nice job, Liz!
Reply
Jen Mc
5/24/2017 06:07:00 pm
What a wonderful way to celebrate writing! I love the fact that you included your students in deciding HOW to go about this idea. Inquiry at its best!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
About ChristyHi there! I love all things literacy, working with amazing teachers as a literacy coach, and spending time with family and friends. My hope is to create a space for teachers to learn from each other, discover something new, and to feel inspired. Thanks for visiting my blog! Archives
December 2015
Categories |