Teacher Approved Tips: Give Yourself Permission and Try Out Mentor Sentences for Teaching Grammar [episode 70]

Emily
Hey, there, and thanks for joining us today for teacher approved tips, a special series from the Teacher Approved podcast. Every Thursday, we’ll be bringing you a weekly bonus episode, highlighting new and favorite teacher approved tips from us and other incredible educators. Our first teacher approved tip is give yourself a permission slip.

Heidi
This is a favorite idea that we picked up from Queen Brene Brown. Love her. The idea is that you can give yourself a permission slip to do something that you felt like you just couldn’t do. Some people have no problem ignoring the rules and doing what feels right to them. But many people, us included, find that very difficult.

Emily
I know I’d like to meet you if you’re some of those people that can just easily ignore the rules.

Heidi
Being able to write yourself a metaphorical permission slip or even a real one is sometimes just what you need to give yourself the freedom to do what feels right to you.

Emily
And there are so many ways to apply this idea. Let’s think about it in the context of summer. Maybe you are completely burned out and you need a break from thinking about school for a little while. But you feel guilty about that. You could give yourself a permission slip to not do anything for school in June.

Emily
Or you may need the opposite help. Maybe want to do some school tasks during the summer, but feel like everyone is telling you to take the summer off and just care for yourself. You can give yourself a permission slip to work on school tasks every Wednesday, or whatever feels right for you.

Emily
It turns out that most of the rules in life are fake. So you can reject those rules that aren’t working for you by giving yourself a permission slip anytime you need to.

Heidi
So take a look at the things that are weighing on you. Maybe you need to give yourself a permission slip to let something go. Is there something that you do every year that is a lot of hassle, but you keep doing it because you think you should?

Heidi
This could be the year to give yourself a permission slip to stop redecorating your classroom and a new theme, even though it’s something that you have done for years. It’s okay to let that go for this year if it’s not serving you anymore. And maybe you’ll want to do it next year. Or maybe you won’t. You have the permission to embrace what is right for you.

Emily
There’s another way you might want to use permission slips too. Is there something scary that you’ve been too afraid to do like taking a training or trying a new teaching technique or applying for a new position? This is the perfect opportunity to write yourself a permission slip. Give yourself that permission slip to be brave, put yourself out there.

Emily
Personally, this is exactly the kind of thing that terrifies me. So I know just how it feels to need a push to take the risk. Instead of waiting for someone else to tell you that you can do it give yourself that permission slip. Or let us give you this permission slip right now to do it.

Heidi
Our second teacher proof tip today comes from our friend Jessica Ivey Smith, who you might know from Ideas by Jivey! Let’s take a listen.

Jessica
Hello Teacher Approved listeners. My name is Jessica Ivey Smith also affectionately known as Jivey. I am the curriculum creator, blogger and professional development instructor behind Ideas by Jivey.

Jessica
I’m so excited for the invitation to share a strategy with you today that significantly enriched my own teaching journey. The use of mentor sentences.

Jessica
For those unfamiliar with mentor sentences, these are sentences drawn directly from literature that exemplify excellent writing. They are authentic examples of grammatically correct, beautifully structured, engaging sentences, and they serve as an invaluable teaching tool.

Jessica
I began incorporating mentor sentences into my own classroom over a decade ago after learning about them from Jeff Anderson. And I quickly noticed a substantial shift in the depth and quality of my students language discussions and writing.

Jessica
But why did I even start this journey? Well, honestly, teaching grammar was kind of a waste of my time. Using fixed sentences or PowerPoint lectures just wasn’t cutting it. Not only were my students bored, but they definitely weren’t carrying anything I was teaching them over to their writing. It was like they were learning the rules of a sport by reading a book about it without actually taking the field to play.

Jessica
Teaching grammar in context has been the proven best practice for several decades, even before the groundbreaking research behind the science of reading became the hot topic of conversation, which has reinforced that all the strands of language comprehension need to be strong. We can’t foster skilled readers if a single strand is weak, and that includes grammar.

Jessica
Here’s where mentor sentences shine. They offer a way to integrate grammar instruction into the broader context of reading and writing. They expose students to the structure of language and how sentences are constructed in a natural real world context.

Jessica
The best part is this approach can be tailored for any grade or skill level. You can select a mentor sentence from any text you are reading. The key is to identify one that is rich in teaching potential. Ask yourself what skills do you want your students to learn? You want to find sentences that highlight those skills and also inspire both you and your students, helping them appreciate the power of effective writing.

Jessica
Now, here’s a quick tip to get started. When you’re reading a book or an article, keep an eye out for sentences that capture your attention. Jot them down and next time you’re planning a lesson see if one of those sentences can illustrate a point you’re teaching.

Jessica
Now the routine I adapted in my classroom allowed me to seamlessly integrate each mentor sentence into my writing time. Students are able to absorb and digest all of the language and craft of the mentor sentence as they work with it over the course of a week, in just 15 minutes a day.

Jessica
You’ll start the week by allowing students time to identify all the wonderful things they notice about the sentence you chose. You’ll focus on the main skill you want to highlight with the sentence but you’ll find there’s a natural spiraling nature as so many skills are covered every single week.

Jessica
Instead of teaching a skill once and moving on, skills and mentor sentences are continually revisited and built upon, which fosters long term retention and application of the skills. The most exciting part of the routine and also the most significant because it truly is what makes such a difference in their writing is imitation.

Jessica
You’ll want to guide students to imitate the mentor sentence structure, word choice, and even the style of the author. This active engagement with the text deepens their understanding of how language works, and equips them with the tools to apply it to their own writing. Now, there’s just no way I could break down every part of this dynamic routine in just a few minutes here on the podcast.

Jessica
So I’d love to invite you to check out the free webinar I offer on my website, where we’ll delve deeper into the why and how of mentor sentences as well as zoom in on each step of the routine that I created. So you can stop teaching grammar in isolation, and start inspiring those high level discussions about language that we all dream of.

Jessica
You can register for this crash course to master mentor sentences at www.ideasbyjivey.com/register. Now let’s move away from teaching grammar in isolation and towards language in action. I look forward to sharing more with you. Thanks so much to Emily and Heidi for having me and thank you for listening. Hope to catch up with you on the webinar.

Emily
You can connect with Jivey at @ideasbyjivey on Instagram, where she shares so many great ideas for incorporating mentor sentences into your lessons. And definitely make sure you sign up for her free webinar to learn how to get started using mentor sentences in your classroom.

Heidi
That’s it for today’s episode. Remember to give yourself a permission slip. And also remember Jessica’s teacher approved tip to use mentor sentences to teach grammar in context.