Supporting student reading and writing
Hammons, Jane. (2001). Bigger than Michael Jordan. High Plains Literary Review XVI (2&3), 138-152.
Hull, G. & Rose, M. (1990). “The wooden shack place”: The logic of an unconventional reading. College Composition and Communication 4, 3: 287-298.
Ambe, E.B. (2007). Inviting reluctant adolescent readers into the literacy club: Some comprehension strategies to tutor individuals or small groups of reluctant readers. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, (50), 8, 632-639.
Meeting students halfway
Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice, (31), 2, 132-141.
Morrell, E. & Duncan-Andrade, J. (2004). What they do learn in school: Hip-hop as a bridge to canonical poetry (247-272). In J. Mahiri (Ed.), What they don’t learn in school: Literacy in the lives of urban youth. New York: Peter Lang.
Please answer two of the following questions, with a limit of 350 words (aim for 250 words, please); to do so, just add a comment under this post and, in the comment, address two of the questions below. Alternatively or in addition, if you'd like to pose your own question - or answer a question a classmate poses - please feel free to do so. When you write your blog, it might be helpful and most productive to read at least one classmate's post and respond, thus initiating or continuing a dialogue we can continue in section.
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1. Jane Hammons's "Bigger than Michael Jordan" explores the complexities and intersections of race, gender, socioeconomics and the impacts thereof, literacy, schooling, identity, and violence in many forms. What did you take away from this reading and to what effect? What do you think the author intended to accomplish with this piece?
2. '"The Wooden Shack Place' The Logic of an Unconventional Reading' references "judgments about cognition" (reader p. 159), "conventional readings" and students answers being "off the mark." What are the authors referring to? Who sets "the mark" and to what effect? How do the authors position themselves and the student Robert in relation to the academy and to what effect? Furthermore, what do the authors seem to suggest as a remedy for this "mismatch" between what a teacher expects and what a student does?
3. Ambe's piece outlines strategies for supporting "reluctant" readers. Likewise, on reader pages 169 and 170, the author lists and explains the many labels used to categorize students. What impact do such labels potentially or actually have on student-teacher/tutor relationships? And how can this labeling practice be interrupted while very real challenges face teachers and students in classroom settings each day?
4. If you were the tutor described in the Ambe piece, how would you engage and instruct Jamie?
5. In "Funds of Knowledge for Teaching," Moll, Amanti, Neff & Gonzalez employ language and methodologies that contrast with deficit-based perspectives on students, literacy, and learning. Likewise, the authors explicitly interrogate how stereotypes limit teaching and learning. Given that not all teachers have the opportunity to engage in qualitative research with their students and their families, how can teachers - and you as tutors - construct culturally relevant, asset-based curriculum and pedagogy? What ideas and suggestions do you have for moving beyond deficit perspectives?
6. How do Morrell & Duncan-Andrade realize Freirean notions of learning? And how could you adapt their approach to your tutoring needs?
7. How does this week's readings illustrate or refute previous readings from this semester? For example, how would Bakhtin deconstruct the dialogue analyzed in the Rose & Hull "Wooden Shack" piece? Or how has Vygotsky, perhaps, influenced Moll et al? This is your chance to synthsize this week's readings with an author from another week who you find compelling. Go for it.
In my understanding of '"This Wooden Shack Place' The Logic of an Unconventional Reading,', "the mark" the authors are referring to is set by the backgrounds of teachers and students. This is how teachers come to class with differing expectations. Through Robert's discussion of the poem read in class, we see that he had a different examination of the poem from those with different class backgrounds. While some students would know right off the bat that the girl in the story did not come from the wealthiest of families through the indication of the Sears catalogue and method of washing clothes, Robert saw that as being well off. A remedy to the "mismatch" the authors presented would involve a different pedagogical style that accounts for bringing light to different literary interpretations of the text by involving students, like Robert, to further explanation on their understanding of the text. This way, the teacher would get Robert to think about the text differently and give him ways to approach the poem so that he would understand it in a different light.
ReplyDeleteFrom Ambe's piece we get a feel for the issues teachers and tutors deal with when students don't show an interest in their education. Because of the labels listed, students don't feel that they should be wasting their time learning. When they are viewed differently from higher achieving students, they don't think of themselves as capable of gaining the same education. This is what loses their interest in learning and takes away their motivation to achieve. This impacts student-teacher/tutor relationships because the student simply doesn't care. I think that the only way to take away the labeling is to instigate motivation in the classroom and make all students feel welcome in their learning environment and use teaching methods where students feel like they can grasp an idea and learn everyday.
When I began reading Jane Hammons’s “Bigger than Michael Jordan,” I was immediately struck by the way the author made labels and categorizations so evident. Whether it was the role of a grandparent, the basketball coach and player relationship, or gender roles, Hammons continually reinforced the idea that labels are everywhere around us, and always have been. Although this was a large focus of the reading, I believe Hammons additionally expressed the fact that these labels are not always correct. They can be damaging to members of certain categories, as people may feel restrained by their socially constructed definition and what society expects out of these groups. As a result, performance in school, extracurricular activities, and other areas of life can be negatively affected. I believe Hammons made this point most vivid when she describes Nancy Lopez, who challenged the social norms of gender and played on the boys’ golf team. Hammons says, “It would never have occurred to me or to my parents to challenge the rules. Boys have sports; girls have cheerleading.”
ReplyDeleteIf students are labeled with the names “helpless,” “low achieving,” or “unsuccessful,” it will be difficult for them to forget. Students will consequently take these terms to heart and feel like failures therefore losing motivation in school and other areas of life. Similarly, if a tutor learns from a student’s teacher that the student is “disengaged,” or “resistant,” the tutor will begin his or her attempts at helping the student with a negative attitude. The tutor will come in with a negative perception of the student, already expecting them to fail. However, in Ambe’s piece, Ambe states that it is important for tutors to provide an encouraging and supportive environment in order to have a successful student. If students are labeled with negative names, it will be difficult for students as well as tutors to reverse the cycle of students’ struggles with reading.
1.
ReplyDeleteFrom this piece I took away a sense of hope and an eventual peace with life. Hammons went through many obstacles and after all of it she has found her own niche. I also felt that, through Jarod- “a third-grader who reads far below grade level”- she tells us the importance of opening the minds of youth. For instance, Jarod followed the “myth” of Michael Jordan passionately and after declaring the dinosaur in the museum “bigger than Michael Jordan”, Hammons enlightens us to the fact that it takes time to encourage youth to read the world differently but when these moments occur it is monumental. I think the author intended to establish a link between herself and Jarod. She repeatedly shifts from her background story to Jarod’s story- from their dysfunctional families to their love of basketball. Through these links, the author informs us that through the turmoil of life, one is able to develop the strength to overcome. Hammons still finds solace in basketball, which alerts the reader that Jarod can eventually come to terms with life as well.
3. The labels that Ambe lists have a sizeable impact on student-teacher/ tutor relationships. As discussed in section, when students are labels, it becomes hard to grow out of them. Teachers and tutors that hear these labels might judge those students unable to learn or be helped. Students are more than their labels. Some ways in which this labeling practice can be interrupted are through the “intervention program” and various strategies from increasing motivation to emphasizing vocabulary. But within the classroom itself, as Ambe concludes, having students work in small groups can be an effective substitute. Small groups would allow teachers to work with students on a more personal basis which would help the students receive more attention. The atmosphere should be welcoming so the students are encouraged to participate. As Ambe states, “the ability to read is both a critical educational issue and a necessary tool” so through creative strategies, teachers/ tutors can help the student become the “successful member of society” that they all have the capability to be.
1. Learning about the life of Jane Hammon’s made me reflect on my own personal life. I play basketball and this sport has become a haven that allows me to forget about any difficulties I may have. Jane and Jarod both love basketball and they find an ironic tranquility in the sport—it makes them happy. Jarod’s dysfunctional family affects his interest in school, often finding it uninteresting. Jane shares similarities with Jarod, both had angry childhood experiences and family problems that affected their education. Basketball is their haven, yet the place that they release their anger. Jane struggled throughout her childhood, but was able to overcome the difficulties she encountered. The reader has hope for Jarod, as he also struggles to find peace in his life. Basketball is a place that Jarod may utilize as his ticket to a better life, but he has to learn to incorporate it to his academic life.
ReplyDelete6. I read the Morrell and Duncan-Andrade reading with complete interest. As a Puente student, my first two years of English incorporated readings from Latino writers and I remember enjoying our class assignments, as I felt I could relate to the assignments. For the students in the urban school, they related to the rap songs as the themes discussed made them reflect on their own personal experiences. For instance, as Jawan presented about Nas’s “If I Ruled the World,” he “rolled up” the paper and a “smirk came across his face.” The writers highlight that his mother worried about Jawan’s safety, as violence surrounded their everyday lives. At my volunteer site, I will be teaching a class to sixth grade students. Emphasizing “democratic education,” I want the students to reflect on their personal interests and suggest topics that they are interested in learning, which will motivate them about the class. I also want them to become active critical thinkers. I will make sure to include songs, poems, and other literary texts that address political conscious issues.
2. Reading “The Wooden Shack” piece, I was struck by the many instances in which a professor has dismissed an “unconventional reading” like Robert’s. As an English major, professors often tell us to look beyond a “conventional” or “superficial” reading of the text in order to develop a compelling argument, but even these “original” interpretations of a text are often built on certain common assumptions. Sometimes these assumptions are built on historical context or familiarity with the author’s work, but often they are the result of a certain socialization that occurs within the academic community. In other words, certain interpretations are privileged simply because they are how the text has always been understood, rather than because they hold more merit. Dismissing “unconventional readings” like Robert’s may contribute to classroom efficiency, but it also cuts off myriad creative avenues and ways of engaging with the material.
ReplyDelete6. Morrell and Duncan-Andrade’s work in “What They Do Learn in School” is a case study in what Freire’s theory of “emancipatory education” looks like in practical terms. Rather than approaching their students as passive objects, or empty vessels to be filled, Morrell et al. treat them as conscious subjects capable of holding a dialogue. They argue that their voices have been marginalized by literary texts that have no relevance to their actual experience. Using Freire’s argument that “literacy must initially be taught in the language of the people,” Morrell et al. attempt to bridge the gap between these canonical texts and the student’s own “authentic cultural forms” by incorporating hip-hop and rap music into the classroom. This method seems similar to one of the “intervention strategies” that Ambe discusses in her article, the difference being that Morrell et al. make an effort to incorporate texts that are not only more engaging with the students, but also culturally relevant to their own lives. I don’t think that I could realistically implement something on the scale of Morrel et al. in my tutoring sessions, but I do think that it would be beneficial to utilize Ambe’s strategy.
Hammon’s piece was a very real example of how the literal and figurative scars of the past don’t have to hinder you from doing what you love and helping others achieve, and can in fact inspire or motivate you to do so. I took strength and determination as a reader of her hard life and her efforts to make a difference in children’s lives, in Jarod’s life, and in her effort to help them get through what she’s been through: the unfairness of life and the consequent anger, self-hatred, and helplessness. I think Hammons’s intention with this piece is to highlight the negative impacts of the unfair consequences and social constructs of gender, race, and socioeconomics and to show that despite this negativity, one can get through it and try one’s best to help others get through it too.
ReplyDeleteAmbe’s list of labels are terms that seemingly describe a student’s character. Often, once a teacher/tutor comes to that conclusion, it’s a permanent association and affects how they behave with that student. In social psychology there’s a cycle called the self-fulfilling prophecy where your behavior towards a person stems from what you expect from that person and the other person responds to your behavior in a way that’s consistent with your expectations even if that person initially hadn’t done anything. I could easily see a situation where a teacher might not know that they’re behaving differently towards a “low achieving” student compared to average or high achieving students. But the student can sense that the teacher is giving up on them, and so they give up on themselves, they don’t improve, and the teacher continues to think that the student is low achieving. This labeling practice can be interrupted in a similar manner to Hull and Rose’s “This Wooden Shack Place…” where they look at a student’s background to trace the origins of these “off the mark” responses. To interrupt this labeling practice, teachers can try seeing where and when a student isn’t “helpless” or “unsuccessful” or “low achieving,” where they excel and try to bring those skills to the classroom and reading.
5.) When considering "Funds of Knowledge for Teaching," we can see that teachers would benefit from engaging in qualitative research with the students and families they work with. However, since not everyone can do this, teachers and us as tutors can construct a relevant asset-based curriculum and pedagogy by first going into the classroom with an open mind. The teacher in the reading realized that one of her students was very intelligent and capable from learning about his experience at home. She used this knowledge to develop a curriculum that interested the student. A teacher that wouldn't know this would have a harder time developing a curriculum like this but by keeping judgement out, teachers and tutors can allow students to be challenged to their fullest potential. Also, it seems as though having a personal relationship to the students helps to allow teaching to have more of an impact. For example, in the reading the kids who learned at home learned from someone who saw them as much more than just a student.
ReplyDelete6.) Morrell & Duncan-Andrade's view on literacy aligns with Freire ideas of critical consciousness. They cite that Freire argued for the use of the native language as a prerequisite to the development of literacy campaigns. Similarly, they believe that the students who learn to analyze Hip-Hop are analyzing their native language. Although it may seem subordinate to the dominant language, this analysis is just as academic. Their argument for a broader definition of literacy that encompasses culture relates to Freire in that it involves a critical consciousness aspect. They believe it is important that students are learning to be critical. Therefore, it doesn't matter as much if the subject matter, Hip-Hop, is not considered as academic because the ends are still being met. This reading teaches us that we as tutor shouldn't always focus on the assignment as it may be written but remember to teach students to be critical. Doing this can help us be better teachers and students of teaching.
2.)
ReplyDeleteElaborating on what Marissa said in her response to the first question, I think “the mark” refers to a way of thinking established by academics in their “white ivory towers”. In many ways, it is sort of ironic how the academic world thinks; intellectuals are so concerned with the abstract thought of human suffering that they often forget what it means to actually be in such a position. It is a self-perpetuating tradition, and one that many teachers, including the author, gets sucked into. Robert, however, is grounded in reality—he doesn’t have the same references that 1000+ years of western culture have given to typical academics. No wonder that his interpretation differs from what we consider to be “normal”.
To use another metaphor, it’s like giving someone a box of Legos, expecting that he or she will build a castle exactly like yours, only to have the other person make a boat instead. After all, each line of a poem could be thought of as a separate component, and these components can be arranged in different structures to create different ideas.
A proposed remedy for the mismatch would be for the teacher to eliminate, or at least identify, his expectations before beginning dialogue with a student. Rose asked questions expecting to receive certain answers, and was disappointed when the conversation did not go the way he wanted. Instead of directing students toward what you think is the “correct” answer, try to understand how their background affects what they see.
4.)
I am very interested in the use of (fun) games in education, so I would probably try to introduce some element of that if I were Jamie’s tutor. For example, instead of regular Monopoly, you could create a rainforest version, where each space is a vocabulary word and “buying” the space requires the student to use it in a sentence. It would take some extra effort to actually create the game, but no more than the tutor seems to have already put in for other activities listed in the reading.
1. The reading illustrated the importance of sports. Jane and Jarod have dysfunctional families. Their problems at home, led to problems at school. Jane and Jarod have no control over these problems, which results in anger. It is this anger that needs an outlet. Both Jane and Jarod were able to find some form of release through basketball. However, it is this same anger that prevents them from playing the game with “character”. Basketball seems to be the only positive aspect of their lives. It is why Jarod clings so tightly to the myth of Michael Jordan. Education is so important because it will help children like Jarod find something that is “bigger than Michael Jordan,” something else that helps improve his life. Jane attempts to demonstrate that children with dysfunctional families need a healthy way to deal with their emotions.
ReplyDelete5. The classroom curriculum and pedagogy should meet the needs of demographics of the students. Every student has a different cultural capital. However, the most valued cultural capital in the educational system is that of the dominant class. Those students with a different cultural capital are devalued by the educational system. An example of this is brought up by the teacher, Cathy Amanti, in regards to her students’ multicultural experiences. She acknowledges that the experiences of Anglo students who go to France for the summer are exalted while the experiences of Mexican American students who go to Mexico are ignored. Teachers need to design curriculums that cater to their students, not alienate them. Teachers or tutors can spend the first couple of days building rapport with the students. Have each student write and present their personal stories. It might also be helpful to have each student keep a journal describing their everyday lives and activities. Not only will they get to work on their writing skills but the teacher or tutor can establish their specific funds of knowledge.
3. Labeling students with words like passive, helpless, or disenchanted may make it seem like the student is unable to do things on their own or achieve anything. It puts the blame on the student as if they had a disability while taking away the blame from the environment that failed them. Like Jamie, he gets emotional and loses motivation due to their parent's relationship problems not because he was less capable than any other student in his class. It is crucial for teachers and tutors to put all labels aside and treat students as unique individuals with likes and dislikes, personal and familial problems, and feelings. Some days, kids have a good day and sometimes they don't. Sometimes all they want is a little attention and recognition from teachers. In realizing this, the teacher will be able to understand the child's abilities on a more personal level which will help teachers cater their education so that it is more to the student's life.
ReplyDelete4. If I were Jamie's tutor, I would first try to get to know him on a more personal level by talking to him. Asking questions about his interests, habits, friends, and subjects will allow me to get a taste of what I kind of materials and methods are best to gain Jamie's interest. After letting Jamie choose a book from the three I selected for him, I would tell him an analogy of easy, medium, and hard opponents to basketball – playing his little brother, his friend, and a professional basketball player. After allowing Jamie to read the first few pages or paragraphs of the book he chose, I would ask him whether the book felt like he was playing a professional basketball player, his friend or little brother – a way for him to rate the book. If it was alright, we would keep reading and if not, I would choose a book for him accordingly. If Jamie did not feel motivated, I would make a deal to alternate reading the book – page by page so that Jamie would feel less pressure to read on a bad day.
1. Hammon’s piece highlights the tendency for people to create mythology in order to temporarily escape from an unpleasant reality. By intertwining her own story with that of Jarrod’s, Hammons analyzes the immutability of this inclination… present in both her adolescent idolization of Kareem Abdul Jabar and later on when she shoots baskets by herself, and also in Jarrod. The boy has a clear admiration for the myth of Michael Jordan, which he himself has constructed with little regard to the man himself. Hammons likewise, plays basketball as a release for her own dissatisfaction and anger- caring little for the actual rules or for the “objectives” of the game (like how Jarrod cares not for the “inspirational” story behind Michael Jordan).
ReplyDeleteAlso in the essay, Hammon explores the consequences of rigidly constructed normative roles, acts and labels. She draws parallels between herself and Jarrod, both fall outside that which is socially acceptable and are ostracized as a result. Hammons constantly refers to how her mannerisms and actions were deemed “unlady-like” and thus troubling; Jarrod’s anger issues likewise have the same effect. In the end, Hammons concludes that what is needed is to break away from these norms; as is metaphorically intimated by her desire to shoot baskets without the “challenge” of a “regulation court and basket”.
6.Morrel and Duncan-Andrade actualize the Freirean theory of learning by first removing the notion that the teacher is an infallible, unquestioned source of information. The one entity who is not only the sole person worthy of teaching, but the only one who has knowledge of things worth knowing. The introduction of hip-hop as a serious medium for academic discourse serves two purposes, firstly, as is the intended purpose, allows students to exercise their ability to critically reason and analyze, but secondly and more importantly, it allows this because it is operating in a vernacular that is relatable to the children. I could apply this concept by trying to teach skills “traditionally” valued in academic achievement through mediums or examples that are more accessible and thus applicable to those I am tutoring.
3. I wanted to point out that when I first began to read this piece I couldn’t help but notice that Ambe mentions in the article “ the main objective of this course is for college students to assess and remediate reading difficulties in elementary and middle school students” (169)
ReplyDeleteOne of the first things that affects the relationship between a teacher and a student are preconceived notions of what the student is like or what they will be like. The fact that this class is labeled in this manner makes it hard for the tutors to look at their student in a certain way from the beginning. Just like a child may experience irritation because they know their learning session will require them to do reading and work they generally don’t like, I can see tutors/teachers doing the same if they have a preconceived notion of what they’re student is like. The students in these programs already know why they are there and I think that one way of diminishing the appearance of a labeling practice would be to allow a tutor to start fresh to make their own interpretation of what the student may need help with by first allowing the student to show the tutor what they know.
4. Some of the instruction practices Jamie did were things I had not heard of but I think that the example of “building prior knowledge” is good for it allows the student to gain confidence as they recognize that they have knowledge of the subject being discussed. I think it allows for students to make connections between the literature and other subjects they are familiar with which helps comprehension.
When working with a student who is experiencing a parent separation like Jaime was, I would also like to take time to check on the student and make sure that they are ok. Although my role in the setting is of an instructor, things that go on at home affect a student a lot and I think that by allowing the student to know that they can spend a couple of minutes to check in they begin to see school or their tutoring session differently and it creates a comfortable environment.
1. There is a lot going on in Hammon’s “Bigger Than Michael Jordan.” While the already listed aspects are important, I believe the most important part I took from this piece was Jarod’s interest in myth rather than reality. Hammon brings up how knowledge provided by a Berkeley student partner about Michael Jordan’s real life is not interesting to Jarrod, but, as Hammon words it, “the myth” is.
ReplyDeleteIf there has been anything I learned from Barthes, it is very apparent that myth is compounded with many signs, both linguistic and cultural, that impact the mind’s perception. For Jarrod, I believe that the sociological disadvantages he has been given directly affect his willingness to garner knowledge. It is almost as if Jarod believes that the more knowledge he gains, the more intimidating the world gets for him. I believe that Hammon wants the audience to fully understand the development of interest within children while also highlighting the way in which socioeconomic background puts children, such as Jarrod as a disadvantage.
4. The main method I would use would be to allow Jamie to choose what he wanted to read. As a child, I was an active reader mainly because of the endless freedom I was given when it came to my selection of reading materials. It was not until later in my life that I started to actually despise the notion of reading due to mandatory barriers set up by benchmarks, tests and quizzes that caused me to read highlights or skip it all together due to the futility of success when it came to my own comprehension.
As an example, one may use a book with a movie that goes along with it to further engage and motivate the reader by using the film as reward of the film and to help explain the events of the book. After watching the movie, possibly going over certain parts in the book again would help Jamie absorb the events, words and information of the book. While this may not be as creative as Ambe insinuates tutoring techniques should be, I believe that this would be the most accurate fit for Jamie.
Hammons' piece for me highlighted primarily the effects that “grown ups” can have on young people going through school and life. Especially after her lecture, in which one of her last comments was about putting on the persona of a teacher as a level-headed guide through education, juxtaposed with the descriptions of her family in the essay as being unable to shield the children from some of the problems that “grown ups” can have. Furthermore, I found her obfuscation of race was important in that it seemed she was trying to establish an identity disparate from her upbringing, and perhaps this was where she first established the idea that a separate persona is necessary to be an effective teacher.
ReplyDeleteHull and Rose strike me as much more pragmatic but still inquisitive. I think the mark they reference is set by society, more specifically, by the education system that requires adherence to a largely arbitrary set of rules and images to which not all students normally conform. This causes conflict that may be misconstrued as bad behaviour on the part of the student, when in fact it might just be the case that efficiency has taken precedence over inclusiveness in the style of education, which is a symptom of more systemic problems. i.e.: overcrowding of schools, budgeting, poverty, ethnocentrism, etc. This, to me, begs the questions: How will/does the fostering of underpriviledged views affect the kid's life choices, will he feel affirmed in his chances in the education system? Or will he accept his status in society? Furthermore, which do we want the system to support, and is that ideal realistically possible?
This piece was very interesting because of the parallels between Hammon’s life and that of her student. Previously I had not considered the large impact violence and identity crises has on the a student’s performance in school. The student’s denial to consider anybody other than Michael Jordan cool shows his need to hold on to something as a constant in his life. Labeling something as cool allows one to define and exert control over one’s surroundings. Hammons herself discusses the impact of labels and identity in her own life. When Hammons discusses how being labeled as a girl restricted her in her family, it made me think of the parallels one could draw to the larger educational system. Labeling students as low-performing creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where the students are unmotivated and discouraged.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that as teachers we may not have access to opportunities to do research into our students’ backgrounds, but there are many ways that one can incorporate the community into the curriculum. For one thing, at the beginning of the school year the teacher could ask the students to pick something in their community that they would like to talk about. It can be anything from the history of the community to learning more about a local sport or dance form. Then it can be incorporated into the curriculum as maybe a field trip or a class project. In addition, teachers can use parent-teacher conferences to learn more about the student’s family background and see if students in class share similar backgrounds. Finally teachers can use their own intuition to devise creative teaching plans. For example, if there was a campus shooting or a community event the teacher can have the kids write a journal or put together some sort of visual tribute for the event.