The individual story and associated emergence of voice is sought and valued in my model of pedagogy. But the expression of literacy and voice that emerges can only be valued and sustained through collaboration (Muhammad) and community (Lamay). Story and the expression of story must be collaboratively shared to be understood, valued, and empower a community of learners to interconnect their stories.
In lessons plans such as the one below, the idea is to foster a starting point for launching this sense of collaboration in meaning making through community connection. An effort is made from our first class to foster trust, empathy, and safety amount classmate peers in creating an environment for the community to be enabled and thrive.
In this lesson plan I have students start constructing meaning for themselves and others in a simple but meaningful mode of expression - the poetry of Haikus. Haikus are simple and distill the essence of meaning in what they describe. Haiku poetry encourages expressions of creativity and contemplation, and the lesson opens up mutual understanding through sharing what everyone wrote. Although the task of writing about self and others can be wrought with self-conscious inhibition, in reality the fun nature of Haikus (being childlike) allows for free and shared expression in a non-threatening manner that students always seem to enjoy.
Students present a description of how they see themselves, with nuanced interpretation being a safety fallback. They see how others perceive them. Identity and meaning is created through collaboration. It is the starting point for the bigger and more intimidating seeking and sharing of story to come.
Lesson Plan #1
Your Haiku Story
Activity: Write a 5-7-5 syllable haiku poem about yourself on a Post-It note. The haiku can either be based on your symbolic recipe or completely different. Your haiku will be shared with the class.
Learning Objective:
1) Reinforce how to write haikus.
2) Develop 4 “C” skill of Contemplative Thinking
3) Develop 4 “C” skill of Creative Thinking.
4) Cultivate meaning and identity for students in a shared, communal sense.
Duration: 10-15 minutes
Instructions: Students will write haikus individually and teacher will walk around, assist, and give feedback.
After everyone is finished the teacher will collect the Post-Its and post on the front board under a number. Students will then walk around and try to guess the identity of each classmate author.
Lesson Plan #2
Their Haiku Story
Activity: Write a 5-7-5 syllable haiku poem about three (3) of your classmates as assigned by the teacher. The haiku can either be based on their symbolic recipe or completely different. Your haikus will be shared with the class.
Learning Objective:
1) Reinforce how to write haikus.
2) Develop 4 “C” skill of Contemplative Thinking
3) Develop 4 “C” skill of Creative Thinking.
4) Cultivate meaning and identity for students in a shared, communal sense.
Duration: 20-25 minutes
Instructions: Students will write haikus about their classmates as chosen and the teacher will walk around, assist, and give feedback.
After everyone is finished the teacher will collect the haikus (it is preferable if you can use an electronic portal or online class message board for submission). The teacher will read (or display if completed digitally) the haikus and students must guess the identity of each.