Change Your Students' Responses to Text Using the Three Book Approach

One thing that inhibits student discussion at all levels is the fear that they did not come to the correct answer.  We, as English teachers, know that there is simultaneously a correct response and a validation of practically all responses, but students have a difficult time compressing that information in to trust that they can give their thoughts and epiphanies on a reading passage.

In my AP class, we do this first week, when we take "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and break it apart using as many different literary criticism as possible.  In my regular inclusion English IV class, we use this in our first book, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time when we discuss the chapter where Father hits Christopher.

I draw this on the board, stopping to explain before drawing the next image:

Once I draw BOOK 1, I say this is the author and the book he wanted to write.  It is what was in his head as he envisioned the plot, characters, setting, etc.

Then I draw BOOK 2 and explain that this is the book that was written.  We all know that the ideas in our head does not always come out clearly in our writing.  Plus, this has undergone revision, editing, advice from trusted readers, publisher mandates, and many other things that changed the original idea.

I wrap up with BOOK 3 - this is the book we read in our head.  Everyone in the classroom read the same text, but because we all have different life experiences, different relationships with parents, friends, neighbors, different cultural backgrounds, and different environments in which we read (some of us were distracted, others hyper focused) - all these things lead to different feelings, different interpretations, different focuses.  In the "Woods" poem, our experience with snow and nature and possible previous interactions with Robert Frost impact out reading.  In Curious our relationship with our own father (or lack thereof) and our connection to someone on the spectrum will determine if we can forgive Father after this.  All these reactions are legitimate and part of the reading process.

It's why some people can (wrongly) enjoy the Star Wars sequel movies - they don't have the same baggage I bring with me to the movies.

Of course, just because we have certain reactions to characters and situations that differ from everyone, that doesn't dismiss the intention of the author and that can lead to a discussion of whether or not Shakespeare was successful in his intent to create an intense scene or Twain's ability to get his point across.

This discussion carries through my entire year and we often reference that third book.  It has increased participation in class discussions tremendously for me.

Characterization - Two Questions to Spark Discussion

I saw a quick interview video clip of author Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl) talking about character creation. He has the ability to create rich characters and supporting characters that feel like they have their own stories independent of the protagonist. He was asked how he does it and his reply is two questions - ones that I think our students would benefit from when analyzing characters:

1. What do they want?
2. What are they afraid of?

He says once he knows those two things about a character, it informs everything they do - whether it be shopping or fighting. 

If you've read the book, you get why the cat is wearing a tiara, sunglasses, and is riding a velociraptor. 

I will be using this today in my discussion with my students on the characters of Brave New World. Two simple questions that should spark quite a bit of discussion. Or maybe it won't. Who knows?

Here is the clip if you want to use it in class (it is less than a minute long): https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQk2M7IDOv2/

Famous Last Words

 I don't know how much you know about this guy:

His name is Thomas de Mahy and he was the Marquis de Favras during the French Revolution.  He was arrested and condemned to death on the testimony of two men, but without corroborating evidence.

So why does he get his own post on Extreme English Teachers?  Because of his last words.

Upon reading his death warrant, his only response was, "I see that you have made three spelling mistakes."

Ha!  THAT is AWESOME!  If you've got to go, might as well go out in style.

Encoding

 One of the things on my PDP this year is to connect back to current theories and research in the field of education in general and English specifically.  It's to varying degrees of success.  One of the things I did do is to subscribe to a few email publications in these areas.  

I've given up on many of them because they are pushing hard for using AI to develop lesson plans.  I have strong feelings on that.  One email that I still have coming is Peps Mccrea.  It's not that I am in love with this weekly email, but it seems to be focused on how kids learn and think and while I know this, it's always a good reminder.  When I see something, I can look at my current practices to make sure that I am still doing it the way it needs to be done.  Take this week's email, for instance:

Big idea  The best teachers use lots of quick activities during their explanations. Choral response, turn-and-talk, MCQs. We tend to think of these as ways to check for understanding, or to sustain student attention. Both are super important… but there's something even more fundamental going on. Every time we ask our students to briefly use an idea we've just introduced, we're catalysing encoding: the process by which learning gets embedded in the brain. When we just explain, our students have to try to encode by listening alone. It's a bit like trying to press a shape into hard clay without actually pushing down. The information touches the surface, but doesn't leave much of an impression. This is weak encoding. Which is why, when we explain lots of new ideas back-to-back without encoding along the way, most of it gets forgotten. It's like someone reading out a long string of numbers and expecting us to remember them all. So why does actively using knowledge make such a difference? When we have to produce an answer (rather than merely receive it), our brain treats it as a much more valuable thing. Even something as brief as a true-or-false question forces our students to rehearse and reorganise the idea. That creates a much deeper neural impression than merely listening alone. And further: brief encoding moments don't just strengthen what came before... they also improve our students' ability to encode what comes next. Retrieval seems to clear working memory and reset attention, making the brain more receptive to new information. So when we pause to encode after introducing each new idea, we're not just consolidating existing knowledge: we're prepping for more. In short, if we think of these moments primarily as checks for understanding, we’re likely to underprice and so underuse them. But if we see also them as vital encoding opportunities, we'd do them far more often. Which would be a very. good. thing.  For more, check out this paper on retrieval practice.

Summary Effective teachers frequently use quick activities to check understanding, often catalysing encoding without realising it.  When learners actively use knowledge, learning is strengthened. Encoding moments both consolidate prior knowledge and prepare the mind for what comes next.

Little updates  Study on praise → finds mixed impact on motivation & performance depending on setting. Paper on psychological needs → links need fulfilment to improved motivation & resilience. Research into curiosity → suggests it may drive science learning more than intelligence, once prior knowledge is considered. Paper on long-term memory → suggests retrieval depends on similarity, not storage location.

You are doing this, I know.  But it helps to serve as a reminder when I am looking at materials that I am creating and ask myself if I can be doing this more.  I would be remiss if I used their content without providing a link (no, I am not getting anything from this - I use their free service only): https://snacks.pepsmccrea.com/subscribe?ref=ynYI2eKayJ

Shamless Plug: Title Punctuation

 

Here's a quick and cheap ($2.50 - its a steal!) lesson activity ready to go complete with online self grading quiz for assessment.  Put this lesson in Slideshow mode and just walk your students through how to properly capitalize titles.  It's easy and takes about 30-45 minutes of class time.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/XET-Title-Capitalization-and-Punctuation-7065284

I use it every year for my regular, honors, and AP Lit students.  

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/XET-Title-Capitalization-and-Punctuation-7065284

Some Literary Term Blookets for you to use

 

Here are a few Blookets I made for my class that you can use so your kids don't get tired of the same wording on yours:

• Literary Terms
• Literary Terms II
• Literary Terms (Backwards)
• Tone Words
• AP Lit Literary Terms
• AP Lit Literary Terms (Backwards)
• AP Lit Poetry Literary Terms
• AP Lit Literary Terms III

Teaching Inference with "The Chaser" by John Collier

John Collier has an excellent short story for teaching inference to high school students.  It is called, "The Chaser."

You can get a copy of it here: https://eerdalsblg.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/the_chaser-collier.pdf

If you've never read the story, do so now.  It won't take you long.  I'll wait.

For lower reading level classes, I like to put groups in teams and let them read it together and figure out why  the glove cleaner does.  The story is short (the version I found above has it in three pages, but the hard copy of the one I use in class is one page front and back) which is important to me.  I need my works short so we can focus on the matter at hand.

The story itself is fun. Now, when you or I read the story, we immediately see how this old man is setting up the younger man.  We understand that this "love" he will experience can only be solved with the "glove cleaner", but the students don't.  Especially 9th and 10th graders.  They struggle. 

So I let them try and figure it out as a competition.  The first group to figure it out gets a prize (homework passes or team points).  The second group gets a little less. The third group a little less.

I also have hints that they can buy with their team points (but you can maybe use something else if you aren't playing a game in your class).

How long will it take?  Well, it depends on how good your students are.  I always have a homework assignment that they should work on while waiting for the other teams to finish.  It usually takes about 30 minutes total, but I've had it last for over 45 minutes before.