At The Nest, English and journalism teacher Mrs. Jennifer Chandler teaches students about the basics of interactive media. However, on Feb. 1, 2024, four members of the journalism staff traveled to the middle school to educate students on how to write like a real journalist.
Sixth grade English teacher Mrs. Rebecca Rommelman’s classes are currently learning about and researching teen activists. Rommelman states, “I did an end of year survey with my students last year. In one of my questions about writing, several students said that they really felt bad that they weren’t doing anything to help the world be a better place after working through this unit!”
She continues, “That wasn’t the intent at all, and I had no idea they felt that way! I do think it is an important topic to study to help all of us get a little out of our comfort zone and to practice some empathy for others.”
Subsequently, the teacher sent an email to Chandler, requesting the assistance of journalism students to help accomplish their tasks. “I was trying to think of things we could do to make this unit ‘come alive’ for them, and that’s when I thought of Mrs. Chandler! It was one of those 3 A.M. ideas that I think all teachers have and can relate to,” she says. So, Chandler sent seniors Noel Bailey and Gabby Moxham, as well as juniors Lexi Gott and Lily Corcoran, to mentor the sixth graders.
Rommelman mentions that her students wanted to know “exactly who was coming” to the middle school, but since she did not know herself, she “just kept explaining that it was ‘real, live, journalism students’ so they had better be on their best behavior!”
For the presentation, the students created a PowerPoint presentation from scratch. The presentation was split into two parts: How to ask good questions, and how to use those questions to write an article. There were multiple games and activities within the presentation so that the sixth graders could engage and interact with the new material they learned.
These games included sorting good questions from bad questions in an interview (including one regarding football player Travis Kelce), as well as coming up with questions to ask a teen activist within a five-minute limit.
Rommelman adds that she would, “love for [the students] to come again.” She continues, “The lesson was so well put together, the right amount of listening time balanced with getting up and moving time. It was perfect!”