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Monday, May 4, 2020

Activities Using Depth and Complexity for Teacher Appreciation Week

There are some activities that I do year after year. For Teacher Appreciation Week, I usually do teacher themed read-alouds and reading response activities. There are some that we can still do even in our virtual environment.

My favorite books about Teachers:


The little boy thinks his teacher is strict until he runs into her outside the classroom and gets to know her as a human being.


This story makes me cry because we have all had students like this one who feels misunderstood based on their behavior.


So 20 years ago I was sitting in class on my way to getting certified to teach. The professor read this book to us. It is still one of my favorite stories to read to students. Some of my students and I have been communicating with each other through letters. I wish I could give each one of them a copy of this book!


In the beginning this is a great discussion starter about what makes a good teacher. Willow is one of those students that her teacher just doesn't understand. She doesn't do things the desired way-she thinks outside the box.


When asked who my favorite teacher from literature is I think I have to say Miss Honey. She recognized the strengths and giftedness in Matilda and also the way she advocated for her.



Some activities using Depth and Complexity to go along with this unit:

Language of the Disciplines-Think like an architect. We review terms like "blueprint" and "arches". The students then design a house with a teacher in mind.

Multiple Perspectives: If I were a teacher, I would.....(see, feel, wish, do what?) These answers always intrigue me because they say things like I would never make students clean up or make recess be all day. It opens up a discussion on what makes a good teacher.

Trends: teachers past, present and future. What was teaching in a one-room school house like? Back then teachers could hit kids, was that right?

Ethics: I read Miss Nelson is Missing and we discuss if it was right or wrong for a teacher to trick her kids?










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