Navigating Book Bans: Keeping Choice Alive in the Rural Classroom By: Dr. Mark A Curcio

 Navigating Book Bans

Keeping Choice Alive in the Rural Classroom

While writing my dissertation on the development of male adolescent readers, I explored a range of theories that shape student growth—topics like student choice, reading fluency, and stamina all played central roles. But one issue came crashing into focus as I wrapped up my study: the contentious topic of book bans and censorship. It’s a debate that resurfaces yearly, sparking intense discussions among ELA teachers and making headlines nationwide. This isn’t just a distant controversy; it’s impacting real classrooms, especially in rural communities, shaping what students read and how freely they engage with literature.

During my studies, I noticed a clear divide in attitudes toward censorship that often reflects the “urban-rural political divide.” From my experience as an adjunct professor in the city of Pittsburgh and a full-time high school teacher in a rural community, this divide is hard to miss. Generally, urban areas lean more liberal, while rural regions tend to be more conservative. And it’s often in these rural, more conservative areas where we see the most challenges to books in school libraries. 

A “rural area” is designated as one with a population of less than 1,000 people per square mile. In Westmoreland County, several school districts are considered rural due to their geographic location, low population density, or the communities they serve. Although the county includes more urbanized areas, especially around Greensburg, much of the land is rural, with small towns, farmlands, and natural landscapes characteristic of the Appalachian region. This rural landscape influences local community values, economic activities, and educational policies, which can play a role in debates around issues like book censorship in schools.

Unfortunately, the landscape of book censorship has only intensified over the past decade. In 2023, a record-breaking 4,240 titles were targeted for removal across the U.S., shattering the previous year's high of 2,571. Many of these books tackle social justice, discrimination, and equity themes that provide students with important perspectives they may not encounter otherwise. In Pennsylvania, school boards have the authority to pull books that don’t align with federal and state laws, including First Amendment standards. The American Library Association warns that limiting access to such books restricts exposure to diverse viewpoints, which can be deeply harmful. 

ALA: Number of Book Titles Challenged Across the Country Per State in 2023

This access issue has specific implications for rural schools, especially for young male students who often crave control over their learning. Books that support self-efficacy for adolescent males—particularly those from low-income backgrounds—do so by (1) promoting psychological well-being, (2) reflecting shared struggles, (3) offering guidance on handling current challenges, and (4) highlighting the gaps between real-world experiences and fictional portrayals. Censoring these books denies students the chance to connect with stories that validate their struggles and restricts their exposure to the “real world” beyond their immediate surroundings.

Book bans can feel like something that happens “somewhere else,” but that’s no longer true. While Virginia is often spotlighted for high-profile bans, Pennsylvania is seeing a similar rise in censorship efforts. In Hanover County, Virginia—a suburban and rural mix—a recent vote granted the county full authority to remove books from school libraries without input from parents or teachers.  Moves like this send a clear message: educators, librarians, and even parents are losing a say in what students can read.

So, where does that leave us as teachers?

If choice in reading is a major motivator, what happens to rural students when that choice is taken away?

One way to address this challenge is to intentionally structure choices in a way that genuinely supports students. For example, engaging students in the book selection process, offering thoughtful suggestions, and helping them connect their choices to their interests and goals can empower them to take ownership of their learning. 

Another way to increase choice in reading is by dedicating periods to independent reading group discussions. This past weekend, I came across a Netflix commercial that skillfully turned the common phrase of recommendation, “it’s so good!” Through reading groups, this phrase can be used to talk about books. Like music and TV shows, sometimes all it takes is for the right person to give the right recommendation at the right time. 

Trust me—I understand how stressed and burned out we are, but students must experience the growth that comes from reading. If we want them to read books, we must prioritize them in our classrooms through choice, no matter the challenges we face. 

“Who Killed Jay Gatsby?” Introducing Fitzgerald’s Classic Novel with a Murder Mystery By Abby Weller-Hall

 “Who Killed Jay Gatsby?” 

Introducing Fitzgerald’s Classic Novel with a Murder Mystery

By Abby Weller-Hall

I’ve been teaching F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic The Great Gatsby for sixteen years now. I could probably recite the novel cover to cover. For other English teachers, this may feel like a life-sentence being chained to a classic. You might be asking, how do you not lose your mind “beating on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly” to reteach the same novel year after year?

I have taught Gatsby in a number of school settings from suburban and rural brick-and-mortars to statewide cyber schools. I’ve taught Gatsby from the lowest levels to AP Literature and everything in between. Every year I look forward to it because I learned how to make a book about horrible rich people be interesting to teenagers who, given the choice of following the rich, would rather be watching the Kardashians on TikTok.

The introduction to the novel is the key to engagement. If you are also teaching Gatsby this year, ditch that lame anticipation guide and instead host an interactive live-action game of Clue that everyone participates in as either a character-actor or a detective to discover who killed Gatsby. Here’s how to do it: 

First, hype up the event by handing out fancy invitations (made on Canva; example below) to the Gatsby Murder Mystery Party a couple of weeks in advance. Be sure to mention it daily! 

Next, ask for volunteers to be the actors for the following roles: Tom, Daisy, Nick, Jordan, Meyer Wolfsheim, Henry Gatz, Ewing Klipspringer, a Funeral Director, and a Journalist. A Google Form will help you collect student acting interest. However, assure the actors that they don’t need to memorize any lines, just read them from their character’s clue sheet. 

Each actor gets a brief description of their character and several clues that they can tell if the “detectives” ask. The clues should include some red herrings, of course! 

Note that I create characters not in the novel (i.e. the Funeral Director and the Journalist) to help sell the mystery.  There are also characters I didn’t include, but certainly could be added (i.e Owl Eyes, Michaelis, Myrtle’s sister Catherine, etc.) For extra fun, give the actors props too (Daisy gets a pearl necklace, Meyer gets a couple of fake molars, etc.). Encourage the actors to dress fancy for the day.

On the day of your Gatsby Murder Mystery, have students enter a classroom that is somber (because it’s a funeral for Jay Gatsby). Put up a sign indicating that George and Myrtle Wilson’s funeral is tomorrow. If you really want to sell it, get a prop coffin from a Halloween store.

As students enter the room, give them a “case file” checklist of characters where they can write down how characters respond to the questioning. Students are told they can ask any of your actors to tell them something about any other character (Ex. “Daisy, tell me something you know about Jordan”). Actors will reveal one of their clues when asked. 

Questioning goes round-robin, with all students writing down responses. All students must listen carefully to find a line of questioning that produces fruitful responses. After about forty minutes of questioning, students are asked to write down the three characters they think were either directly or indirectly connected to Gatsby’s murder. Pat yourself on the back for getting those speaking and listening standards met!

The students will expect you to tell them the correct answer at the end, but that’s where you hook them and say they’ll find out by reading the book! This is followed by a collective groan, but believe me, as kids read they will still be trying to figure out the mystery.

Although (spoiler alert) we know George is the killer, the discussion at the end of the novel about who was indirectly responsible for Gatsby’s murder is going to be the best discussion of the year because they have been primed to be looking for that the entire novel. The students will be reading with purpose, and that’s what any English teacher wants!

I’ve been doing the Gatsby Murder Mystery for nine years now and even adapted it for virtual settings. It takes some time to develop the character clues, but just consider what each character knows about the other characters in the novel. Then pick some detail that could be misconstrued. For instance, ask the journalist about Gatsby and he might say, “I heard he was a German spy.” After students finish the novel, I ask them what clues they would have given instead! This will help them analyze the character-plot connections.

Every year students say it was their favorite book and I really believe it’s because the murder mystery party tricked them into analyzing literature much deeper than they had before. The murder mystery can be done year after year without ever getting boring. 

So when someone tells you that you can’t relive this past, tell them “why of course you can, old sport!”

Embracing Linguistic Diversity in the English Classroom Part 2: “Advanced” (or “advancing”) Strategies to Go Deep By: Hannah Lewis

Embracing Linguistic Diversity in the English Classroom 

Part 2: “Advanced” (or “advancing”) Strategies to Go Deep

By: Hannah Lewis

Back in August, I drafted my blog post, “Embracing Linguistic Diversity in the English Classroom,” which has become a two-installment series, the first of which went live on September 1.

 
Since then, I’ve had numerous opportunities to center language, and I’m excited to share not only some other strategies I use in my classroom but also to talk about what I’ve seen from my students in the past month or so.
Some strategies from the first installment included introducing code-switching, elevating dialect-rich texts, and allowing students to teach you about their languages. 

I want to start by sharing some additional techniques and invite you to find ways to build linguistic diversity into your classroom.

4. Invite your students to use their dialects and home languages in their writing as much as possible:

I believe that this is the most powerful and also the most challenging tool in our teaching toolbox. But how do we find the time to invite students to write in home languages or dialects when we haven’t yet guided them to mastery of the SAE we are required to teach? Honestly, it comes down to a question of priorities. For me, it is urgent for all of my students to understand that language diversity is a strength, not a weakness.

One example in which I was very proud of my students who skillfully expressed their linguistic diversity was the “Remember” poem exercise. I introduce students to Joy Harjo’s “Remember” and then invite them to “reflect back on [their] life, education, values, family, community, and goals. What do [they] want to remember as [they] move into adulthood in the coming years? What is important to [them] not to forget?”

The poems students generate are always very high-quality, since (I hope) the question is relevant to them as they prepare to conclude their junior year.

There is nothing in the directions for this assignment that specifically invites students to include home languages or dialects, though I do account for those choices in my scoring rubric, in which “style and conventions” are measured by “appropriate and creative stylistic choices” as opposed to, say, “proper grammar and punctuation,” whatever that might mean. However, thanks to the personal nature of the assignment and (I hope) the culture of linguistic inclusivity I’ve built, I receive beautiful works like this one, excerpted below:

Read
The hospital records […]
“January 30, 2008: 20 lbs. 6 oz., [student full name], severe allergies to animal dander, chickpea,
dairy, gluten, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts…”
Read
The last resort, a homeopathic regimen, a recommendation from a friend of a friend of a friend
(The Desi Way™)
"આસિનકમ આબમ: ખોરાક સાથે દરરોજ 3 વખત 3 ગોળઓ" (“Arsenicum album: 3 tablets 3x
daily w/ food”)
"કક રયા કાબિનકા: 5 ગોળઓ દરરોજ 2 વખત, સવાર અને રાે " (“Calcarea carbonica: 5 tablets
2x daily, morning & night”)
"નેમ ુરયાટકમ: 3 ગોળઓ દરરોજ 3 વખત ખોરાક સાથે" (“Natrum muriaticum: 3 tablets 3x
daily w/ food”)

When I was grading these poems, I saw this as an opportunity to give my students a platform, so during our next class, I created a “gallery walk.”  I asked five students (including the poet excerpted above) to lead breakout rooms (remember, I’m teaching virtually. In a classroom, they could just be standing next to their poem, or not representing their poem at all, but visiting other poets’). Students moved from one poem to the next and did a fairly straightforward “I notice/I wonder” activity like this one.

5. Teach the history of linguistic erasure

This recommendation is short and sweet. Although I’m inviting readers to teach history, know that as English teachers, the history of English is a part of our curriculum, and English has a long history of swallowing up or stomping out other languages.

Teach students about how enslaved Africans were forced to learn English as a survival strategy, learning from enslavers and from their peers who spoke dozens of different African languages, and how they were denied the right to learn to read and write because reading and writing give people power.

Teach them how boarding schools in our own state housed abducted Indigenous children and enforced strict “English Only” policies that have decimated Indigenous generational language transmission.
Knowing the destructive power that requirements to speak a certain way can have can help students understand why honoring linguistic diversity is so vital to a fair and equitable society. 

What if I don’t have any students who speak Gujarati (or any other language than English), or any students who speak AAVE, either? 

First, I’d invite you to ask yourself how you know. Even the most homogenous-seeming affluent, rural, or suburban schools can serve many minoritized communities, and those students may especially need safe spaces to express and explore aspects of their identities that their peers might not share or, worse, might criticize. 

However, even if you feel quite sure that there is little linguistic diversity in your primarily-SAE-speaking district, consider this: Your students may need these lessons more than anyone else. Too often, I hear linguistically privileged adults–even teachers–lament students’ “terrible grammar” and “awful writing,” without realizing they are engaging in a form of prejudice. By exposing my students who grew up primarily speaking SAE and being rewarded for it to the beauty English has to offer outside the limitations within which how they speak it, my hope is that, in the future, they will recognize the legitimacy of the language others’ use, and they will be less inclined to judge someone’s intellect or education based on the way they speak. 

While we may not all always be able to leverage students’ linguistic diversity to expose their peers to brilliant, interesting, and relatable people who speak differently than they do, we still have the opportunity to be thoughtful about the texts we teach, the media we share, and the way we talk about writing and speaking outside of SAE conventions. 

Further Reading:
For those who have not yet read Gloria Anzaldúa’s “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” I highly suggest that, as a teacher of the English language, you try to find the time to read it. Anzaldúa does an incredible job of explaining the impact of her Englishes on her identity. I’ve used it in the past with my A.P. Language and Composition students. For younger students or those whose reading skills need developing, Julia Alvarez’s “Names/Nombres” is another great choice.

Call to Action: Maybe you haven’t given much thought to the tensions between building up students and their communities on one hand and insisting on a single, correct version of Standard American English in your classroom. Now that you know, what will you do to ensure that you leverage your classroom to uplift linguistically diverse students and their communities?

Appendix: Want to see how my pedagogy for linguistic equity is playing out in my classroom so far? I’ll attach an appendix with some artifacts from this school year that have really helped me to feel like I’m getting my students to think critically about the role of language in their lives and in the lives of others. Find the appendix here.

Embracing Linguistic Diversity in the English Classroom Part 1: The Groundwork by Hannah Lewis

Embracing Linguistic Diversity in the English Classroom 

Part 1: The Groundwork 

by Hannah Lewis

As English teachers, we wield a tremendous power that we don’t always fully appreciate. Forget the MLA or the Webster’s Dictionary editors—it’s we who serve as the gatekeepers of the English language and its necessary conventions of writing. 

That said, how do we ensure that our classrooms value and celebrate the linguistic diversity our students bring? How do we balance the demands of teaching Standard American English (SAE) with the need to honor and uplift students' home languages and dialects?

Our Reality

I’ve always felt a tremendous tension between the grammar programs I use, like No Red Ink and IXL, and my goal, which is to create an expansive environment in which students’ Englishes are valued as rich additions to my own English. I love a good mastery-based grammar program as much as the next teacher; I find it really helps me to hone in on the specific skills students understand or don’t yet understand. However, this year, I’m really trying to foreground my pedagogical goals and leave these tools to run in the background—to give less weight to what the “right” way to write is and more to the value of students’ authentic voices. In the age of A.I. Large Language Models1, as I envision a dystopian future of homogenous and bland computer-generated writing, this mission feels more urgent to me than ever.

In this post, I’ll outline some of the foundational strategies I’m using to set the stage for a linguistically inclusive classroom. These strategies are designed to help both students and teachers begin the journey of valuing and celebrating the rich diversity of Englishes we encounter in our classrooms. 

And stay tuned for Part 2, which I'm calling "Advanced Techniques," but that any interested and experienced educator can certainly leverage in addition to those listed here.

1. Introducing the concept of “code-switching” early and often:

"Code switching," broadly speaking, involves a speaker "going back and forth between one language and another or one dialect and another."

While I try to start with a very objective definition of code-switching and a brief history of the term with an Encyclopedia article (which I had my students Jigsaw, ultimately creating group slide presentations), I have gotten a lot of mileage out of this excellent video from The Huffington Post, which does an excellent job of explaining the stakes, in particular, for Black folks who speak versions of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and do or do not code-switch in some contexts.

At my school, we use grammar programs like those mentioned above on a weekly basis as a supplemental tool for grammar instruction, and I include a link to this video every time students are assigned one of these grammar assignments.

Is this sufficient to communicate the relative value of the Standard American English (SAE) conventions they’re learning compared to their home languages or dialects? Honestly, probably not. I feel like the majority of our instruction in school kind of undermines the message I’m trying to convey, but I do feel like it at least gets kids thinking about this tension.

2. Elevating works that make stylistic choices that prioritize dialect or language play:

My favorite text of the year to teach is Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. It’s widely included in American Literature survey courses and regularly taught in U.S. high schools, and it’s incredible. We read it right alongside “How it Feels to be Colored Me” and excerpts from The Warmth of Other Suns, which I think is really important because it highlights the context into which Hurston is writing and also legitimizes her as a woman who really knew what she was doing with language—who intentionally chose to write in her own version of AAVE and, as a result, was not celebrated for the novel’s brilliance at the time when she wrote it.

CommonLit does an awesome job here of both introducing students to Hurston’s vast expertise in language, but also demonstrating the ubiquity of dialect in the U.S. My students especially loved (and, I think, benefitted from) this video, detailing the way dialects (specifically, accents) correspond to migration patterns, ethnic groups, etc.

Making intentional choices about including linguistically diverse texts can be a pretty effortless way to weave a critical discussion of language into our curriculum.

Oh, an important note: I’m not sure how everyone will feel about this, and I’m sure that some might disagree, but I prefer not to read excerpts from this novel aloud myself, or to have students read it aloud. I believe that attempting to read her dialect will result in a clumsy approximation that will only serve to reinforce negative perceptions. That said, hearing the text helps students immensely with comprehension and adds a second layer of appreciation to Hurston’s linguistic choices, so I tend to use an audiobook (this one is very good). This is a choice I’ve grappled with for a while, so if anyone has a different take, please see my contact information below and let me know!

If you teach younger students, Hurston may be out of reach, but I’ve also used Langston Hughes’s “Mother to Son” along with Rhina Espailat’s “Bilingual/Bilingüe” to similarly teach the richness that dialect adds to a text—that couldn’t be accomplished with SAE.

3. Let your multilingual or multi-dialectical students teach you about language:

This is something new I’m trying this year. I’m very fortunate to teach in a pretty diverse school. I always like to start the school year by opening up the course title (“American Literature” or “Language and Composition”) for discussion: What does each term in the title include/exclude? What do we recognize as “American,” “Literature,” “Language,” or “Composition”?

This year, it occurred to me to be explicit about why this inquiry is worthwhile: in my district, there are at least 30 languages spoken in students’ homes. We only have records of home language if the primary language at home is not English, so there are likely more multilingual students in the school than are represented in the home language report.

So I created a discussion as a sort of preview of the course title discussion to come.

I compiled the list of languages and determined how many speakers of each were identified and then used Word It Out to create word clouds that represented the languages and the words in each for “welcome.” I used that to start a discussion. I just shared the discussion with students today (August 28th), so I haven’t had too many responses yet, but I deeply appreciate the rapport I’m able to set up already with one student (see Padlet post screenshot).

Conclusion: Laying the groundwork for a linguistically inclusive classroom requires thoughtful planning and intentional choices. By introducing concepts like code-switching, elevating works that prioritize dialect, and inviting students to share their linguistic backgrounds, we create an environment where all students feel valued and heard. In the next post, I’ll delve into more advanced strategies for continuing this work and ensuring that linguistic diversity remains a central part of our teaching practice.

Remember, stay tuned for Part 2 where you'll get to see some work from the true experts, some of my students who are code-switching pros and who thrive when they are allowed to deviate from SAE in the classroom!

Movement as Motivation in Middle Level ELA By Mrs. Jessica Hill and Mrs. Abby Beukema

Movement as Motivation in Middle-Level ELA 

By Mrs. Jessica Hill and Mrs. Abby Beukema 

As teachers, we are up against seemingly insurmountable odds: capture short attention spans, prepare students for standardized tests, manage classroom behaviors, ensure all minds are engaged by appealing to a variety of modalities, and the list goes on and on. At Beaver Area Middle School, we have been focusing on adding a certain element to as many lessons and classroom routines as possible – movement. From what we have observed, movement increases interest, aids retention, and enhances classroom culture. Admittedly, increasing the amount of movement in our class periods was daunting at first, but the pay-off seems to be worth it. 

The following are two ideas we have tried and found helpful in beating the aforementioned odds with our seventh and eighth grade learners: 

Get Students Up and Moving with Vertical Features 

Our ELA classes use a twist on one of Peter Liljedahl’s practices for what he calls a “thinking classroom.” We use vertical, non-permanent features such as whiteboards or interchangeable daily questions mounted around the room. Students meet in small groups to discuss questions, tasks, or images at these spaces to start the class period. Students typically return to their seats after this time more engaged and ready to learn. 

Some logistics that have made this work for us: 

• Many worksheets can be converted into questions hanging around the room. The students are given a paper on which they record answers. Typically, it is a template that has boxes indicating each station, additional prompts, and/or directions. Hanging on the wall is the question or additional information that they would need in order to complete the task on their paper.
• Flexible stations. 6 Stations hanging on the wall around the room may easily be converted to 3. Divide the room in half. The students on the right half of the room circulate through 3 stations on the right, and students on the left half of the room circulate through 3 stations on the left.
• Clipboards! Students put their papers on a clipboard to work as they move around the room.
• Adding whiteboards to your classroom decor can prove helpful in creating this up-and-moving collaborative learning environment. 6-10 whiteboards strategically positioned around the room allows students to answer questions, solve problems, and brainstorm ideas. The added bonus here is that an easily-erasable surface encourages students to make mistakes and revise as they discuss. While this tends to be a practice used in math classes, it is great for working with mentor sentences, prewriting, anticipation questions, and more. It is also a great classroom management tool! While a teacher takes attendance and prepares for class, students are moving and collaborating on something that helps hone their focus for the lesson to come.

Quick Design Challenges 

After reading a text, students are asked to demonstrate their understanding by designing with 3D materials such as playdoh, foil, Legos, etc. For example, students could design something that represents the main conflict of a story. For more advanced students (or for a longer challenge), students could design a product that a character in the story could use to solve a problem. 

Some logistics that have made design challenges work for us: 

• Run timers for the 3 main segments of the design challenge: 

1) Plan 

2) Build 

3) Share.

During the “share” segment, students do a “gallery walk” to observe others’ designs and ideas. 

• Give students a paper template to fill in while they plan their design. For example: 

We designed ____. This represents the theme of the story because ___.

This paper can become the placard displayed with their 3D model when it is time for the gallery walk. 

• Keep it simple! If desired, the whole design challenge could be completed in 10-15 minutes. 

"Won't You Be My Neighbor?": Fostering Connection through Mister Rogers' Legacy By: Sarah Wilt

 "Won't You Be My Neighbor?"

Fostering Connection through Mister Rogers' Legacy

By: Sarah Wilt

During a school year where teachers nationwide have been taking to TikTok to share their classroom challenges, professional learning communities have become more important than ever. Recognizing this need, the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts (PCTELA) hosted a professional development book club this past February. Led by 2023 conference committee co-chairs Emily Trace and Ryan Kaiser, this book club served as a follow-up event to PCTELA's annual conference, where keynote speakers Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski shared insights from their book, "When You Wonder, You're Learning." Similar to the viral Tiktok discussions, the PCTELA book club offered educators a space to share their experiences and explore the teachings of Fred Rogers, creator and host of the popular television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

Over the course of four weekly meetings, book club participants delved into different chapters of the book, engaging in collaborative discussions inspired by Rogers' profound impact on education and personal growth. The diverse group of participants—from various education levels and career stages—contributed to rich discussions and an exchange of valuable insights. 

One strategy that resonated with the group was the concept of daily 'vibe checks.' Inspired by Mister Rogers' emphasis on nurturing emotional intelligence and fostering a supportive learning environment, I conduct these quick and informal check-ins with my students, asking them if they're striving (behind but have a plan/just need a bit of work time), thriving (on top of all their work/ready for more), or just surviving (struggling/need help). These vibe checks help me gauge their socio-emotional well-being and foster a sense of connection in the classroom. Depending on student answers, class time might shift to be more like a study hall to complete late work or stations in which I can meet one on one with students who are struggling. To my delight, a fellow educator who teaches special education shared that she was inspired by this idea and decided to implement vibe checks in her own classroom. Despite her extensive experience and different teaching context, she found that her students responded positively to this approach. This experience highlighted to all in our group the true value of collaboration and idea-sharing among educators, as we each bring unique insights and perspectives to the table, regardless of our career stage or specialization.

As we explored the book's themes and methodologies, our conversations branched out into various teaching strategies and resources that resonated with Mister Rogers' approach. We shared techniques and resources, such as humy.ai for AI-generated conversations with historical figures, Skype with a Scientist, Wonderopolis.org, and the Wonder Jar, where students can ask questions for their peers to research and answer. These tools, along with resources like Blob Tree, The First Five, and book recommendations, provided a wealth of ideas for participants to implement in their classrooms and share with colleagues at their own schools.

During one enlightening meeting, authors Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski joined us to share further insights, emphasizing the importance of nurturing curiosity and self-discovery in both children and adults—a core aspect of Fred Rogers' methodology. They discussed how creating opportunities for wonder and exploration not only enriches learning experiences but also cultivates a sense of self-awareness and personal growth. A memorable quote from Ryan Rydzewski summed up the essence of our conversations: "It's like going to church. You don't go to church to learn new things; you go to church to be reminded of the goodness we are and are already doing." This sentiment underscored the value of reflective practice and the power of connecting with like-minded educators in fostering professional growth. The book club provided a safe space for us to share not only our thoughts on the book but also our personal frustrations and difficulties, which served as a powerful reminder that we are not alone in our dedication to providing the best possible education for our students, even when faced with obstacles. Through this shared experience, many of us rediscovered our passion for teaching and found solace in the knowledge that we are part of a larger community committed to fostering growth and exploration in the classroom.

The PCTELA book club cultivated a space where educators could collectively draw inspiration from the Quaker principle, embodied by Fred Rogers, that "attitudes are caught, not taught." Through our discussions in February, both Rogers' teachings and the connections I formed with fellow educators motivated me to adapt my end-of-semester research project unit. Instead of giving a specific prompt to my students, I transformed the assignment into an opportunity for students to embark on a personal "deep dive" into topics that genuinely interest them. Now my students are exploring their own senses of wonder and curiosity through developing their own personal research plan and annotated bibliography of helpful sources. This new approach has already generated a palpable buzz of excitement among my students, demonstrating the power of Mister Rogers' methodology. One student shared, "If I put my mind to it, I can enjoy getting my homework done and I can get it done well." Another expressed, "I'm a better thinker and imagine-er than I thought!" Furthermore, a group of three girls, who were not originally friends, all connected over a shared passion in researching possible cosmetology careers and began daydreaming about owning their own salon together some day. By embracing connection and collaboration with my fellow PCTELA educators, my classroom is now becoming a place where attitudes of excitement, growth, and wonder are not only caught but celebrated, leading to greater student engagement and a lifelong love for learning. Now, that’s something worth posting about on TikTok.

To further explore insights from Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski, readers are recommended to visit the "When You Wonder, You're Learning" book website as well as their nonprofit organization, Remake Learning. To learn more about Fred Rogers or to watch episodes of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, readers can visit the official Fred Rogers website.

Guide Your Students in Writing a Personal Statement Essay for College Admission and Self-Reflection By: Alyx Matchett

Guide Your Students in Writing a Personal Statement Essay for College Admission and Self-Reflection

By: Alyx Matchett

The college essay or personal statement, akin to a semi-formal rite of passage, has become a valuable tool in self-discovery for my students, even for those who choose not to apply to college during 12th grade. No matter their post-secondary pathway, we must empower students with the skills they need to navigate uncertainty, make informed decisions, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. It’s not just about crafting a compelling essay or choosing a major; it’s about the transformative impact of providing students the time and space to reflect on what they care about and why it matters. 

Just as classroom teachers strive to understand and connect with each student in their classroom, colleges aim to uncover the essence of their applicants through this critical piece of writing. While transcripts, test scores, recommendations, and activity lists present a snapshot of academic merit and focus, this essay serves as a beacon for colleges and universities, especially the highly selective ones. With an approximate length of 650 words, the personal statement is more than just a piece of writing; it's an introduction to the experiences, moments, and insights that have shaped the students into the individuals they are today. 

Before we delve into guiding your students through the essential elements of their personal statements, let's clarify a few things the essay is not, courtesy of College Essay Guy:

• It's not a typical five-paragraph English class essay with an introduction, argumentative thesis, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• It's not a mere recitation of their resumes.
• It's more than a journal entry, although some structural elements might share similarities.
• And most importantly, it's not an academic essay where students shy away from the personal pronoun "I."

Now that we've established the significance of the personal statement, let's dive into the intricacies of what to include. In guiding your students, it is important for them to understand how this essay showcases the skills, qualities, values, and interests that they will bring to a college campus (and the world at large!). This can be achieved through recounting moments, sharing stories, and reflecting on experiences that have shaped their values, with the exercises linked below. 

Step 1: Brainstorming through Identifying Values and Relatable Experiences

Despite students having the benefit of writing about themselves, students will struggle without guidance.  Since the goal is to reflect on one’s personal values, I suggest students begin with the Values Exercise. 

Once values are identified, students need some self-discovery to determine how those values were formed.  Here is a list of activities that help students find key moments in their lives that students can then connect to their identified values:

• Essence Objects Exercise: Encourage students to brainstorm around objects that hold significance in their lives. These objects can serve as tangible representations of their values, providing material for a compelling story.
• 21 Details Exercise: Guide students to list 21 specific details about themselves. This exercise prompts them to delve into both significant and seemingly trivial aspects of their lives, fostering a rich pool of potential content for their essays.
• 7 Short Brainstorming Exercises: If my students are struggling to find a topic, I will often direct them to this video with 7 more exercises to do on their own. These exercises cover everything from identity to careers to interests to extracurricular activities. 

The goal of this step is to encourage reflection on personal experiences, values, and aspirations, ensuring that their essays are not only compelling but also authentic expressions of who they are. Students may want to include career or academic goals, or conversely, be worried about their uncertainty in this regard. When addressing academic and career goals with my students, I clarify that including these goals are optional and colleges recognize students may still be exploring their paths. 

Step 2:  Choose a Text Structure and Start Drafting

In structuring the personal statement essay, I will suggest two main types: montage and narrative structure.

Montage Structure is a series of experiences and insights connected by a thematic thread. Through this model, you might encourage students to consider exploring different facets of their identity through this approach, such as recounting experiences from various "homes" that reveal different sides of who they are. 

Montage Draft Outline Checklist

Does my montage outline include:

• A topic or theme that is clear? Or is it kind of vague?
• Specific examples in each paragraph? Do they clearly connect to the topic?
• Values?
• Insights (aka “so what” moments)?

Narrative Structure, similar to classic Western story structure, with a focus on Challenges Faced, Actions Taken, and Lessons Learned.  If a student is considering discussing challenges that they have faced, this shows a chronological retelling of how they resolved a problem in their lives.

Narrative Draft Outline Checklist

Does my narrative outline include:

• The challenges you faced?
• The effects of the challenges were on you?
• What you did to overcome your challenges?
• What you learned through these experiences?

These are the most common text structures used in college admissions essays.  Students could certainly get creative in their structure by combining montage & narrative, or by using a different approach entirely. 

Step 3: Offer Feedback like a College Admissions Advisor

Focus on the importance of college-level writing skills such as clear articulation of ideas, strong text organization, adherence to the 650-word limit, and proofreading once the drafting is done.  

Ask questions that help students showcase their core values.  The finished piece should show the reader what kind of person they are. Encourage students to seek feedback from peers, other teachers, and/or counselors.

The college admissions essay process is a journey of self-discovery and expression, offering students the opportunity to reflect on their past, present, and future aspirations. By guiding them through each step with patience, encouragement, and strategic support, English teachers play a pivotal role in empowering students to articulate their stories authentically and compellingly. As they embark on this transformative endeavor, remind them that their voices matter, and their narratives have the power to resonate profoundly with admissions committees. With diligence, reflection, and resilience, students can craft personal statements that not only stand out amidst the sea of applications but also illuminate their unique identities and potential for academic and personal growth.

Here are a few more resources that may help you along the way:

• College Application Resource Hub
• Personal Statement Examples
• The Great College Essay Test
• Revising Your College Essay in 5 Simple Steps
• How to Brainstorm 7 Different Personal Statement Ideas
• Podcast Episode: A Crash Course on the Personal Statement 
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