A Creative Strategy to Teach the Love of Writing

By Zemen Marrugi, M.Ed.

Need a creative way to get your students excited about writing?  Check out my video on a teaching strategy that is sure to improve your students’ writing skills.  Whether you are a classroom teacher, academic specialist, paraprofessional, or a parent looking for ways to enhance your own child’s writing craft, you will benefit from this teaching strategy.

Would You Rather Notebooks give students an opportunity to reflect on the material that is being taught in the classroom and share their opinion on two different scenarios.  Here is how you can implement this teaching strategy in your own classroom:

1) Provide each student with a notebook.  You can use any type of notebook as long as it has line paper in it.

2) Give the students a chance to decorate the cover of the notebook so that they can become excited about writing in the notebook.  Be specifics with what you would like included on the cover.

3) Place the notebook assignment as part of the students regular writing exercise.  I strongly encourage you assign this as a small group or independent work during workshop or stations.  This type of writing exercise is not meant to be taught whole group.  This strategy works best if done one-on-one or independently so that students can work on their own pace through the writing sample.

4) You can cross curriculum and have the students respond to a variety of questions related to all subjects.  Modify accordingly depending on the students’ age and content area.  This teaching strategy does not necessarily have to be used during the Language Arts or Reading block.  Students can write in their ‘Would You Rather’ notebooks during Social Studies and Science.  Ask questions like, “Would you have rather been a soldier during the American Revolutionary War or American Civil War?”  Giving the students an opportunity to reflect on the material you have taught them throughout the year will help you measure exactly how much information they were able to retain.

Share your comments below and provide me with feedback on how you feel about the information on the teaching strategy I shared with you.  Let me know what other videos or strategies you would like to learn more about and I will try my best to provide you with the resources in some of my future blog entries.

Blog and video models best practices for creatively incorporating writing in the classroom.

About Zemen Marrugi

Zemen Marrugi is an Assistant Principal and national presenter.  She’s worked as an elementary and middle school teacher and has presented countless workshops on topics like Differentiated Instruction and Creative Classroom Workshop Ideas.

In addition to presenting workshop to elementary/middle school teachers, Marrugi has also presented workshops for college activities personnel at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Association for Student Advancement District 5 Great Lakes Conference and the National Association for Campus Activities Regional and National Conventions. Her experience in the educational world is very broad and includes both private and public sectors.

Marrugi received her Bachelors from Wayne State University in Elementary Education and her Masters from Grand Valley State University in Educational Leadership. She holds a professional teaching certification and a school administrative certification. Marrugi also has an English Language Arts endorsement. Click here for more information on Zemen Marrugi.

The Heart of a Teacher

By Zemen Marrugi, M.Ed.

That moment will forever hold a special place in my heart because it had made me proud of reaching my goal and having my name outside my first classroom made it all surreal. I had finally made it! I was now Ms. Marrugi, Homeroom Teacher.

Since that August morning in 2007, the enthusiasm about preparing my classroom has continued to grow and I still find joy in decorating themed bulletin boards every month and making positive phone calls home, reminding parents of the special potential that exists within their child.

Over the years, I have been blessed with countless amounts of homemade cards, teacher paraphernalia, and gifts, big and small, from my students, their parents and family members. They have surprised me with delicious red apples on my desk, a slice of cake from their siblings’ birthday parties from the weekend before and have gone out of their way to collect the most random purple items for me since they know it is my favorite color.

A precious letter and apple I received from my students a few months ago.

I stayed after hours, preparing the perfect lesson and came up with the most imaginative way to introduce a topic that most people would describe as dry and tiresome. From fractions to Ancient Rome, economics and learning how to make inferences-all lessons were important and I treated them as such. To this day, my students do not know if I have a least favorite subject because when I present a topic, regardless of my personal feelings towards the subject or how intimidated I might feel about teaching the material, I always present the curriculum with excitement. I use colorful and weird props because I know that the students will find them amusing.

Over time, some of my peers have shared my passion about the floor decorating contest and the reading month festivities and they, too, joined me in wearing silly costumes and made a fool of themselves-all in the name of teaching. Others were not be as encouraging as comments about me being an “over-achiever” tried to discourage my sense of joy about my job as a teacher.

When I decided to begin teaching Middle School, I heard various comments about the pre-teens not being as interested in the “creative stuff,” but that could not be any further from the truth. My sixth graders enjoyed glitter just as much as my fourth graders did. Beginning the lesson with a silly anticipatory set or using incentives like having lunch with the teacher and greeting them with a smile and a handshake every morning were not just things appreciated by elementary students. Moving to sixth grade also reminded me that every student, regardless of age and grade level, may still be in need of drastic academic intervention.

The life of a teacher is a daily rollercoaster filled with the good, the bad and the ugly memories. During the summer, I wait with anticipation, imaging how the year would play out by the following June. I welcomed new students in September and by November, I knew so much about each student’s family and academic history that you would think I had been in their lives for years. I have laughed my heart out as they shared funny stories about family members and cried my eyes out when I heard of tragedies connected to one of the angels in my class that had mistakenly called me mom on numerous occasions.

One of the hardest moments of my life was when I was reminded of how cruel life can be and no amount of tissue or comfort could ease the pain in my heart as I saw one of my precious angels lying peacefully in a casket. When I started my teaching career, I knew I wanted to make a difference in the lives of the students in my classroom, but I did not realize on how much they were truly going to impact my life. The compassion that my students have demonstrated have restored my faith in humanity and when I think of all the baggage they carry as they face another school day, the definition of perseverance becomes a little more clear to me.

Thoughts of how to improve a lesson for next year’s students are always on my mind as I add new concepts to my personal collection of perfect lesson plans. Whether on vacation or surfing Pinterest, I save, pin, like and share random ideas that I know my students can benefit from in my classroom. Snapshots of decorated doors, workshop stations and class agendas fill my phone’s storage capacity because I know that in spite of how successful this year’s students were, my next class will need just as much care, if not even more.

To my fellow educators, I encourage you to keep the following three things in mind every morning as you walk into your classroom:

1) All students have the ability to learn and with proper academic assistance, differentiated instruction and rigorous assessment, each and every one of them will achieve academic success. Stop blaming it on the lack of parental participation, stop blaming it on the lack of supplies and resources and stop blaming it on the politicians that have no idea what you go through on a daily basis. You decided to become a teacher because you knew they needed you and although the decision did not come with a warning label, you still need to be your students’ biggest supporter and the driving force that will make the difference in their lives.

2) Every lesson can be interesting if the teacher takes the time to make it so. Sometimes, all it takes is a hat or a silly change of accent to get the students engaged in a lesson. Get creative! Get creative! Get creative! Most importantly, you have to let students think that you enjoy teaching every subject, every lesson, and every topic that is on the lesson plan, even if that is not the case because your sense of respect and enthusiasm towards the curriculum will rub off on them.

3) Learning is fundament, even for teacher! From first year teachers that are fresh out of college to the veteran professionals that have been in the field for decades, learning is always going to take place in the classroom for the students and their instructor. The more accepting you are of construction criticism, the better the teacher you will become for your students. Put all pride aside and know that even the most skilled craftsmen are always ready to improve their techniques.

For my parting words of wisdom, I just want every reader to remember that these words are not just my own, but they lay keep in every teacher’s heart. We selected this profession because we want to play a small, yet vital role in reshaping the future. From coast to coast, in classrooms of five to five hundred, from pre-kindergarten to college level courses, we commit our lives to being a positive reminder to students of all ages that regardless of where they come from and what they may have experienced in their lives, all things are possible if they just work a little harder at excelling academically.

10 Fun Snow Day Ideas for Parents

By Zemen Marrugi, M.Ed.

Everyone loves an unexpected Snow Day every now and then. However, it is easy to run out of ideas on how to keep your children busy throughout the cold day, while at the same time keeping the content educational. Here are some fun activities to do with your children on the next unexpected Snow Day.

Crafts Corner
Take some construction paper, glue and markers and get creative with your child. If you are short on supplies, recycle old newspapers and make a papier-mâché project. Another inexpensive project would be to make a snowflake banner out of copy paper. Have a conversation on why it is important to recycle.

Couch Potato Movie
Get a couple of blankets and enjoy a movie of their choice. If you have more than one child, have them each add a movie title in a cup and randomly pick one for the whole family to enjoy. Use this moment to review their elapsed time skills. If we start the movie at 3:00PM and it will last an hour and a half, then when will the movie finish? Also, if we only have three hours before dinner, then how many movies can we watch?

Baker’s Delight
Nothing says snow day like the smell of freshly baked cookies. Have your child help you make breakfast, lunch or prepare the table for dinner. Utilize this time to review their measuring skills by using related vocabulary throughout the whole process like cups, quarts, gallons, etc. Do fun things like encouraging them to figure out how many cups are in a quart by pouring liquids from one into the other.

Write a Letter
Help your child write a friendly letter to their grandparents or a friend that moved away. This will help them practice what a friendly letter includes and also give them a great opportunity to keep in touch with a loved one. FYI-A friendly letter includes the date, heading, greeting, body, closing and signature.

Virtual Museums Tours
Some museums have virtual tours on their websites. Take a tour and learn something new with your child. Parents should also monitor local museums for any special exhibits coming to town regarding their child’s area of interest and grade level content.

Spelling Word Games
Keep a folder of your child’s spelling words for the whole year and review them throughout the school year. On days like this, take out the words and make a game out of them. For every word spelled correctly, they can earn a minute towards an incentive of their choice like playing their video games. Also, you can also place each word on an index card and have them practice putting them all in alphabetical order.

Make a Snow Man
Bundle up and let Frosty greet all of your neighbors with his corncob pipe and button nose. Have fun making a snow man and snow angels with your children and remember to take lots of picture because these are the moments they will cherish for many years to come.

Snow Candy
Growing up, my siblings and I loved eating the snow. Drizzle some syrup on the white snow and have fun comparing old fashion candy with today’s traditions. This can be a great lesson on discussing how modern technology has changed the way candy is made today. You can also take this time to add a quick Science lesson by analyzing the tiny snowflakes. Get a magnify glass and have your children critique different snowflakes and before you know it, they will realize that no two snowflakes are alike.

Flash Cards
Flashcards are easy and inexpensive to make and can be used for review of alphabets, vocabulary, colors, and shapes. Regardless of your child’s age, flash cards are a great way to review grade level content material. Place a vocabulary word on one side and the definition on the other side.

Educational Websites
Most schools are purchasing online subscriptions for their students to websites like studyisland.com, Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, etc. These websites provide personalized assignments to students based on grade level. A personal record is kept of each student’s completed assignments so parents can monitor growth and give their child an opportunity to complete additional work for much rigorous instruction.

Snow Days can be unexpected, but if you prepare some of these projects in advance, then it can also be a great opportunity to teach your child something new.  I recommend you complete some of these items in advance and store them in small plastic bags. These activities can also be fun during the weekends. Remember, above all things, keep it fun, keep it educational and keep taking those pictures because these are priceless childhood memories that they will love to look back on when they get older.

About Zemen Marrugi

Zemen Marrugi is the Founder/President of Those Who Can, Teach! and an experienced teacher and national presenter.  Marrugi has worked as a classroom teacher and has presented workshops on topics like differentiated instruction and the writing process.  In addition to working with elementary/middle school teachers, Marrugi has also presented workshops for college activities personnel at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Association for Student Advancement and the National Association for Campus Activities.  Click here for more information on Zemen Marrugi.

Different Types of Genres

By Zemen Marrugi, M.Ed.

A story’s genre identifies what type of story you are reading, all based on who the characters are and their actions. With that being said, teaching students about the different type of genres can be very confusing. I recommend breaking down the genre categories by Fiction and Non-Fiction. First, I like to teach all of the fiction subgenres since most students will be familiar with the examples I will use like fairytale, mystery, and science fiction. The scaffolding aspect of teaching is always important so since the students are able to connect the new information to prior knowledge, the lesson will run smoother if you start with something they have already mastered.

After the students learn the fiction subgenres, you can then move on to the non-fiction subgenres. Remember to go back and re-teach the previous information throughout the year to make sure they have learned the content and are able to retain the information.

Here are other ways of teaching genres:

1) Book Excerpt Sample: Use excerpts from a variety of different books and have students guess what genre each entry represents. Most importantly, students should be able to example why each book belongs to a specific genre.

2) Book Categories: Students can organize the classroom library by genres.

3) Book Reports: Students can be assigned to do book reports on themed genres. You can assign a different genre every week.

Feel free to print the attached Genre Poster I created for my students as an additional classroom resource.  This post includes a list of all fictional and non-fictional subgenres, along with a desciption of each genres.

Fiction

Realistic Fiction

Science Fiction

Historical Fiction

Fantasy

Mystery

Drama

• Tragedies
• Comedies

Folklore (Traditional Literature)

• Fable
• Fairytale
• Tall tale
• Myth
• Legend

Non-Fiction

Information Text

• Pamphlets
• Brochures
• Flyers
• School textbooks/workbooks
• Guides
• Booklets
• Notes
• Advice column
• Newspaper  Editorials

Biography

Autobiography

Essay

Persuasive Writing

Speech

Genre Descriptions

1)    Genre: A genre is the type of story you are reading, all based on who the characters are, the setting, and the characters’ actions during the story.

2)    Realistic Fiction: A realistic fiction story is one that can actually happened in real life, but the characters are make-believe.

Ex: Junie B. Jones

3)    Historical Fiction: A historical fiction story is one that is set during a historical event from the past, but the characters are not real. The characters of historical fiction stories behave and dress just as people would have from that time period.

Ex: Number the Stars

4)    Autobiography: An autobiography is a personal narrative that a person writes about his/her life. Note that the prefix ‘auto’ means self.

Ex: Diary of Anne Frank

5)    Biography: A biography is a story about a person’s life written by another person.

Ex: The Life of Frederick Douglas

6)    Science Fiction (Sci-Fi):  Science fictional stories are based on the just that-science! These are stories that take place on other planets, involve futuristic weapons, aliens, and advanced machinery.

Ex: The movie ‘Back to the Future’

7)    Mystery: The genre of mystery is fictional and revolves around solving some type of crime where the reader is encouraged to put together clues based on what is being read.

Ex: Sherlock Holmes

8)    Fairytale: Fairytale are stories that are told to younger children that include magical creatures and fairies. The Brothers Grimm were two German brothers that collected a ton of different folklore stories centuries ago and recorded stories that were only shared verbally. The theme of number three sometimes reappears throughout fairytales. (3 sisters, 3 pigs, 3 musketeers, etc.)

Ex: Cinderella

9)    Legend: A legend is a story that explains why certain things have come to be the way they are today, all based on information that is passed down by generations. At times, these stories can revolve on a folklore hero.

Ex: Robin Hood

10) Myth: Mythology is a symbolic genre that uses gods and goddess to deliver the meaning behind natural events. Some characters are based on real historical figures.

Ex: Hercules

11) Poetry: Poetry is a form of rhythmic writing that is meant to be represented artistically and draws a passionate response from the audience. Examples can include slam poetry, comedy, drama, epic, sonnet, erotic, nonsense, lyric, mythopoeia, romance, satire, tragedy and tragicomedy.

Ex: Works by Maya Angelo

12) Drama: The genre of drama includes plays that are made to be performed in front of a live audience with the use of dialogue between characters.

Ex: Shakespeare Plays

13) Fable: Fables are stories that are meant to teach a moral lesson, highlighting the difference between right and wrong.

Ex: The Ugly Duckling

14) Horror: Horror stories are fictional and are meant to scare the reader through suspense and creepy scenes.

Ex: Freddy vs. Jason

15) Humor: Stories that fall in the humor genre are fictional and are meant to make the reader laugh. This genre can also be a subgenre in all of the other genres. For example, a character in a mystery book can say a joke that is meant to make the reader laugh.

Ex: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

16) Tall Tale: Tall tales are funny stories that include exaggerated behavior where the character becomes a hero without really trying because the powers come naturally.

Ex: Paul Bunyan

17) Speech: A speech is a public address meant to be recited in front of a live audience.

Ex: “I have a dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

18) Essay: An essay is a short fictional or non-fictional writing that mirrors the author’s outlook or point of view on an issue.

Ex: “Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson

19) Folklore: The reasons behind the everyday norm that people have come to expect to be a part of their lives. Folklore explains why people do the tings they do because it is the study of people and their everyday lives.

Ex: Detroit’s folklore about hanging shoes from street lights

2o) Fantasy: A fantasy is a story that cannot take place in the real world because in most cases, the location does not exist in the real world. These examples include Middle Earth and Narnia. The problems the characters go through are sometimes not similar to issues people go through in the real world like rescuing a princess.

Ex: The Lord of the Rings