"Why do we need to learn this?" is a common ELA classroom question. By going into the community and interviewing different careers, students are able to see the importance of reading and writing, which then provides motivation for more active learning. This presentation discusses the importance of role models in the classroom and what they can do for your students.

1. Reading and Writing
Role Models
Alexander Davidson
MRA Annual Conference
2015

2. About Me: Alexander Davidson
 University of Michigan, 2010
 English, History, Secondary Education
 Madonna University, 2013
 MAT, Literacy Education
 Reading Specialist certification
 University of Detroit Jesuit High School
and Academy
 Five years of teaching
 Back at my old high school
 English: freshmen and sophomores
 Study Skills: seventh grade
Twitter
@_AlexanderJohn
Facebook
AlexanderDavidsonTeacherAuthor
Website
AlexanderDavidsonBooks.com

3. Welcome to the University of Detroit Jesuit High
School and Academy!

4. Who We Are…
 All boys
 Private, Catholic, college-preparatory
 Only one left in the city of Detroit
 Enrollment: 900 (Grades 7-12, 2013-2014)
 16% living in the city of Detroit
 31% Students receiving need based aid
 24% receiving merit-based scholarships (9-12)
 14 varsity athletic teams
 34 co-curricular clubs

5. My Classroom
Freshman English I, Period 4 Freshman English I, Period 6
(Not pictured – oops!)

6. The Problem with Boys (Guys Read)
 “The U.S. Department of
Education reading tests for the
last 30 years show boys scoring
worse than girls in every age
group, every year.”
 “Eighth grade boys are 50
percent more likely to be held
back,”
 “two-thirds of Special Education
Students in high school are boys,”
and
 “overall college enrollment is
higher for girls than boys.”

7. Boys in the Classroom
 “Biologically, boys are slower to develop than girls and
often struggle with reading and writing skills.” (Guys
Read)
 “It is possible that achievement in a particular area for
boys is important in order to foster positive attitudes in
that area”( Logan & Johnston, 2009).
 Therefore, “strategies for improving attitudes to reading
in school will be likely to have a positive impact on
reading frequency and ability after school” (Logan &
Johnston 2009).

8. What They Get in School
 Many female teachers are assigning novels “meant to
induce sympathy for the feelings of characters with
problems. But most boys are bored by these books, and
they are less likely than girls to read books that they
think are boring in order to please teachers or parents”
Rhoads, 2010).
 These novels don’t appeal to the “action-oriented,
competitive learning style of many boys” and work
against the effort at improving reading skills (Guys
Read).
 “In part, boys fall so far behind in reading because
educators often don’t give them stories that would
appeal to them—adventures and combat, heroes and
villains”(Rhoads 2010).

9. Boys, Men and Literacy (Guys Read)
 Because of the majority of adults involved
in kid’s reading are women, boys might
not see reading as a masculine activity.
 As a society, we teach boys to suppress
feelings. Boys aren’t practiced and often
don’t feel comfortable exploring the
emotions and feelings found in fiction.
 Men have to step up as role models of
literacy. What we do is more important
than all we might say.

10. What I do…
Reflection on the writing process Mr. Davidson’s reading wall for the school year

11. But you’re a teacher…
 Obviously an English teacher is going
to read and write
 What if I don’t want to be a writer?
 What if I don’t want to be a teacher?

12. So Many Questions…
When are we
ever going to
need this?
Why are we
studying this?
When will I use this
in my future job?
What’s
the
point?

13. So what do we do?
How do we keep our
students motivated?

14. Male Brain-based Learning
 When discussing the process of
teaching the Fibonacci sequence, boys
are stimulated by the properties of the
numbers while the girls look for its
relationship to the real world (National
Association for Single Sex Public
Education, 2006).
 When describing the different lesson
plans for boys and girls, the lesson for
the boys focused on the process of
finding the number and figuring out its
relation to pi.
 The boys appeared to be more
motivated to see how things work and
solve puzzles, the action-based side of
mathematics and science.

15. Give Students a Purpose
 My idea:
 Add reading and writing role models to the classroom
 Have different careers talk about the reading and writing in their jobs
 Let students see that skills they are working on today will be beneficial
in the future
 Gives their learning a purpose
 Problem:
 Asking volunteers to come to school
 Having volunteers available for multiple class periods with schedule
 Getting students to have the same valuable experience

16. Reading and Writing Role Model Project
 Intended Goal:
 Video interviews
 Parent volunteers
 Every student interviews and submits video
 Watch videos as a class on Fridays
 Students write reflections on the video as exit
tickets
 Students see the value of what’s being taught
in an English classroom

17. THE PROCESS
Here’s how I did it…

18. Buy In and Support
 Talk to Assistant Principal of Student Affairs
 Let him know what the project is about
 Talk about student expectations and activities
 Discuss the process and logistics of the project
 APPROVED!
 Talk to Parents
 Parent letter to describe the project
 Inform parents of student expectations
 Inform parents of expectations for them

19. Parent Letter
• What is the project?
• What’s the purpose?
• What is required of my son?
• Who is involved in the process?
• What are my duties as a parent?

20. What’s the Purpose/Project?
This year, we are branching out on a whole new adventure here at U
of D Jesuit High School. For the first time ever, I am attempting a
project to bring reading and writing role models into the classroom. So
many times, I am asked, “Why are we learning this?” or “When am I
ever going to use this?” With the addition to reading and writing role
models to the classroom, hopefully these questions will be answered,
and a spark of motivation ignited in our students.
 Something new
 Motivate students

21. What is required of my son? Who’s involved?
This will be a student video interview project that will require a
freshman student to interview and record a reading and writing role
model about how they currently use reading and writing skills in their
profession. These role models are primarily parents and family
members of current U of D Jesuit families who have generously
volunteered their time for this project. Each student will interview a
volunteer about their job, and these videos will be spread out and
shown over the school year to help motivate the freshmen and keep
them reminded of what they are working toward.
 Student-centered project
 Technology
 Reliable and trustworthy volunteers

22. What are my duties as a parent?
The addition of reading and writing role models to the classroom has been
shown to boost literacy and motivation in male students. I hope you will
support me in this endeavor to successfully launch this project for the first
time. As a parent, there are a few things I will need from you, too. While all
communication with the role model should be made by the student, please
allow your son to CC you on all emails. This will need to be a face to face
interview for the video portion of the project, so I’m sure your son would also
appreciate assistance with finding a good time to schedule the meeting and
getting transportation.
 Support
 Scheduling
 Transportation

23. Student Safety
 While all of these volunteers are trusted adults, I would appreciate it
if you could also be present during the interview between the role
model and your son. For the comfort of the volunteer, please avoid
having the interviews at a private location. Quiet spots like coffee
shops or libraries would work best. This is a worthwhile project, so
thank you in advance for all of your help and support.
 Parents should be present
 No private locations (comfort of students and volunteers)
 Quiet and public

24. Call for Volunteers
PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Do you have an interesting job? Are you willing to be interviewed by a U of D Jesuit
student about that job? If so, then Mr. Davidson needs your help.
Mr. Davidson is looking to add reading and writing role models to his classroom via
student-created video interviews. A student would ask you some simple questions
about the reading and writing involved in your job in September, and these video
projects will be spread out and played over the school year. The hope is that
through this project, students will see a more direct link to why what they are
learning in the English classroom is important in the real world.
Volunteers will be asked four simple questions:
- What type of reading do you do at your job?
- What type of reading skills are needed to be successful?
- What type of writing do you do at your job?
- What type of writing skills are needed to be successful?

25. Call for Volunteers (cont’d)
If you are interested in being interviewed and video-taped for this project,
please email Mr. Davidson (xxxxxxx@uofdjesuit.org) with the subject line
"Reading/Writing Role Models". The email should include your name, city of
residence (for matching with students), your job title, and personal contact
information. If you know anyone else with an interesting career that you
think would be good for this project, please forward this information along! I
am looking to assign this project sometime after Labor Day and give the
students a few weeks to schedule and perform their interviews.
We are looking for, but are not limited to, the following careers: lawyer,
judge, doctor, vet, police officer, fire fighter, armed forces, manager,
consultant, engineer, architect, nurse, professor, accountant,
CIO/CEO/CFO, secretary, banker, entrepreneur, salesman, service industry
worker, or anything else that you think is fun or unique.

26. Call for Volunteers - Methods
 School-wide Newsletter
 Cubs News
 Sent out once a week
 Multiple weeks to increased number of
volunteers
 Announcements at “Mini Class Night”
 Talk to current parents
 Personal Begging
 Talk to past parents
 Talk to personal friends and family

27. Great Response from Volunteers
 Worship director
 Magazine writer
 Lawyer
 Financial consultant
 Social worker
 Accountant
 Forensics psychologist
 Doctor
 Pediatrics
 Consultant
 Graphic designer
 Business consultant
 Public Relations Rep
 Attorney
 Flight attendant
 Sales manager
 Bioengineer
 Judge
 Voice over talent
 Entrepreneur
 College admissions
director
 Military engineer
 Executives
 Neuropsychologist
 Speech pathologist
 Police Dept. Sheriff
 Teacher
 Engineer
 Production manager
 Systems analyst
 Police officer
 CEO
 Appeals attorney
 Advertising
 Editor
 Reporter
Result: 32 volunteers for 50
students, some had to find
their own interviewees

28. Student Handout
 Explain purpose to students
 Motivate students
 Focus on English skills
 Look at future careers
 Improve communication skills
 Give directions
 Provide important dates
 Rough draft
 Communication email
 Video of interview
 Reflection of interview

29. Helpful Guidelines for Students
 Email communication outline
 Greeting
 Introduction
 Project explanation
 Thank you
 Schedule a time
 Thank them again
 Signing off
 Email subject lines
 CC a parent
 Rough draft of email to teacher
 Interview Guidelines
 Location (quiet)
 Preparation for volunteer
 Recording/Techonology
 Interview questions
 Video
 Editing, Submitting
 Reflection
 Typed, summary/reflection
questions

30. Videos!
 https://youtu.be/WMweNbVdAt4

31. How Do You Grade This?
 Original Goal: 5 minute videos, marked down if over 7 minutes
 Problem: Some volunteers were very chatty
 Not the students fault!
 Current Solution: Everyone gets points for credit
 Figuring this out is future Mr. Davidson’s problem

32. Student Written Reflections
 When you first heard about this assignment, what were your
thoughts? Were you excited? Anxious? Dreading it? Why did you
feel this way?
 If you were assigned a volunteer, what were your predictions for how
the interview would go? Did you have any predetermined beliefs
about that person’s job? What were they?
 If you were not assigned a volunteer, how did you decide who to
interview? When you knew their job, did you have any predetermined
beliefs about that person’s job? What were they?
 During the interview, how do you think it went? Were there any
challenges? How did you overcome them? Were there any
successes, and if so, what was a success?

33. Student Reflections (cont’d)
 After having completed your interview, what are your feelings about
that career you learned about? What did you maybe not know
before about the reading and writing involved in their jobs? Did
anything surprise you? What do you think about the reading and
writing required in their career?
 Having finished the assignment, what do you think? Have your
thoughts changed about the importance of reading and writing? Is
there anything specific you want to work on while in high school to
make sure you are prepared for later? Was this assignment helpful in
opening your eyes to the importance of reading and writing to be
successful outside of school? Explain your thoughts.

34. Student Reflection
“I thought it was going to be boring,
pointless, and a lot of work. I saw it as just
another school assignment… I did not want
to do this assignment… I didn’t think it would
change my opinion about the importance
of reading and writing involved.” - Zeke
“When this project was assigned, at
first I felt a little bit nervous about
having to interview a person that I
didn’t know and just the idea
overwhelmed me.” - Ben
“At first, I just did not want to do it because I
thought it would be extremely time
consuming…I felt that this would just be “one
more project.” - Johnny
“When this project was first
mentioned in class, I was
extremely excited. It combined
two of my favorite things into one
project, journalism and
filmmaking.” - Anthony
“I honestly did not feel like doing it
when I first heard about it.” - Nathan

35. Student Reflection
“Before the interview, I honestly didn’t
really know how much reading and writing
doctors need, but I learned that doctors
read and write all day long!” - Johnny
“I knew it was hard to be a writer, but I
didn’t know that it was harder than
what I thought….It takes time for a
writer to think of ideas to write.” - Noah
“Another thing that surprised me was all
of the kinds of writing he does: creative
writing, communication in email,
persuasive writing, and explanatory
writing.” - Calvin

36. Student Reflection
“I didn’t know how much reading and
writing was used… and that much of it
is in the form of an email. I was
surprised how much reading is required
of a graphic designer to become
familiar with how to make a design that
appeals to the appropriate audience.”
- Zeke
“Looking back on the reading and writing
skills that he described I think that without
developed skills in those categories, he
really couldn’t do any of this daily work
because it all is revolved around reading
and writing.” - Ben
“I now think that reading and writing
are not the only essential part of a
journalist’s career. Both people skills
and research skills are major
components of the quality of a
journalist’s writing.” - Anthony
“I never thought into it that much, how
he needed to know how to analyze
the lyrics so he can know what the
music really means.” - Nathan

37. Student Reflection
“I now understand how important reading
and writing is…This assignment was
definitely useful in helping me to see how
reading and writing will help me to be
successful.” - Zeke
“I know it really helped me, and I’m sure
my classmates, to view reading and
writing as a serious skillset to take
on…This project helped greatly.” - Ben
“I always thought that reading and writing
were important skills, but now I know that
they are even more important than I
thought.” - Calvin
“This assignment was a terrific
experience from which I have learned
and off of I will grow my reading and
writing skills.” - Anthony
“My eyes have been opened to the
importance of reading and writing.”
- Nathan

38. Dreams Versus Reality
 Original Plan:
 Videos on Friday in class
 Student reflection responses as exit tickets
 Too much to teach; I need my class time!
 Adjusted Plan:
 Role Model Mondays
 Watch videos at home Monday night
 Fill out reflection worksheet due Tuesdays
 Weekly routine

39. Role Model Monday - Responses

40. Overall Response
 Strong parent support and
involvement
 More parents want to join next year
 Volunteers want to participate
again next year
 Strong student reflections
 Strong continual conversations on
reading and writing
 Able to go back to project for
motivation and purpose

41. Goodbye Questions!
When are we
ever going to
need this?
Why are we
studying this?
When will I use this
in my future job?
What’s
the
point?

42. References
 Canadian Council on Learning. (2009). Why boys don’t like to read: Gender
differences in reading achievement. Lessons in Learning.
 Guys Read. (n.d.). Guys and reading. Retrieved from http://guysread.com/about/.
 Logan, L. & Johnson, R. (2009). Gender differences in reading ability and attitudes:
Examining where the differences lie. Journal of Research in Reading, 32 (2), 199-214.
 Mercer, K. (2011). Improving literacy outcomes for years 5-8 boys. Kairarnga, 12 (2),
52-58.
 National Association for Single Sex Public Education. (2006). Learning style
differences. Retrieved from http://www.singlesexschools.org/research-learning.htm.
 Ontario Education. (2003). Me read? no way!: A practical guide to improving boys’
literacy skills. Retrieved from
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/meread.pdf.
 Rhoads, S. (2010). Considering sex differences for effective education. Gender
differences. Retrieved from
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Considering_Sex/.

43. Share the News!
 TELL ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!
 SHARE THE LOVE ON TWITTER!
 #MRA15 #MRAhappy
 @_AlexanderJohn
 @MichiganReading
 FIND ME ON FACEBOOK!
 Facebook.com/AlexanderDavidsonTeacherAuthor
 CHECK ME OUT ONLINE!
 AlexanderDavidsonBooks.com
 VIEW THE INFO ON SLIDESHARE!
 http://www.slideshare.net/ADave411/reading-and-
writing-role-models
 EMAIL ME!
 Alexander.John.Davidson@gmail.com
SCECH Session Code
SUGGD910