This Halloween, in a cavernous large-group instruction room at TJMS (AKA the Flex Room), 6th grade students sat side-by-side and read scary stories to one another in the dark!
Well, maybe not fully in the dark, but by the dim glow of a flashlight.
The students had authored the creative tales they were sharing. Reading to a peer presented a new audience, an audience which to some was intimidating. (Yes, a teacher’s feedback matters - but as much as what a peer thinks?) Many students donned Halloween costumes and gear, adding to the festive spirit of the day.
Lisa Ferguson and Kristen Janowiak, TJMS’s two 6th grade ELA teachers, approach their library days with a collaborative and integrative mindset. Not only do they strive to expand each student’s community by sometimes combining classes, but they also want their students to connect the writing that they do to the books that they choose to read.
Ferguson states: “Writing can make a student a better reader, and reading can make a student a better writer.”
Janowiak continues: “Yes, and we want to keep making that connection with our students.”
The mini flashlights helped to create a unique, memorable experience for the students. With flashlights on and distractions off, the students shined a spotlight on their words, words that told their stories, words that had an impact on their peers.
While one half of the combined group shared their stories, the other half worked in the media center with Ms. Hurley to take care of book needs - including browsing displays of “Spooky Reads” and newly added books.
Next up, the teachers are planning a writing assignment based on each student’s free-reading book. What a treat for the students!