Teachers | In The Classroom
Classroom visits are nothing short of magical. As a good friend, and teacher, in Maine told me, “the kids won’t believe me, they won’t believe their parents, but they’ll believe you!”
Alfred M. Struthers, In the classroom. . .
The statement above inspired me to start regular classroom visits, something I do at no charge.
What did I learn? Apparently artisans have a hidden super power. As a middle school teacher in Swanzey, NH, explained, “Kids very seldom get to meet someone working their craft.” Be it a painter, potter, sculptor, or writer, the overwhelming enthusiasm that kids have when they meet an artist is amazing.
I can recite the same writing lesson they heard that very morning, but coming from a published author, it has other-worldly impact. So, I use that excitement to flesh out the things that kids stumble on in writing. I simply ask them, “For you, what’s the hardest part of writing?” And then we tackle those issues one by one. One of the greatest testimonials I’ve gotten about my middle-grade classroom visits came from a fifth grader in Brookline, NH, who said, “Thank you for teaching us the stuff no one else will teach us.” Another wrote, “You make me want to be a better writer.”
When I hear those comments, my heart skips a beat.
Working together, we can create classroom Magic.
Great Book for Middle School Readers
“When author Alfred M. Struthers sent me a copy of his book to review, I decided that I would read this book as a read aloud to my 5th grade class. The students were really into the mystery aspect of the book and loved the adventure that was entwined within the story. Many of them felt that they could relate to the characters Nathan and Gina.
The author’s style of writing was to include the thoughts of most of the characters in the form of italics throughout the book. I will admit, it was hard to read at first because it was something I’d never quite seen before, but as I continued reading, I realized that the style of writing leant itself to some deep discussions and many wonderful teaching moments.
So, during our read aloud, we used the book as a teaching tool which became most helpful when discussing point of view. Knowing so many of the characters thoughts, also gave us insight about the characters themselves and we were able to make some inferences about them as we read.
This book was also a great tool to use when teaching fluency. We used a short passage to practice fluency and the expression, volume, and phrasing needed to make the thoughts of the characters more meaningful.
As one student said, “It’s almost like I’m talking to myself.” Which is exactly how it should be read too. 🙂
I don’t feel as though this is quite a lower level reader book as other reviewers have suggested however, only because of the writing style and vocabulary. I can see it frustrating struggling readers a bit, but being intriguing to higher level readers who are constantly thinking and questioning as they read. I definitely feel that this book would be great for middle school readers, and while it is an enticing book for boys, most of my girls really enjoyed it just as much.” D. Boyer, Salina, KS
What Adults and Parents are saying. . .
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What Kids Are Saying About The Third Floor Mystery Books
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Testimonials from Educators & Librarians
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