The following are writing prompts and discussion topics based on the blog, “Fear Is Not All Bad.” After the prompts we have included suggestions regarding ways to use this blog in your classroom as well as a discussion about why this blog can be a useful tool in your classroom. So, get your students think, pair, sharing and see what develops!
- What are some ways that a person can safely deal with fear?
- “You can think and feel at the same time.” What do you think this statement means? What could it have to do with fears?
- Is anger a scary thing? Why or why not?
- How can fear of failure stand in a person’s way? How could a person overcome that fear?
- Why do you think people use “crooked no’s” (e.g., not giving a yes or a no, making excuses, or saying yes, but not following through)?
- Have you ever heard someone use a “crooked no”? What did it sound like? Why do you think they didn’t just say “no” in a straightforward way?
- How could you help someone act more responsibly and not use crooked no’s?
- Check out the DECIDE AND PRACTICE tips. Many of them can be adapted for a classroom activity and could end with a reflective writing assignment. And, all of them can be helpful to you personally both at home and in your classroom.
NOTE: If you prefer that students not be required to write about or discuss themselves, suggest they respond to the prompts by talking about their experiences with friends or relatives instead of themselves.
Teachers, you can use this blog in classrooms. Here are two ideas about how.
- For middle or high school parenting or child development courses:
- Use the blog for discussion topics
- Require students to research the topics and agree or disagree with what the blog is suggesting.
2. For all courses, especially English Language Arts:
- Use the blog for writing prompts for paragraphs, theme papers, journal entries, class starters, etc. Have students read the blog and respond to:
- Do you agree with what is being said about kids? Do kids really act, think or feel that way?
- Do you agree with what is being said about parents, grandparents, teachers and child caregivers? Do or should they act, think or feel that way?
- What would be your advice on this topic?
- What was left out of this article?
- If you were a parent, would you use any of this information? How?
Why can this blog be a useful teaching tool?
- Students that see connections between their coursework and their lives do better in school.
- Most students will either be parents one day or have children in their lives that they care about, so the topical information can help them build their knowledge about children and parenting and develop a positive image of the type of parenting they want to do.
- The new core literacy standards adopted by most states call for frequent writing in all courses.
- Newly developed end-of-course assessments to be used by many states will require that students demonstrate that they can think critically. These prompts help students practice critical thinking.
- Newly developed end-of-course assessments to be used by many states will require that students demonstrate that they can analyze what they read. These prompts help students practice analysis.