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Safety and Security, School
(see also Bullying,Terrorism, Tragedy, Violence)
- Safeguarding Laptops and Their Contents
- Preventing a School Hostage Crisis in the U.S.
- Crafting A Workable Cell Phone Policy
- A Crash Test in Drunken Driving
- An e-Interview With Youth Violence Expert James Garbarino
- Schools Combat Violence
- Is the Teacher in the Classroom Next Door a Convicted Felon?
- Safe Schools: Four Web Sites Help Administrators Address a Complex Issue
- Guide Helps Schools Guard Against Violence
- Anonymity Spurs Students to Report Potential Violence
- Badge, Please? Schools Turn to ID's to Enhance Security
- Preparing For The Worst: Why Schools Need Terrorism Plans
- Secret Service Report Targets School Violence
- Learning to Head Off Violence
- Texas Firm Creating Bank of School Safety Information
- Dismantling the Devil's Workshop
- New Web Site Enhances Successful Safety Curriculum
- Strategies to Stem School Violence
- The School Shooter: One Solution Doesn't Fit All
- Information Sharing to Make Colorado Schools Safer
- FEMA Program Helps Schools Develop Emergency Response
- Restraining Orders: How Can Schools Respond?
- Are Our Children Safe In School?
- A Slow Healing: Jefferson County Schools Move On
- School Resource Officers Seeing Results
- Schools, States Review Cell Phone Policies
- Making Peer Mediation a Part of Campus Life
- Good Morning! -- A.M. Announcements Build School Community
- Using Satellites to Track Wandering Students
- To Close or Not to Close: A Superintendent's Winter Worry
- Dr. Ken Shore's Classroom Problem Solver: Preventing School Vandalism
- Dr. Ken Shore's Classroom Problem Solver: Dealing With School Vandalism
- Dr. Ken Shore's Classroom Problem Solver: Preventing Student Aggression
- Tattle Tales
- A Safe and Orderly Environment
- Using Student Ears, Eyes to Stop Crime
- Improv Team Acts to Curb Violent Behavior
- WatchDOGS Unleashed on Schools
- Dealing With Angry Parents
- Improving School Environments Through Green Cleaning
(see Teachers, Salaries of)
- More Schools Turn to Extended Days
- The School Day: Fitting In Everything Requires Creative Scheduling
- Block Scheduling: A Solution or a Problem?
- Around the Block: The Benefits and Challenges of Block Scheduling
- The School Day: It's Not a Race; Let's Change the Pace!
- Chicago, Rochester Offer Flexible Graduation Options
- Making Memories All Year Through
- "Survivor" Fosters Community Through Friendly Competition
- State Your Mission: Creating Mission Statements that Work
- Use a Daily "School Pledge" to Build Community
- Rise and Shine with Morning Assembly
- Does Your School's Atmosphere Shout "Welcome!"?
- Yearlong Themes: Principals Use Them to Build Spirit, Achievement
- Got Motto? -- Twelve Slogans to Help Build School-Wide Community
- Saving Kids from Stress
- Best Bulletin Boards: Principals Share Favorite Hallway Displays
- Bulletin Boards: Powerful Teaching, Community-Building Tools
- Getting the Most Out of School Counselors
- Principals Share Programs That Work
- If You Were Handed a $10,000 Windfall
- Reformers, School Leaders Work Closely to Improve Schools
- Counseling: A School Improvement Tool
- Students Clean Up Their Act and "Dare Not To Swear!"
- Has the Threat of Lawsuits Changed Our Schools?
- States Step Up Efforts to Reduce School Segregation
- Familiar Ground: Traditions That Build School Community
- Logos Help Schools Define Missions
- Is Your School's Culture Toxic or Positive?
- Today's School Nurse: More Than Just a Person Who Bandages Knees
- School Psychologists' Changing Roles, Responsibilities
- 50 Signs Your School Is a Great School!
- The Social Context of Education -- 1997
- Department of Defense Schools: Their Secret Weapons for Success
- Work Ethic Earns Texas School National Spotlight
- Citizens Speak Out on Public Education
- Americans Give Public Schools High Grades
- Predictions for Education in 2006
- Dealing With Angry Parents
- School-to-Work: Connecting Schools and Career Decision-Making
- Florida Meets the School-To-Work Challenge
- School-to-Work: Connecting Schools and Career Decision-Making
(see also Budgets, Facilities, Leadership, Reform, Rural Schools, Safety and Security, Schedules, Standards, Urban Schools) Schools, Partnerships With Businesses
- Need School Supplies? - Ask and You Shall Receive!
- Executives Get an Education as Principals for a Day
- 'Adopted' Classes Thrive with Personal, Financial Support
- Detroit School Repair Program: A Model for Others
- School-Business Partnerships That Work: Success Stories from Schools of All Sizes
- Businesses Provide Supplies, Grant Money
- Are Smaller Schools the Answer?
- Reform Means More Than Just Small
- Grants Allow Schools to Develop Small Communities
- When Size Matters: Making Big Schools Feel Small
- Are Smaller Schools Better Schools?
- Large Schools Should Take Lessons from Small Schools
- Saving a Community's Heart: The Small Rural School
(see also Science Lessons, Science Articles)
- Student Showcase Highlights Science and More
- The Slinky Paradigm: How One Science Teacher (Eventually) Created Another
- Teachers Significantly Impact Girls' Science Views
- Author Makes Science Readable, Enjoyable
- Science Subject Center, Teacher-Submitted Science Lesson Plans Coding and Quilting the Elements
- Why Are Chicago-Area Students Tops in the World in Math and Science?
- Math and Science Achievement: It Starts With Better Teaching!
- Science Teachers at Home on the Web
- High Schools Introduce Engineering
- Toshiba's ExploraVision Launches Student Researchers
- David Willey: "Mad" Scientist, Stunt Man, and Physics Instructor
- A Study of Inventions Promotes Thinking 'Outside the Box'!
- How to Put on a Great Science Fair!
- Online Science Site Teaches Students to Solve Real-Life Problems
- Scientists Pan Middle School Physical Science Texts
- Teacher Promotes Blood Donation Education
- Lab Work Demystifies DNA
- Students Digging Forensics
- Sheila Tobias on Re-Thinking Teaching Math, Science
- Former Astronaut George 'Pinky' Nelson Champions Science Literacy
- Students' Inventions Combine Creativity, Science, Technology -- and Earn Rewards!
- Discover Mars
- Integrating Technology and Science
- New Approach to Teaching Math, Science Spurs Gains
- Helping Children Become "Well Aware"
- World's Tallest Woman Tell Kids "It's OK To Be Different!"
- Advice About Middle School Advisories
- Can Adults Praise Children Too Much?
- 99 Ways to Say 'Very Good'
- Teachers, Students Walk in One Another's Shoes
- Students Teach Students: Using Student Essays To Build Coping Skills and Self-Esteem
- Ten Activities to Improve Students' Self-Concepts
- Self-Esteem, Class Pride
- Rallying Cry from a "Champion for Children"
- "Souper Bowl" Connects Kids to Their Communities
- Growing Caring Citizens Through Good Works
- Kids Can Help Too
- Orphan Train: A Social Studies Project that "Clicked" with Students!
- Community Service: Opportunity or Exploitation?
- Senior Pals: Bridging the Generation Gap with Technology
- Students Learn While Helping at Soup Kitchen
- Service Learning in Action Across the Grades
- Is Community Service a Waste of Time?
- Young Authors and Artists Collaborate on Humanitarian Project
- Close-Up: Four Schools With Award-Winning Service-Learning Programs
- Getting Kids to 'Do Something'!
- Kids Count Clams to Spur Community Cleanup
- Service Projects Help Students Find Their Voices
- Earth Inc. -- A Service-Learning Lesson Plan
- "I Never Knew I Could Be A Hero": Thoughts on Service Learning
- Service-Learning Thrives Despite Less Funding, Time
- Lessons in Service Learning
- Programs Connect U.S. Students, Orphans Abroad
(see also Pregnancy, Teaching About) Sick Schools
(see Facilities)
- The Yin and Yang of Learning: Educators Seek Solutions in Single-Sex Education
- Single-Gender Classes: Are They Better?
- Girls and Boys Together?
- Are Your Students Sleep Deprived?
- Power Napping Refuels Weary Students
- Teens Explore Effects of Sleep Deprivation
- It's About Time (and Sleep): Making the Case for Starting School Later
(see Report Cards)
Social Sciences Subject Center, Social Sciences Lesson Plans, Teacher-Submitted Social Sciences Lesson Plans, History, Teaching About)
- Top Teacher Ties History to Current Events
- Social Studies Fairs Inspire Young Historians
- Making Social Studies Work for At-Risk Kids
- Advancing the Need for International, Global Studies
- Growing Caring Citizens Through Good Works
- Advancing the Need for International, Global Studies
- Every School Should Have a Playground Map!
- GeoGame = Geography + Fun
- A "Boring" Lesson in Geography
- Playground Maps Are an Endless Source of Fun and Learning
- Timelines: Timeless Teaching Tools
- Five Times Five: Five Activities for Teaching Geography's Five Themes
- Twenty-Five Great Ideas for Teaching Current Events
- Ten Great Activities: Teaching with the Newspaper
- It's News to Me: Teaching Kids About the Newspaper
- Read All About It! Ten Terrific Newspaper Lessons
- We've Got News for You! (News Activities, That Is)
- Schools Celebrate Martin Luther King and His Dream
- Social Studies Fairs Inspire Young Historians
(also see Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Gifted Education, Inclusion)
- Resources to Help Reach and Teach Autistic Students
- Helping Schools Do What's Best for Special Ed Kids
- Teaching Special Kids: On-Line Resources for Teachers
- Will the Government Fund Its Commitment to Special Ed?
- Teaching Special Kids: On-Line Resources for Teachers
- How Can Teachers Help Shy Students?
- Helping Blind Students 'See' the Stars
- Taking JayJo to School
- Teamwork Counts (A Lot!)
- Making Inclusion the Norm
- Documentary: U.S. Students No Match for Peers in India, China
- Leveling the High-School Field
- Setting Standards in Our Schools: What Can We Expect?
- Administrators Praise Three-Minute Walk-Throughs
- NEA Launches NCLB Reform Effort
(see also Teaching, Effective Strategies)
- Kids Learn Better With a Song in Their Hearts
- Community Scavenger Hunt Teaches Research Skills, Much More
- Applying Differentiated Instruction
- Lean Regime: A District Cuts Almost Half Its Administrators
- Boosting Test Scores: "Principal" Strategies That Work
- Principals Share "Best Meetings of the Year"
- Student-Centered Learning: The First Steps Are the Hardest Ones
- Hold an Interest Fair: Broadened "Science Fair" Taps All Subjects, Students' Interests
- Teaching About Current Events
- Tackling Big Projects: No Wonder Students Get Frustrated!
- No-Grade Assignments Open Up Student-Teacher Communication
- Put On Your (Six) Thinking Hats!
- More (Short) Tests Can Help Learning
- Somebody Needs You: Larry Bell
- Always Strive to Be a Better You: Pete Hall
- Student-Led Conferences: A Growing Trend
- Student-Led Conferences Successful in Elementary, Middle Grades
(see also Mobility)
(see also Testing )
- Mapping Instruction With Interim Assessments
- No Time for Reading -- A Lesson Learned at Gunpoint!
- Voice of Experience: Digging Beneath the Surface of Assessment
- RAND Report Questions Texas Test Gains
- Assessment Reform: Are We Making Progress?
- National Testing: Prepare for a Battle
- Close-Up: Voluntary National Tests
- More (Short) Tests Can Help Learning
- This Is Only a Test
- Beyond Standardized Testing: District Focuses on Assessing the Whole Child
- Top Administrator Focuses on Standards, Achievement Gap
- Test-Stressed Out: Strategies for Improving Attitudes, Scores
- Big Test Pep Rallies: 2, 4, 6, 8 -- Taking Tests and Feeling Great!
- Test-Stressed Out: Strategies for Improving Attitudes, Scores
- Saving Kids from Stress
- This Is Only a Test
(see also Critical Thinking)
- Teachers Link Juggling to Improved Academic Skills
- Chess, Anyone? -- Chess As an Essential Teaching Tool
- The World Almanac: A Tool for Building Study Skills
- Beat the Clock! Lessons in Time Management for Middle Graders
(see also Sub Station: Tips and Resources for Substitute Teachers)
- Schools Respond to Substitute Shortage
- Solving the Substitute Shortage, Part 1: Four Rules to Keep Your Best Subs Coming Back
- Solving the Substitute Shortage, Part 2: Exploring Other Options
- There's No Sub for a Good Sub Plan!
- Sub-Searching Made Easier
- Substitute Survival: Tools You Can Use
- Substitute Teachers Gain National Voice
- Planning for a Substitute Was Never This Easy
- Dr. Ken Shore's Classroom Problem Solver: While You Are Out
- Setting New "Sub" Standards
- In A Sub's Shoes archive
- A Son Became a Soldier, and a Dad Became a Teacher
EW Lesson Plans
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Service With A Smile
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Greetings, smiles, and eye contact may be standard customer-service training in the retail industry, but now it is moving into schools as well. Some districts are training all staff members, including administrators and bus drivers, to be more customer-friendly. Included: Tips for making your school customer-friendly.
While education is a profession that provides a service, most educators don't think of themselves as service providers who fulfill customer needs. Education consumers (students and, to some extent, their parents) should be willing, unquestioning, and appreciative recipients of the material schools provide, no matter how it is delivered, the traditional view has held.
Competition, though, for students and parent help in an age of school choice and limited time is prompting some educators to take a lesson in customer service from the retail field.
PUTTING OUT THE WELCOME MAT
The customer service approach, and the move toward family-friendly schools, is being implemented district-wide or in individual schools. Often the approach starts with something as simple as reminding all staff members to greet visitors in a friendly way.
Customer
Service
Tips
See the article at the end of this story for some customer service tips from school administrators.
"Educators are starting to realize the importance of families feeling welcome in schools, the impact of that on student performance, and the sense of community," said Dr. Sally Wade, director of the Florida Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, which offers customer-service training for school employees. "In the education environment of school choice, schools are becoming more cognizant of their reputation in the community and their roles. They can't be isolated in the community."
Wendy Katz, director of leadership development for the Sarasota (Florida) School District, agreed. "I'm not sure schools traditionally think of themselves as serving customers," Katz said. "But we're trying to create a culture around service. We want to think about everything in terms of relationships -- it's all about the child-teacher relationship."
In some cases, whole states are starting to re-think their approach to education "consumers." Judy Carson, an education consultant with the Connecticut State Department of Education, hired Dr. Wade to speak at a conference in October about building school-family-community partnerships.
Among the workshops the partnership offers are Opening Doors, a seminar for front office staff, secretaries and receptionists; and Creating Family-Friendly Schools, which is designed to help teachers, administrators, and support staff improve interactions between families and schools.
The fact that Dr. Wade had a seminar specifically for office staff was appealing, Carson added. "Clerical staff from my office went to the session and gave good feedback," she said.
"The conference was to highlight the importance of welcoming schools," Carson added. "We know from research that the degree to which a school is welcoming influences the extent to which parents become involved."
KEEPING CUSTOMERS HAPPY
As part of its approach to becoming more friendly, the Sarasota district is examining how it can better serve internal customers (employees) and external customers (students and parents). "The more internal customers feel valued, the better they will treat people they serve," Katz told Education World. "We want people who come here to work to be so proud and happy that they don't want to leave."
Happy teachers often are more effective teachers. "We're talking about how to motivate people to give 100 percent every day and do the best for kids," she added.
For example, all employees are encouraged to send hand-written notes to recognize outstanding efforts of coworkers. "It sure feels good when people acknowledge what you do -- it builds loyalty and job satisfaction," said Katz. And it helps with parent relations. "How hard would it be if a teacher made one positive phone call to a parent a week?"
Administrators have been following the approach of Quint Studer, a company that instructs businesses in customer-service techniques. Office staff members and secretaries have been trained to be more aware of how they respond to visitors. That includes introducing themselves to people who are waiting, and estimating the length of their wait. As part of the training, office staff members were asked to think about the last time they had positive customer service and what they can do daily to create a positive memory for someone.
"We know from research that the degree to which a school is welcoming influences the extent to which parents become involved."
"I think people certainly are realizing that manners are important," Katz said. "At one level, it is a return to more traditional values... We're going through great changes today; in order for change to occur, relationships have to be improved."
The program is being piloted in ten of the district's schools this year, and the district's human resources and food and nutrition departments. In December, social workers, guidance counselors, and psychologists are slated to receive training in customer service.
School officials also are gathering data from last year to see if the training is making a difference.
"We're not asking people to do one more thing; just work differently," Katz added.
STARTING AT THE TOP
While customer service training certainly can be helpful, solid examples and endorsements from district leaders are critical to successfully implementing the customer-service philosophy.
"Without the spirit of truly wanting to reach out, it doesn't matter," said Tina Wirth, the Duval County (Florida) Public Schools community involvement supervisor. "The attitude has to come from leadership. You can't force it if there's no desire to improve."
The district has a new superintendent who is very focused on community involvement and "helping parents as stakeholders," Wirth added.
The arrival of a new superintendent, Dr. David Gayler, in the Charlotte County (Florida) Public Schools about three years ago also shifted the district's focus to customer service, according to Michael Riley, a district spokesman. "He [the superintendent] expects staff and leadership to treat people with kindness and consistency," Riley said. "The superintendent says we are here to serve."
As part of the Charlotte County initiative, administrative staff members read and discussed the book , engaged in leadership training, and then trained staff at school sites.
Welcoming parents and community members as they come into the schools is a key part of the customer-service approach. "We focused on receptionists and secretaries, greeting people and phone service," Riley told Education World. "It's about trying to direct parents promptly to the proper person. We've also done a lot of training with bus drivers, and also food service employees. We stress greeting children, and making eye contact as kids come on bus. We are a community, and when we deal with the community we need to be on the same page."
"Without the spirit of truly wanting to reach out, it doesn't matter. The attitude has to come from leadership. You can't force it if there's no desire to improve."
District maintenance people also are encouraged to employ customer-service behavior when they travel to schools. "It's about reflecting out positive attitudes about the schools."
In Duval County, the district had received a grant to create a family-friendly program and most schools participated, Wirth said. Even though the grant money ran out, the philosophy has been maintained throughout the district.
"I often speak to schools about being family friendly, which includes building community involvement and parent involvement," Wirth said. "The ability to build those is only as good as the reception you have. We encourage schools to engage parents in the most comfortable way for them."
School leaders often don't realize that they have to overcome negative feelings many people have about school systems, she added.
"For many administrators, it's hard for them to remember that the last impression most parents have of school before they were parents was when they graduated -- and a lot of people were ready to graduate," according to Wirth. "So you're not just starting at a neutral point; a lot of times you're starting at a negative point."
Administrators sometimes are wary about parents and community members becoming too comfortable in the schools, but these knowledgeable volunteers can become a valuable part of a school's team, Wirth said.
"You have to ask, 'How important is it for schools to have people peering over their shoulders?'" she noted. "That makes some administrators nervous. But once outsiders become insiders, they can be defenders. Then volunteers will rush to defend the school or the administration if something happens."
KEEPING AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION
Some administrators have taken it upon themselves to change the school climate. The desire to keep ahead of the competition and win allies prompted Brian Flynn, principal of William monroe Rowlett Elementary School, an arts and communication magnet school in the Manatee County (Florida) School District, to make his school more appealing to consumers.
"Since this is a magnet school, we need to attract students," Flynn told Education World. "I wanted the school to be family-friendly. I believe it is important -- if we want kids and parents to want to drive 30 minutes to come here, we have to make them feel special."
The school competes with 31 elementary schools and six magnet schools for students.
As part of that effort to attract students, school staff members read a book called . Office staff members are encouraged to smile, and the school tries to hire people who are warm and inviting, he said. "We definitely want to ensure we make a good first impression."
Faculty and administration also try to learn students' and parents' names and strive to respond to parent requests within a day. "It helps people to feel valued, even if they don't like the response," Flynn noted.
"Some people feel nervous in schools; we want them to feel comfortable," he continued. "We want a place where parents feel comfortable. We encourage parents to volunteer and come to eat with their kids."
Whatever the approach, customer-service advocates stressed that it is important to get all school staff involved.
"The issue is that being welcoming is everyone's business: teachers, administrators, office staff, even bus drivers," said Connecticut's Carson. "Everyone is the face of the school."
Customer Service Strategies for Schools
Making schools more welcoming can start with something as simple as reviewing the atmosphere for building visitors, said Tina Wirth, the Duval County (Florida) Public Schools' community involvement supervisor.
While schools are more cautious about visitors now, they still can be welcoming without compromising security, some educators said.
"First impressions in schools are similar to customer service in retail," Wirth said. "Look at how visitors are greeted. What about signs in the school? Do they shout rules? Or are they positive?"
When she walks into a school, Wirth said, it can take up to three minutes for her to be greeted by a staff member, which can create a bad and lasting impression for visitors. "When that happens in a school, they've lost a sale," Wirth said.
All school staff members also need to know who their customers are. That is one of the first activities Dr. Sally Wade, director of the Florida Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, assigns participants in her seminars for school employees. (She said she heard about a case, for example, in which a school board member walked into a building and couldn't get anyone to make eye contact.) "The quality of an organization is gauged by the satisfaction of engaged customers," she said.
Dr. Wade also discusses five dimensions of customer care:
reliability
responsiveness
to feel valued
empathy
competency
"We also talk about communicating and listening, especially in difficult situations," Dr. Wade added, and "how to apologize when you are at fault or just feel the need."
Among the strategies Connecticut office staff members learned at one of Dr. Wade's seminars was the importance of acknowledging people when they come in, even if you can't help with their question. "Just let them know you've seen them," said. Judy Carson of the Connecticut State Department of Education.
Also, use the time while parents are waiting to make a good impression. Sarasota School District staff members are encouraged to talk to waiting parents about the experience of their child's teacher: "Your daughter or son is so lucky to have Mr. or Mrs. Jones; she or he is a very strong writing instructor."
Reshaping customer service attitudes also can be fun. "Perhaps you can have a contest to see who made the most significant changes in school culture," noted Wirth.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Improving School Culture
Does Your School's Atmosphere Shout "Welcome!"?
Article by Ellen R. Delisio
Education World®
Copyright © 2009 Education World
Originally published 11/28/2005
Last updated 02/24/2009
Â
Subject: ELA- Reading
Grade: 5
Lesson Objective: To compare and contrast characters in a story using specific details from the text
Common Core Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3- Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
Materials:
Printable Student Worksheet
Starter:
Say:
Why do you think that there are different types of characters in stories? (Allow the students to answer.)
Main:
Say:
Authors write about many different types of characters when they write stories. Different characters are needed to tell a story.
Some characters are main characters and we learn a lot about them while we are reading a story. They are very important to the story. The story is often about main characters.
Minor characters are in a story to help the major characters and to help move the story along.
In every story there is a protagonist. This is the character that the story is about and is a main character. The protagonist is a character that we as readers develop emotions about. Those emotions are generally good, but not always.
There is also an antagonist in every story. This is a character that goes against the protagonist. The protagonist must overcome the antagonist. For example, in “Little Red Riding Hood,” Little Red Riding Hood is the protagonist and the wolf is the antagonist. Little Red Riding Hood must overcome the wolf for the story to end.
Most characters in stories develop or change along the way. This is most noticeable in main characters, but this also happens with minor characters.
Paying attention to the character traits of the different characters in a story will help you to identify which characters are major, minor, protagonists and antagonists.
This will help you to better understand and appreciate the story that you are reading.
Now, you are going to read part of a story. You are going to think about the characters and how they are the same and how they are different and then you will answer the questions.
Does anyone have any questions?
Feedback:
Say:
Who would like to share their answers? (Allow the students to share and go over the answers.)
Written by Kimberly Greacen, Education World® Contributing Writer
Kimberly is an educator with extensive experience in curriculum writing and developing instructional materials to align with Common Core State Standards and Bloom's Taxonomy.
Copyright© 2019 Education World
Subject: ELA- Reading
Grade: 5
Lesson Objective: To identify the theme of a poem based on details in the text
Common Core Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2- Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
Materials:
Printable Student Worksheet
Starter:
Say:
Why do you think it is important to know the theme of a text that you are reading? (Allow the students to answer.)
Main:
Say:
Knowing the theme of a text helps us to better understand what the text is about and what the author is trying to tell us.
The theme is what the text is about.
When you are figuring out the theme of a text, particularly a poem, you should first look at the title. Sometimes, that tells us what the theme is. If it doesn’t, you should read the text and then think about what the author is saying and the feelings that the author is using.
You can also paraphrase when reading a poem to help you figure out what the author is saying.
After you have figured out the theme of the poem, you should go back and read it again.
This time, you should be thinking about how the author reflects on or speaks about the theme.
Reading the author’s words once you know the theme helps you to focus on the feelings and reflections that the author shares.
You should be noticing the types of words that the author uses and the feelings that those words evoke. Remember, poems are words that are put together to make the reader feel a certain way.
Now, you are going to read a poem. Read the poem two times. The first time you read it, think about what the theme is. The second time you read it, focus on how the author reflects on or talks about theme. Then, you are going to answer the questions.
Does anyone have any questions?
Feedback:
Say:
Who would like to share their answers? (Allow the students to share and go over the answers.)
Written by Kimberly Greacen, Education World® Contributing Writer
Kimberly is an educator with extensive experience in curriculum writing and developing instructional materials to align with Common Core State Standards and Bloom's Taxonomy.
Copyright© 2019 Education World
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