I teach eighth grade, and much of what I do feels like a panicked rush to make sure the students are ready for high school. That phrase, said in an ominous tone, replete with hazy images of terrifying upperclassmen the size of titans and teachers more like harpies than humans, is an unveiled threat. Soon our darling cherubs are going to leave the cozy womb of nurturing middle school and be dumped into the arctic waters of high school; if they aren’t ready, they’ll drown! So, we inundate them with note-taking strategies and five paragraph essays and citation formatting and primary source documents and all the other heavy hitting stuff that will make them READY.

If I sound bitter, well … maybe I am. I remember back in the day when I spent months reading every word of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM with my kids, staging episodes of Jerry Springer in which Hermia confronted her domineering dad, Helena revealed Demetrius to be her baby daddy, and the most coveted role for the boys to play was that of the on-screen bouncer.

Man, we had fun then—booing Egeus and cheering Lysander and encouraging the lovers to fight. I don’t feel like I have the time for such fun anymore. My focus has switched from providing students with experiences to providing them with practice. Practice writing essays, practice reading poetry, practice with the classics.

As any reflective teacher does, I find myself questioning—am I doing the best I can for these kids? Is practice important? Of course it is, but is it any more important than laughing our way through a unit, instilling a love of literature along the way? Heck, no.

So, I thought I’d share one of my go-to end-of-year assignments—and maybe inspire some of you to add a little fun back into the serious work of learning.

Haiku Master

Easily accomplished in two class periods, this lesson pairs poetry with something my students can’t get enough of: competition.

Start by turning your classroom into “Haiku Stadium.” The physical set up is important. Try to arrange your desks so there is an outer ring and an inner ring, with two desks facing off in the middle.

You’ll need to give your students a quick review of the basic 5-7-5 haiku. As a class, we practice writing lines with the correct number of syllables. In my class, we begin writing about pretty much anything: video games, football teams, boyfriends. However, since true haiku is about nature, not emotions, we do eventually return to the rules once the class is comfortable with the form.

Here comes the part the kids like: I bring them outside and tell them to collect inspiration. If we’re gonna write about nature, we need NATURE! Rocks, twigs, moss, flowers, leaves—dead and living, everything is fair game. Once I even let kids bring in bugs (but I didn’t make that mistake again).

Then each student sits with their inspiration on their desk and waxes poetic. After a few tries, I begin timing them. I may give the kids five minutes to write and gradually shorten it to three. Then I collect all the haiku and read them aloud without any names attached. If the haiku has the correct number of syllables, is about nature, and makes the reader feel emotion, it goes in the “contender” pile. Students then vote on their favorite haiku. You can select as many semi-finalists as you like.

When semi-finalists are selected, they move to the center ring and are assigned one new piece of nature each. They are given a finite amount of time, and the results are collected and read as before. This time, two finalists are selected. They move to the two desks facing off at the center of Haiku Stadium, and they are given three minutes and the same piece of nature about which to write. The winner at the end is crowned Haiku Master!

As I said, my kids love competition. They buy in almost immediately. You can go all out with ribbons and prizes and certificates and face-offs between class champions. Or it can be a quick little enrichment activity. For as simple and silly as this assignment is, it never fails to produce multiple touching pieces.

Don’t let the laughter and cheering fool you; these kids are learning. With exercises such as these, your students can have a little fun and still be ready for high school in the fall.

Mary Cotillo is an 8th grade ELA teacher at Horace Mann Middle School in Franklin, MA. Mother to two children, she enjoys engaging in light saber battles and hanging out on soccer fields. She earned her National Board Certification in 2009.

© 2012 Mary Cotillo. Please do not reproduce in any form, electronic or otherwise.

Teaching is hard. Really hard. There is not one teacher that will deny it. Of course, I love it—most days. I love the kids. I love the daily challenges. And I’m constantly learning to be the best me in the classroom to push through those challenges and meet the needs of the students.

But why try to do it alone?

There are a number of engaging social media sites that can connect us with educators and literacy experts. I’ve learned that there are MANY smart teachers across the world that I can connect with and learn from daily. Building my personal learning network (PLN) has been a goal of mine this last year and I have found a fun way to do it!

Teachers are always searching for new ideas and novel explanations, expanding our knowledge or understanding about a topic, or just looking for a fun, yet meaningful craft. The internet alone has provided teachers with an immense amount of information.

You may have heard of this booming new site that everyone is checking out. Pinterest is the fastest growing social networking site that allows its users to collect, organize, and share great ideas—and this hot social networking tool can really enhance your PLN, too! How? By connecting you with educators who share your interests from all over the world. It’s really that BIG!

So, What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is an online bulletin board where you “pin” (or collect) interesting images on your own virtual boards. It’s sort of like bookmarking, but way better because you are posting a visual image, instead of that lengthy website address or title of a site. (Now that I think about it, I never do go back to those bookmarks!)

Let’s say you are browsing the web and you find a great site, such as a resourceful teacher’s blog or an idea that you want to remember—just pin it using the “Pin it” button! It’s really that easy. In addition, I love that you can click on the image and it will take you right back to the original source to gain more information or even more ideas.


Easy as One, Two, Pin

Your first step is to get signed up at Pinterest.com. Currently, it’s by invite-only. You can request an invitation from Pinterest directly, or you could be invited by someone who is already a part of Pinterest. You will then register through your Facebook or Twitter account.

Yes, you read that correctly. In order to sign up to use Pinterest, you must have a Facebook or Twitter account, as Pinterest is a social networking site. Their ultimate goal is that you are “social” about your pins. (Side note: If you don’t want your pins to pop up on your Facebook wall or Twitter feed, you can change the privacy settings on those respective sites after signing up.)

Complete your profile and update your account settings. You are almost ready to pin!

“Pin It” Button

Click on the “About” menu and select “Pin It Button.” There are directions on how to install a “Pin It” button in your bookmarks bar. For me, it was as easy as dragging the “Pin It” button and dropping it in my bookmarks bar in Safari. Done. Of course, I realize technology isn’t always that cooperative, so there are more detailed directions on the “Goodies” page if needed.

Ready? Set…Pin!

Once you find an image that you want to pin, click your “Pin It” button and all the images that you can pin on the webpage will appear. Select the image that you want to pin, choose the board (refer to “Creating Boards” below) where you want to pin it, add a description, and click “Pin it.”

Searching Pinterest

Another perk of Pinterest is that you can search a topic without having to leave the Pinterest site. In addition, the search results allow you to view pins about the topic, boards with the keyword in the title, or people with the keyword in their name. Basically, this means that you don’t even have to leave the Pinterest site to search for ideas!

Recently, I have been thinking about updating and changing the “Thinking Journals” I currently use in my classroom and create more of a Reader’s Notebook. Sure, I could Google it, but then I’d have to scroll down a long list of sites, look for a reputable name, click on the link, read to only find out that it’s not what I am really looking for, then return back to the long list of sites...and the cycle continues on and on for pages and pages.

With Pinterest, I typed “Reader’s Notebook” in the search box in the upper left hand corner and I was immediately pleased to see over a hundred visual “pins” full of reader’s notebook ideas. And, thus, a new board was born: Reader’s Notebook. I am already implementing changes and love being able to easily go back to one site with all the ideas of collected.

Creating Boards

Organizing your pins is easy. Click and create a board to pin ideas on about anything! To create a board, click on the “Add +” in the upper right hand corner and select “Add a Board.” You can also create a new board as you are pinning something.

I originally started a “For the Classroom” board, which then led to a “Reading Workshop/Daily 5” board. And then, over the course of a year, I’ve created 32 boards—a mixture of personal and professional boards. I’ve noticed my ideas start BIG, but eventually, I zero in on specific hot topics and create a new board.

Following Pinners

If you find a pinner (a.k.a. one who uses Pinterest and pins) that you love or share similar interests, you can follow her and be updated with all the pins she adds daily. (I do say “her” because about 80% of Pinterest users are currently women.) You can follow a person and all the boards they have created, or you can follow individual boards that interest you.

When you are on the Pinterest website and signed in, you will notice this page is constantly updated when the people you follow add new pins. Watch your personal learning network grow! I recently learned that you can share pins with people you follow and you can also create boards where others can contribute as well. Another great opportunity to share and collaborate with your PLN!

Repin, Like, or Comment

When you hover your mouse over an image, the social aspects of Pinterest appear. You can select to “Repin” an image that you found while browsing. When you repin, the pinner who first pinned the image will also get credit, and repins maintain the original link of the image.

You can also “Like” a pin—giving it props that you like it. And, if you really want to say something about a pin, go ahead a leave a “Comment.”

Pin Etiquette

Any site that you sign up to use has fine print. Of course, there are many copyright laws, but it’s best to remember to:

1. Pin from the original source.
2. Give credit where credit is due.
3. Include a thoughtful description.

Still Pinterested in More?

• Check this out: I started an “All A-Board Pinterest” with more resources!
• Go straight to the source for more information: Pinterest Help Page
• Feel free to send me an email, or find me on Twitter @litlearningzone, and I’ll do my best to help answer any questions!
• Come find me on Pinterest! Click HERE.

Happy pinning!

Michelle Nero is a reading specialist at a K-5 elementary school in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. She has been teaching for 12 years and has been a member of the IRA for just as many. As she continues to engage in learning, she professionally tweets (@litlearningzone) and writes about teaching and practicing her craft on her blog (Literacy Learning Zone). Michelle is reading, writing, and reflecting to be the best she can be in the classroom, all the while balancing life at home with a supportive husband and two year old twin daughters. As she says, “Balancing is oh-so-difficult and oh-so-important!”



TILE-SIG Feature: Why Pin It When You Can Learn It?

Teaching Tips: A Peek Inside—Digital Tools that Empower

As an adult reader, I am allowed the luxury of reading at my own leisure. There is no one monitoring my progress or checking my fluency. There is no one to make corrections to my pronunciations or miscues, or interrupt my reading by asking me questions, especially when I’m immersed in the best part of the book.

Most kids, especially those in the first few years of learning how to read, are not allowed these reading pleasures. We as educators and parents hover over their little shoulders ever-ready to make corrections. We have our own goals to reach that are dependent on these young readers to excel. But what many children need most is a stress-free, friendly, and safe learning environment with a non-judgmental friend—“man’s best friend”, a dog.

Welcome to Reading with Rover.

Reading with Rover is a community-based literacy program that reaches out to young struggling readers all across the Northwest. The program trains dogs and their owners to become Reading with Rover D.R.E.A.M. Dog teams. After they have completed all of the training requirements, they are allowed to visit schools, bookstores, and libraries to listen to young boys and girls read books to them.

The young readers are not judged on their reading level or skill. Instead, they are given the freedom to simply enjoy books of their choosing and at their comfort level with their new friend. The dogs are calm, responsive, and ever so attentive to the child and their chosen books!

For younger siblings, there is a Coloring Corner where they can sit and color puppy pages with an adult supervisor. They are in the same space as the Reading with Rover dogs and their owners so they receive some of the same benefits, but at a short distance.

Reading with Rover in the Classroom

The beauty about Reading with Rover is that it is not only for young readers just learning how to read. I had an opportunity to visit a designated Reading with Rover location in Redmond, Washington. I spoke with a second grade teacher who has a group of four to seven Reading with Rover dogs and their owners that visit his classroom each week. The teacher said he also invites the older students from the EBD (Emotional Behavioral Disorder) classroom to join this group of readers. He shared with me how the interactions between the younger students, the dogs, and the older students benefit everyone. They all enjoy learning and especially learning how to read together. The younger students like having an older buddy to read with them and their dog. The EBD students are calm, open to learning, and act as mentors to the younger students. Everyone is at a different stage in their reading ability but at the same stage of reading enjoyment!

This is a quilt that was made by the second grade students. The quilt was auctioned off at a school fundraiser. Unbeknownst to Mr. Daly, his parents were the winning bidders! They in turn gave the quilt back to his classroom.



Community Service

At the same location in Redmond I also met Gaby and her dog Ruby.

Gaby is a high school senior who chose Reading with Rover as her community service senior project. Gaby and Ruby were acting as a Greeter Dog team. Their job was to greet the children and their parents as they joined other Reading with Rover dogs and their owners who had completed their required training. Acting as a Greeter Dog team is one of the requirements before becoming a full-fledged Reading with Rover D.R.E.A.M. Dog Team. Soon, Gaby and Ruby will be able to read with children in the main reading room.

Reading with Rover provides a wonderful opportunity to capture the interest of teens and young adults and the importance of literacy and becoming life-long readers.

Reading with Rover in Your Neighborhood

If you are interested in learning more about Reading with Rover and all the fabulous benefits for children, dogs, and adults, I suggest you begin by visiting their website at http://www.readingwithrover.org.

Live outside the Pacific Northwest? There are similar animal-assisted literacy programs in operation all over the globe! Try entering “reading to dogs program” and your geographic location into your favorite search engine to see what’s available near you.

Kathleen A. Hunter, MS is a literacy tutor and aspiring children's book author. You can visit her online at www.KathleenHunterWrites.com.