Over the past five weeks, I have worked with a group of 9th-12th grade teachers to vertically align their curriculum and to “jazz” it up. In essence, they went through the gauntlet of my Masterclass, but with a curricula twist.
At the end of our time together, we spent some time debriefing the Masterclass and the process, and I asked them to tell me their top-five takeaways.
1. Students, even the best of them, thrive as writers when they are provided with workable templates and heuristics.
2. Foundational literacy acquisition is key in teaching flow, rhythm, voice, nuance. These skills can be taught and learned very quickly.
3. Not only do my alternative grading methods greatly reduce our biggest professional burden, but students flourish when we implement these practices.
4. “Bob Ross-ing” our instruction is key in terms of our students growing and maturing as writers.
5. The Masterclass Library, with its 150 video writing workshops, is a huge classroom asset that changes the face of how we teach writing.
We’re at the end of the academic year, and given the context of teaching in a pandemic, most of us are spent. Professional development is in the far peripheries of our thoughts and concerns. But I encourage you to head into summer with a solid plan for next year.
In talking to teachers, one thing that got lost this year is the love we once had for teaching. I truly hope that all of you can find it again. I know with my utmost conviction that if you learn and implement my templates and alternative grading practices, your life in the classroom will be 100% more manageable.
The next Masterclass begins June 13th and will run for five weeks (off July 4th weekend). Reach out if you’d like more information or a Zoom tour of the course and contents. There are still a few seats available. There will also be sessions in July and August.
Happy teaching and happy writing!
Kristian
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