Author's Purpose

Yesterday we discussed the author's purpose in class, and I was excited about the way we were able to talk about this concept. I basically wanted to convey that authors write for one (or more) of three reasons: to persuade, to inform, or to entertain. Instead of telling the boys these categories, I just started the conversation by asking them why authors write. This was a simple lesson, but I think it shows how my mindset is really beginning to change about the way I teach. I didn't want to tell them what to think because I see what a difference it makes in their learning when they generate the ideas and reach conclusions on their own. Yet again, I see the need for my students to feel a sense of agency and autonomy in our class. One student pointed out that the author's words on a page are like hands that come out to grab you, and another noted that some people write to try to teach a lesson (they used the example of the movie "Blindside") because it showed one student how lucky he is. Basically, they were able to generate the three categories on their own with a small amount of guidance from me, and I was excited we were able to have a lively conversation with almost everyone engaged in what we were discussing.