Covert Teacher-Tactics

Back to School & Covert Teacher-Tactics

Hi, friends! How's back to school season? Have you ushered in fall with pumpkin spice yet? My back to school has been great. My classes are smaller than usual, and I'm close enough to retirement that I feel more experimental than conformist, more silly than stern, and more joy than tedium. Let's check back in February and see how I feel then, haha. I had an experience this week that reminded me of why I started TTP in the first place (three years ago!). Oh, remember Max? He popped in yesterday to show me his class color outfit and face-paint for spirit day! Love that kid. Let me provide some background, first. Getting 14/15 year olds to enjoy reading is an English teacher's Everest. You have to spend some time at basecamps before you can climb the mountain. You also have to pray to the gods, make offerings, question your goal, expend energy, consult experts, and plan carefully. I have some good basecamp tricks to nudge kids toward reading, and I'm sharing them because they worked last week. Trick #1: Throwback I'll start a discussion with a small batch of kids sitting in front: "I remember loving The Outsiders in middle school!" A few will join in and share what they loved: "Oh, Percy Jackson," "Yeah, Bud, not Buddy," and then the golden question, "What was that one book where...?" With that, the kids engage each other in remembering a title to something they loved, and now the whole class is engaged in talking about books they loved from middle school. I have most of those books on my shelf, so I pull them off and say "This one?" and they shout "YEAH!" and I hand it to someone and pretty soon, I have Coraline, Bud, Not Buddy, The Outsiders, A Night Divided, The Giver, and more being passed around. Trick #2: Graphic Novels As Throwback is happening, I'll pull some graphic novels off the shelf. I act blasé as I say, "Oh yeah, here are some new things I've ordered this summer. Does anyone like Stranger Things? I also have Coraline and New Kid" Then, I'll pass around a bunch of graphic novels and the normally grumpy abstainers will open one and look at it. Many wind up liking them. Trick #3: Faked Spontaneity Then I say, "I'm loving how you're remembering books you loved. You know what? I normally don't do this, but let's put today's work on hold for a few minutes and start class by exploring these books just for fun. How much time would you like?" They'll say "20 minutes" or so and then you say, "Well, I can give up about ten minutes. I'll set the timer for ten minutes for you to get into a book." Then room goes quiet, and students read without any stakes, rules, or grades attached. Teenagers and reading are like frat boys: noncommittal and unbothered. Why not exploit those traits to a teacher's advantage? That's how I got kids reading last week.

Ann picked Speak. Throughout the day, she'd pop her head in and say, "Mrs. Tabscott, guess what page I'm on now?" She was so delighted at loving this book and reading it so fast. She finished it yesterday. I asked her why she liked it so much. She said, "I fell in love with this book so fast and read it in three days because of the relatability of the main character not being able to speak up." Same girl, same. Another student, Kiersten, grabbed The Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan and read it in two days. She said, "I kept writing down quotes. There were so many things I didn't want to forget." Then, Kiersten gave the book to her friend, Scout (I finally have a Scout!). Another student, Lamiyah, is new to my school. She couldn't remember the incredible dystopian book's title she read in 7th grade, so we tracked down her old teacher's email and found out it was Unwind by Schusterman. Lamiyah immediately ran to the library to check it out. She plans to re-read it and then read the others in the series. Kiersten, Ann, Lamiyah and I decided we need to have a Wall of Recommendations in our room, so that we can share the love in a more official and lasting capacity. We hope to have that done in a few weeks, thanks to my principal's quick work of saying yes, finding a bulletin board large enough, and putting in the work order for it to be hung. #bestprincipalever I apologize if you're bored reading about teacher stuff. I'm telling it to you so that you can know that: Teens are not disinterested, mushy-brained morons that social media and news can make them out to be.  A way to help teens exercise their freedom of choice when they don't really have a choice (c'mon, it's school) is to find a way to spark their enthusiasm, somehow form a meaningful connection, and gently nudge while listening and understanding.  Be ready for it all to fail and then try a new way tomorrow. Again, these encounters validate The Threaded Project's existence, and with a newly-warmed heart, I will spread the love of books through TTP into 2026 and beyond. Updates: We're in the process of changing tech managers, and right now, the email-login triggers are down. I expect it will be fixed by 9/16. Ciara has finished the new branding and it is SO CUTE I CAN'T STAND IT! Reveal coming soon. Michaela is working on gorgeous reels to share and promote our community. The pumpkin-spice waffle mix is available at Trader Joes. Go get some. What are we reading? I finished Elizabeth Gilbert's All the Way to the River on audio. It is incredible. I also read With the Fire on High by Acevedo which is a great YA choice, especially if you like cooking. Join us on Instagram and let us know what you're reading! XO, Meredith