The Power of Words



Pajama Day This Friday
 

This year I am the ASB advisor.  I love this job.  I get to meet with students from different classrooms who care about making school a better place to be.  I also get to write a couple sentences, hand it to the principal and people show up Friday wearing pajamas.

The first time I organized a Spirit Day, I started thinking about the power of words.  So much of what I accomplish starts when I write it down. I write lesson plans, newsletters, blog posts, and announcements.  I create curriculum for my students and write stories and poems for publication.

I know when I teach my students to write persuasively, I am giving them a life-long tool.  When I write a lawmaker or a business owner or a letter to the editor, I have the potential to change policies and influence lives.  I want my fourth graders to feel that power early in their careers.

Almost two years ago, I wrote up my unit about teaching students to write persuasively.  I posted it on Teachers Pay Teachers and this freebie was featured in the newsletter twice.  About thirteen thousand downloads later I am in awe of how far this unit has spread.  I'm still a little surprised that other teachers use what I write.  I don't think it's an accident that my most popular item passes along the power of words.