Rock Your School, Reimagined is right around the corner, coming to you February 8th through 12th. Rock Your School is Reimagined this year to meet the needs of all educators, whatever your circumstances may be. Rock Your School is designed to be a source of fun + joy, a reminder of what we love about our role as educators, and a time to intentionally build community within our classrooms and schools. If you haven’t already, register your school and download all of the free RYS resources our team has designed for you. Be sure and check out our introductory RYS blog post, as well as our post on how to best utilize the free RYS resources. Whether this is your third time doing Rock Your School or your first, there’s something for everyone!

A Little Reminder

We want Rock Your School 2021 to be something that brings you joy, not stress. There is no one way or right way to rock your school - it’s all about you and your students. Comparison truly is the thief of joy, so we ask that you don’t compare what you’re able to do with another teacher or school community. We are all in different positions this year, with the capacity to do different things - sometimes radically so. As you read through this list and select something to add to your RYS week, we hope that you’ll be thinking about preserving your peace while increasing your joy! Do what serves you and your students, even if it’s not the biggest and boldest act.

1: Mystery (Guest) Reader

Mystery (guest) readers are a GREAT way to bring some excitement to your classroom without a lot of effort, and without disrupting any existing lesson plans or your pacing guide. Due to COVID or in most areas, mystery/guest readers will need to be virtual - via Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or another platform (even pre-recorded video can be impactful). A few tips for planning for and hosting a guest reader:

• Not all guest readers will have access to physical copies of texts, and getting one to them to use might be tricky depending on your situation. You can use digital book platforms like Vooks, Epic!, and your local library system to make things easier for both yourself and your guest reader! (Note: If you have a subscription, you can also utilize Kindle Unlimited (which has popular titles like The Bad Seed).

• Utilizing YouTube is also an option, particularly if the text is offered as a read aloud from the publisher (like Harper Collins’ The Couch Potato). To have your guest reader be the narrator, simply mute the YouTube audio. You can slow or speed up the video using YouTube’s features. (Note: This is a good option for guest readers that may be a little nervous about reading aloud to a class; it’ll help them get a sense of phrasing, pacing, and yes - even “character voices.”)

• Think outside the box with guest readers - it’s a great opportunity to get your local community involved in your classroom. Reach out to business owners, school board members, and local elected officials. You can utilize our template letter to community members to help you make the ask!

2: Teacher for a Day (or a Zoom)

It is always a plus when we can involve students or their families in the act of teaching! Invite interested students or family members to teach (or co-teach) a mini-lesson with you. You can stick with a topic or lesson you were already planning to teach, or leverage the strengths and interest areas of your students and their families. A few tips for planning and hosting a guest teacher:

• Provide a basic outline of a model if your student or family member is planning to teach a mini-lesson about their own interest area. While they may deviate from the outline, it can be a helpful starting point and keep them organized. Make a note of any key routines or structures you already have in place so that they can be sure and follow them.

• Offer an opportunity for practice with feedback. While this does require a little extra time on your part, it’s likely to result in a higher quality lesson with less intervention required during. This is particularly important if the student or family member will be teaching virtually and may need some practice with host/co-host controls in Zoom, Google Meet, etc.

3: Go On (Virtual) Tour

Every rockstar longs for the day they’re headlining their very own world tour. While in-person field trips may be on hold right now as we continue to navigate a world with COVID, that doesn’t mean we need to remain disconnected from the field trip experience. Taking a virtual field trip is a great way to engage students and provide them with a little more real-world experience than they may otherwise get. A few tips for making your trip a success:

• Do not pass GO, do not collect $200 until you spend five minutes watching Ty Cook’s RYS mini-session on virtual field trips. He shares with you an amazing resource, Virtual Field Trips on Wide Open Schools. The virtual field trips are grouped by age, which makes it a breeze to find one appropriate for the grade you teach.

• Consider going on a series of trips throughout the week - a true “tour” - themed to perhaps your latest unit of study in science or social studies… or maybe the interest area of your students! Virtual field trips do not need to be lengthy. For instance, if you’re currently studying *anything* within the subject of space, visit a different NASA space center each day!

• Nearpod is a great tool to make virtual field trips that can be used synchronously or asynchronously. Utilize Nearpod’s beta video tool to embed quizzes during any videos you use, as well as their awesome VR features that can be used with and without a headset. Note: During the initial lockdown period last year, I made a two-part Pixar “Around the World” field trip for our students. You’re welcome to use it with your own students, or as a guide for how to make your own! You can copy part one here, and part two here.

4: _______, the Musical!

If you use TikTok or know someone that does, chances are you know about the musical craze that resulted in Ratatouille being turned into a charity Broadway musical earlier this month. Music in the classroom is such a great way to increase student engagement, but it’s even better when students are at the helm creating. Take a book you’ve read together - and turn it into a musical! A few tips for making your musical a success:

• Writing lyrics or the script won’t come easy to every student, and might be a frustrating task for many. Remember that musicals have so many important components - something for everyone. You’ll need set designers, costume designers, Playbill creators, merchandisers, and more! There are so many ways for students to be involved beyond writing a script or a song.

• When it comes to the actual writing of the song and putting it to music, this amazing mom shares in a short YouTube video how she taught her kids to write a song, and how they utilized copyright-free music to make it happen. Music teacher April Keez also shares her tips and tricks for songwriting with kids in this video.

5: Alter-Ego

Every rockstar has an alter-ego! A new name or nickname, backstory, or even accent can bring some fun and excitement to a lesson or school day. Not only that, but it’s an exercise in creativity that can spillover into other activities such as writing! Consider letting students pick a rockstar name, “super power,” or accent and honor it for a lesson or a day. It’s a simple, low-effort way to make things more interesting. You can even add-on additional activities such as having them write a new autobiography or create an “album cover” self-portrait. (Note: there are tons of “rockstar name generator” websites - but make sure you preview them for student use to ensure they’re appropriate. This one is simplistic, and you can check student names ahead of time as they aren’t randomized.)

We would love to hear from you about how you’re celebrating Rock Your School week! Fill out this form and your ideas might be featured right here on the blog or on one of our social media channels.