The Handbook

Here is the handbook forwarded to me by 826Michigan's volunteer coordinator.

Working with Students:

Our number one priority when working with students is always to give them our full and undivided attention. In the average classroom, there is one teacher for thirty students, so it is very important to make sure any students you’re working with feel like they are in the spotlight. Let them know that all their ideas are good ideas by listening intently and encouraging them.

Things to Keep in Mind Generally

• Start with HOC—higher order concerns—such as organization, ideas, themes, arguments, overall structure, and move into LOC—lower order concerns—such as grammar and punctuation, if you have time.
• Ask lots of questions. Try to let the student work through problems on his or her own. You are the embodiment of extra support and guidance, not the manifestation of easy answers.
• Make sure the student feels ownership over his or her project. If you’re working on something that’s already written, always ask permission to look at it; never grab a paper out of a student’s hands–that’s rude.
• Look for patterns. If you notice a student doesn’t seem to understand how to properly use commas, gently point it out. Give examples—from the paper—of the correct way, and then let the student try.

Things to Keep in Mind When Teaching Writing

• When working on a writing project, the most important thing is to be positive. Point out places where you want more detail, or an idea they could expand upon. Point out specific parts that you love.
• Ask questions! What does the student like about the piece? What else would you like to know? Do they have any concerns? What could be favorably described as “neat?”
• If a student is stumped, recap the story thus far, and then ask an open ended question: “So they’re trapped in the dungeon, the sun is starting to set, and Cadwaladder’s hands are sweating profusely …what do you think happens next?”

The Unbelievable and Awe-Inspiring 826 Finger Trick!

Each teacher has his or her own way of quieting excited students: some use the quiet coyote, some use some weird rhyme that we can’t remember. Here at 826, we have the Unbelievable and Awe-Inspiring 826 Finger Trick! This takes years to master, but you can get pretty good at it with some concentrated practice.
Basically, you hold up eight fingers, then switch to two fingers, and then switch to six fingers. Do this over and over and fast as you can without having an aneurism. You can make those numbers happen with any combination of fingers. See? It takes a lot of concentration. Do you think you could do that and talk at the same time? Do you think a student would be able to?