Real Conversations

My classroom is filled with conversation. This does not mean that we are always involved in serious discussion. Sometimes we are. While reading Fahrenheit 451, we talk about some very serious things. While reading Zach’s Lie and Jack’s Run, our conversations tend to be weighty. Other times—many times—some of our best conversations begin with off-topic comments and thoughts. These thoughts lead us from idea to idea. Eventually, we come back to our actual plan for the day. And the detour is always worth it.

A recent detour involved one of my daily homework assignments. I ask my students to think without interruption for at least five minutes each day. Every day. This means no phones, no iPads, no other people. I do allow for pets, because they rarely interrupt our thinking. I want my students to allow themselves to simply think without boundaries.

On the day this recent conversation happened, Emily asked, “Can I tell you what I thought about last night?” Of course, my answer was yes.

Emily thought about donuts and donut holes. She wondered if there were as many donuts as holes in each donut shop. She wondered if donut holes actually fit inside donuts. My class was unleashed. There were all sorts of comments, questions, theories. Some of my students proposed that donut holes would not fit inside of donuts because they swell while cooking. Others proposed that, perhaps, donut holes are cut separately from the actual donuts. There was the general conversation. There were also a number of side conversations. There was an incredible amount of energy.

On the following day, Claire came to school with a box of Munchkins from Dunkin’ Donuts. She also had a few donuts in a bag. Her dad offered to help us in our quest for understanding about Emily’s thinking. It was amazing. We had lively conversation. We had a live demo. We all enjoyed a donut hole or two.

At the time of this two-day conversation, we were studying S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. Go figure. There is nothing about donuts in Hinton’s book. That didn't matter. We didn’t neglect our work with Ponyboy, Johnny, Dally, and the others. We just took a bit of a left turn.

After our donut discussion and our donut day, a lot of what we talked about, no matter the real topic, circled back to donuts.

I don’t know what this means for English/ELA. I don’t know what it does for our alignment with standards. I do know that it brought the class together in a conversation about something we were all interested in. Everyone was involved. It was good. And so are donuts.

Thank you, Emily.

Allow for real conversation in your classroom. Let things go off topic every once in a while. What better community-building than a conversation with real energy in it.