Three Powerful Moments: An Inclusion Activity on What Makes Our Literacy Instruction Memorable
Activity Template Included
“What are three powerful moments you remember from your educational experience? It can be any three events, from 4K to graduate school. Write them down and then share them with a colleague who has also responded to this question. As you talk and listen, notice any patterns or trends that come up.”
I offered this invitation to teachers at the start of a recent faculty meeting. The purpose of this inclusion activity is to help us reflect on what events shaped us as learners and, now, teachers and leaders. Why do we do what we do? Looking back can help us see the influence our past experiences have had on our present practice, and maybe even provide insights that could lead to positive change in the future.
To begin, I offered a few of my own powerful moments:
In 2nd grade, I was moved to a lower guided reading group not because I was a poor reader but because I was not organized. I still remember worksheets falling out of my basal reader as I made my way to the bean-shaped table.
In 3rd grade, my teacher read aloud Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. In between laugh-out-loud moments, I realized that reading at school could be a joyful experience. I likely reread this chapter book until the cover fell off.
The teachers then wrote down their experiences. Several minutes were provided for them to share and learn in groups of 3-4. Once everyone had a chance to reflect and connect, teachers could share their observations of what patterns and trends surfaced. I wrote down what they found.
At this point, I read aloud an excerpt from The Power of Moments: Why
Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.1 The example from the text - the popsicle hotline - embodied at least one of the four characteristics of a powerful moment.
Moments of Elevation: They rise above the everyday and provoke happiness by boosting sensory pleasures. Example: First date with your future spouse.
Moments of Insight: They rewire our understanding of ourselves or the world. Example: Knowing “this is the person I am going to marry”.
Moments of Pride: They capture us at our best - moments of achievement, moments of courage. Example: Finishing a 5K race we’ve been training for.
Moments of Connection: They are typically social events and make relationships stronger: weddings, graduations, speeches, sporting events (Ch 1).
After reviewing the descriptions, we briefly categorized the examples and patterns listed based on the characteristics.
To end our time together, I encouraged the faculty to rethink at least one part of their literacy curriculum.
“As you prepare your literacy instruction this year, where might you embed a powerful moment? Which characteristics of powerful moments will it embody? What will make it memorable, something your students might remember 20 years from now?”
If you would like to try this activity with your staff, use the worksheet below to guide your planning.
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