Why do we do this thing called school? Sounds like a simple question, right? It turns out the great political and academic minds have debated the nuances of that question for centuries. Seeing as there isn’t a simple clear cut answer, I realized this was the perfect question for my students to investigate. At the start of each school year I pose that question to the class. Often students regurgitate the same simple catchphrases they have heard teachers and parents preach to them in the past. In my class, I don’t accept the catchphrases but instead push students to support their claims no matter whether or not I secretly agree with them. I share with my students that often we can learn a lot by looking at the experiences and perspectives of others. To this end, my students read and analyze some or all of the 7 texts I’ve selected for them to use. Several of the articles look at the experiences of students in impoverished countries or those of refugees, who aren’t being given an educational opportunity. Other articles look at unique school experiences like one school where the curriculum’s foundation is on the concepts of hunting and gathering. My students read an article where a school is built on an organic farm and the sacred football field becomes the home of a future potato crop. There’s even an article analyzing how we evaluate effective schools: growth vs proficiency. Each article looks at school from a unique perspective with a different set of priorities and values. The reading unit culminates with students writing an essay on why we do this thing called school. I even jump in and write my own essay, sharing my values and perspectives as a teacher. Students have a chance to have their voices heard and their values and perspectives recognized. They choose their arguments and their words carefully. Last year I even had one student write his essay as a speech that would have rivaled President Obama’s 2008 speech “Yes We Can.” As he finished, he dropped his paper in dramatic fashion (don't worry, he wasn't being disrespectful but instead did it as a show of triumph... it was my class's inside joke) and had a seat. My students stood and applauded with enthusiasm (this is a non-negotiable in my class… if one student stands and claps, every student stands and claps with enthusiasm). That moment was at the end of the first full week of school and it set the stage for a year where each of us had a clear focus on why we were there and what we hoped to gain from our 180 days together. I can think of no better way to start a school year. As always, if you’ have questions about how to integrate this into your start of the school year or ideas for how it can be made better, shoot them out in the comments below. Here is the list of articles and links I use with my students for the assignment. If you're unfamiliar with Newsela, it's a freemium service that provides great quality articles on a wide range of topics. You can adjust the reading level with the click of a button to scale the article to the reading level. No Classrooms, Lessons or Homework at this New Zealand School -https://newsela.com/read/elem-outdoor-school/id/32127 Pakistani Teacher Gives Poor Kids a School Under the Sky -https://newsela.com/read/pakistan-teacher/id/8163 Missing Teachers, No Food, a Wealth of Violence Plague Venezuela’s School -https://newsela.com/read/venezuela-schools-failing/id/18743 Schools Search for Reasons Why Some Students are Frequently Absent -https://newsela.com/read/chronic-absenteeism-report/id/18540 Will an Entire Generation of Syrian Children Grow up with No Education? -https://newsela.com/read/refugees-school-syria-lebanon/id/19874 Students at Fresno School have Hands-on Experience Growing Produce. -https://newsela.com/read/school-based-farm/id/22910
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