Teacher’s Corner

Four things your students should know:

1. Ways to be independent.

2. The rules.

3. How to make up for things they do wrong.

4. How to get back into the good graces of those they care about when they mess up.

You can help your students know all of these things.

Writing Prompts and Discussion Topics 

The following are based on the blog, “And Calm Fell Over the Household”

1. You are with some brand new friends. They want to play a game. You agree to play, but you don’t know the rules, and are embarrassed to ask. Write two paragraphs about what it feels like to play a game not knowing the rules.

2. Do you think students are given enough independence at school? Write the first paragraph of a “Student Declaration of Independence.” Include the type of independence you are declaring and why you think it is justified using evidence you have seen, heard, or read about.

3. Do you think students should be allowed to rewrite papers and retake tests to get better grades? Why or why not?

4. Write to a friend to explain what restitution is and what it has to do with making up for a wrongdoing.

Teachers, you can use this blog in classrooms. Here are two ideas about how.

1. For middle or high school parenting or child development courses:

• Use the blog for discussion topics

• Require students to research the topics and agree or disagree with what the blog is suggesting.

2.  For all courses, especially English Language Arts:

• Use the blog for writing prompts for paragraphs, theme papers, journal entries, class starters, etc. Have students read the blog and respond to:

  • Do you agree with what is being said about kids? Do kids really act, think or feel that way?

  • Do you agree with what is being said about parents, grandparents, teachers and child caregivers? Do or should they act, think or feel that way?

  • What would be your advice on this topic?

  • What was left out of this article?

  • If you were a parent, would you use any of this information? How?

Why can this blog be a useful teaching tool?

• Students that see connections between their coursework and their lives do better in school.

• Most students will either be parents one day or have children in their lives that they care about, so the topical information can help them build their knowledge about children and parenting and develop a positive image of the type of parenting they want to do.

• The new core literacy standards adopted by most states call for frequent writing in all courses.

• Newly developed end-of-course assessments to be used by many states will require that students demonstrate that they can think critically. These prompts help students practice critical thinking.

• Newly developed end-of-course assessments to be used by many states will require that students demonstrate that they can analyze what they read. These prompts help students practice analysis.