Don't Forget The Similes!

Today, I was thrilled when a fellow teacher ran into my classroom twice to tell me the ingenious writing she received from her math students. Attempting in full to adhere to the common core's desire for all students to write, her students have been journaling about math for days. She's witnessed first hand that writing has become second nature to them. They are not groaning, but get right to work. The level of excellence has been demonstrated by all levels of her students. Above all though, over the last few days the students ability to add in different types of figurative language has kept her in stitches.

She busted in telling me that one student compared her teaching to a soft summer breeze. "Your teaching is like a soft summer breeze against my cheek." Another student compared her enjoyment of math to butter and toast. "I love math as I love butter and toast." She was struck by how intuitive but also hilarious it all sounded. I explained that, "They are adding in figurative language: similes and metaphors to their writing. They are comparing your teaching to a summer breeze and math to the joy of eating buttered toast. "Ohhh, "she responded. "Now, I get it!"

My fellow teacher continued saying that the list went on and on: similes and metaphors galore! Tears welled up in her eyes from laughter, and I loved it. What a proud moment for my diligent writers. They applied what they learned in my writing class to another subject, and it was working. Yes! The result of writing across the curriculums was two fold. It helped my students get further writing practice, but it also brought us, as colleagues, closer together. How great is that!

The more we embrace the Common Core Curriculum, as a team, I believe the greater results we will see in our students.

So let this be a lesson to all teachers across the curriculums--keep your students writing--and never forget the similes!!