Dear BIC, My students and I desperately need your input! PLEASE READ!

[willa25]

First off, I know I always say this, but I really do mean it. I'm so sorry I don't post enough and always seem to be missing in action lately. Just know that just because I'm not here does not mean that I don't love/care about all of you.

Okay... here is the EMERGENCY!!! First of all, this is not the type of emergency like Florida and none of my students are in any form of danger/distress. So if I alarmed anyone (especially in our current climate), I thoroughly apologize. But I do have an emergency of sorts so let me stop killing time and start explaining:

Problem: As with any middle school experience, there are always those outer fringe students that are considered the "loner" kids. They tend not to connect well with their classmates, sit alone at lunch, and basically stay to themselves.

My role as a teacher:  For years I have tried to reach out to these kids by trying to learn about their personal interests, not just what they like from my subject matter. More recently, even before I actually begin the dialogue with them, some of them will have already pointed out one of my Pusheen plushies or a particular Tokidoki I have on my desk. And almost as if we had just cast our own specific Harry Potter spell, this student and I will instantly from that point on have an instant connection from then on! In fact, students such as these will come 1x to 2x a week for lunch in my room. (School cafeterias are truly a battleground for students unfortunately, especially the ones I am describing.) Lunchtime conversations usually delve into most things pop culture. (think anything you could currently find in HotTopic or ThinkGeek.)

The Premise/Current Day: Yesterday during a staff meeting, we began discussing a student who is having trouble fitting in. A teacher in the meeting went on to say, "Wouldn't it be nice if our school had an afterschool club for kids like her?" Now, personally, I was kind of put off by the "kid like her" comment (no words.. simply, just no words anymore are left in me these days) but this teacher's comment nonetheless lit the spark of ingenuity of me. Why couldn't there be a club for students just like her and everyone else, just like all the students I continue to eat lunch with year after year?!?!?!

So here is where I desperately need the help of my BIC friends: First of all, I believe that those of you who are reading this, are most likely totally on board with everything I have just written here. If you were a teacher before (or maybe even currently are), you would probably be a similar teacher to me, the type of teacher who acts as both a friend as well as a teacher to their students and always provides their classroom as a safe space. I also extremely honest with my kids (to the point that it has sometimes gotten me in trouble with adults over the years , another story, another time. I believe I have a right to always be up front with my students.) On a totally different note but still related, you, yourself, might have just been exactly like that kid my fellow staff member referenced, when describing during your own middle school years. You can probably even relate to what some of these kids are going through nowadays to your own experiences.

So.. my new personal mantra is to try to turn something negative into a positive. (specifically since the events of Parkland) With that being said... Here's my actual goal:

• For next school year, I would like to create an afterschool club that is connected in some way to pop culture/geek culture. I picture this in my own mind being things like kawaii, anime, gaming, collectibles, basically everything and anything as long as it remains school appropriate.
• Per school requirements, the club must run at least 16 sessions at two hours each.
• Now here is the crummy part. Sign-ups for the club are first-come, first-serve and will most likely be limited to the size of a classroom. (so probably 25) With this consideration already in my mind, I'm thinking of running the club twice, an "A-session" and "B-session." Each session would be eight weeks (instead of 16) but the two sessions total would still fulfill the contractual requirements for the club but also allow more students to participate in it. 

Let's get down to business...  Here is where I specifically need your help:

• I need assistance when it comes to designing the logistics component of the club. In relation to that, I need to submit a written proposal this school year in order to get the club approved for next school year. (I have time, by mid to late April to secure funding for next year) 
• With that being said, I don't want to rush writing the proposal. I want to allow myself enough time so there is less chance for careless mistakes that could jeopardize the club being ultimately approved.
• As of right now, based on the brief descriptions I have provided to the "deciding" people, it seems like they are in favor of it. With that being said though, I still need to write a thorough and detailed proposal.

Here are the specific components that I need help with:

1. What should be the name of this afterschool club???? Remember it is for middle school kids. (Grades 6-8; ages 10-14) So we have to keep it age appropriate. But don't dumb it down either, these kids are a lot smarter than many people give them credit for. And as long as I can still get it approved by the board of ed, 8th graders specifically, love snarkiness.
2. What should be the design/lesson plan of each club session???? I would say no design and let it run organically but these are middle school kids and this age group unfortunately craves some form of structure, even if it is simply just a bare bones skeleton. (otherwise chaos ensues, trust me) I am semi-picturing a "show and tell"model. I also considered as another possibility that the kids actually take over the club (after the first introductory session) and with each club session literally "teach" the other club members about their pre-selected choice of fav hobby/obsession. (Through this approach, students will utilize both tech skills as well gain practice with public speaking) Picture something like a student saying, "Today you will learn about Pusheen." (with a Google Slides presentation in the background) What other suggestions/ideas do any of you have for ways the clubs could work? Of the two I presented, do you think either of these could work? If you do think they are possible, are there any modifications/adjustments you would suggest?
3. How would you advertise the club to the community (both students and parents)? So here is the dilemmma: you want this club to catch the eye of the kids I discussed earlier but at the same time you don't want any of the pushy/obnoxious kids talking control of the dialogue and talking bad stuff about the club. Saying that only "losers" go this club, etc. and now kids are afraid to attend b/c they don't want to be seen going to it b/c they are afraid it will hurt their reputation. (Trust me, this type of stuff is still alive and well from when you were in school. We are currently dealing with this drama in relation to getting kids to come to our Gay/Straight Alliance Club. It is frustrating the hell out of me.)
4. Should this club have any type of academic component? If approved, this club will appear in a district brochure that is sent home digitally to parents. Parents utilize this brochure not only to pick options for afterschool clubs but also to choose the best option for their child. But in our super competitive, where every parent (and even student) is constantly looking any extra way to get ahead... well, how would this club fit this model? Should I even bother trying or could I least include some STEM references? 
5. What actual topics/ideas would you actually include as things to talk about in the club? (or at least to mention in the description so that it would motive students to want to sign up.. i.e. What are the trending nice items that will attract kids to a club like this?)

Okay... I think you guys get the general idea. Thank you in advance for both taking the time to read this as well as always/continuing to be such wonderful friends of mine. If you wouldn't mind, please tag as many people as you can possibly think of who might be able to help me out on this. THE MORE THE MERRIER!!!

@Ispend2much6 @Tamara76 @ZombieMetroAnt @veronika23 @angel7594 @Anonymous @tsavorite @Mcakes @Beadshopgirl @pixiedust2

FYI.. I'm including screens of the two STEM camps that I both designed (from the ground up) and am now running this summer. This might help give you a better understanding of what the current expectations are for written descriptions. (for the digital brochure/described earlier in my post)

[whymusti]

I'm glad that you would like to talk about this. I was definitely a "loner" kid, especially in middle school, and had a very difficult time socializing and even answering teachers questions in class when I was in middle school (I wouldn't want to talk publicly even if I knew the correct answer). When I was in high school, I had more interests in trying out clubs, but still had a hard time connecting with people in the clubs I would try. About half way through high school, my math teacher proposed and started a Gamer's Club. I was curious (even though I'm a very casual gamer) and joined. I found out some of the other nerdy/geek culture/loner kids I was already friends with had joined. This made it easier to begin socializing and I found it relatively easy to talk to people I didn't know since we had common interests or could just hang out and play games together. Even though I wouldn't play on the consoles as much as others, it was fun just to be around other people and watch them play xbox and chat about geeky stuff/anime/etc. Since it sounds like you are also interested in a show and tell aspect, it may be good to do a monthly (or however frequent) presentation/powerpoint/speech or whatever on pusheens or anime or anything (getting into the major developments of anime/manga and influential artists=nerdgasm). You can bring up what the subject would be before hand and kids can have time to bring in their object and prepare what they would like to say. Even if they don't get in front of everyone, people will naturally go talk to each other if they see someone with a cool vinyl figure or book that they are interested in. Just don't rush. Another thing is that kids don't necessarily have to be very social. Trust me in that quietly being in a group of other people with the same interests and appreciations has some fulfillment in itself. Kids will break out of their shell at whatever pace they like and might surprise themselves when they find themselves ecstatically talking for an hour about a single comic book series. On your worries for other kids, I was surprised one year when a rather "popular" guy in some of my classes turned out to be a huge Skyrim fan and started a LARPing Club. Gamer culture is pretty prevalent, but mostly people do single player games and talk to each other online. Bringing people together to play multiplayer console games forces some face to face interaction. (We would always have a multiplayer xbox game, but people were allowed to bring Nintendo DS single player and chat, but board games and anything multiplayer was strongly encouraged.) Good luck! Your biggest challenge is not the kids, but the school, since these kinds of clubs are not beneficial to a school/parents like a foreign language or sports club, but are only beneficial to the wellbeing of the students involved. This is a labor of love and if it's like anything it was for my math teacher, you'll have to fight tooth and nail. That my teacher fought so hard for us is part of why I have such fond memories of Gamer's Club.

[tsavorite]

@willa25,

You are the best!  How caring you are!  You want to bring change.  By doing something.  That is big!  I am lurking here and am supportive of all the caring people who have ideas and good wishes for your enterprise.  What a great group of people here!

[makeitup305]

@willa25 I'm an SLPA (speech and language therapist assistant) so I'm definitely familiar with kids who have trouble fitting in. Here are some of my ideas:

1- For topics and discussions, I think you could have some "challenge of the week” style like we have here in BIC- you give a topic for the week- best villain, best hero, best anti-hero, best bromance, best couple, best team, etc and when they come to the group they have to debate who the best for the category is that week. You can have them write an essay/short story of what they would do if they were a particular superhero/anime character or if they suddenly woke up with superpowers one day. 

2- You could also have the kids come up with their own comic book (original or fan-fiction) thoughout the course and at the end of the semester have them submit it and vote on the best one. If you could get them published in some way, or submitted somewhere, you could use that to lure in parents (saying you got something published is definitely something you can add to you’re college application).

3- To advertise, you could make sort of pop art posters with not-so-mainstream anime or with references only certain kids would get. 

Hope this helps!

[mermadelove]

@willa25 I love that you reached out to the community re this. I’ve had an exhausting weekend already so I’ll keep it short. I was the kid who wasn’t part of any one group, clique or type because I was in or had friends in every group! I genuinely love people and can find a way to connect with almost anyone. There must be a student like that in your school that you can talk to that could help you get this off the ground. Not a kid in the popular group, but a kid that is well liked by a wide swath of other kids. They could be your ambassador to prevent this becoming the “loser’s” group but rather have it labeled as it truly is: the forward thinkers, the Trail Blazers, the future true leaders! Am I making any sense in my overloaded brain?...

[Titian06]

@willa25 - This is such a caring and thoughtful endeavor!  I was one of "those kids."  Since schools today push STEM at the detriment of liberal studies, I suggest a combination of what others have said:  take their interest such as anime, show a movie or short film, and then discuss the history and how it is made.  You could even teach knitting and crochet--these crafts have been proven to relieve stress!  Whatever you decide, I think it should be fun and not feel like yet another class.  

[Tamara76]

Fun topic, @willa25!  

As I mentioned in my response to @itscarin's movieclub idea, I have a child in the upper end of your target age range. 

1. I recommend letting the kids vote on the name of the club so they feel a sense of ownership. 

2. My daughter said she doesn't think kids will want to give presentations or do research projects for an after school club.  They already have enough homework and want to relax and enjoy themselves after school.

However, a self-driven discussion group focused on pop culture (books, manga, tv shows, movies, youtube would be a fun way to learn and get to know other kids.  She said she wouldn't even mind reading the book or watching the movie on her own time and then discussing together. 

During her last year of elementary school, one of the teachers had a lunchtime book club and it got so popular he had to move it out of his classroom into the courtyard to accomodate all the kids who wanted to join - She loved that!

3. School announcements, posters on the wall, school Twitter/Snapchat/FB 

However, if you want to limit the attendees to certain students who may be struggling with socialization, you could make it be by teacher invitation/nomination only, however, that could have the opposite effect of making the kids feel like outcasts - not totally sure about this...

4.  I'd steer away from STEM if you are wanting a pop culture focus, but I think your idea fits in the realm of art, literature, social studies and humanities, which can help give the kids more well rounded perspective and can also help them with critical thinking skills/social commentary/comparison between art/fiction and current events, etc.... 

5.  I like the idea of letting the kids choose the topics to discuss.  

Good luck!!!!  Have fun with it! ❤️

[PrettyPaint]

This is great what you are doing @willa25. I’m not sure if this would be redundant with the existing curriculum, but would it be possible to frame this as a media literacy opportunity? For instance, Pop Culture Analysis (or Critique or Commentary, etc.)? It could be structured such that a chosen text could be analyzed each week, with objectives following a typical media literacy curriculum (and discussion of production techniques, intended meaning, implied meaning, potential personal and cultural effects, opportunities for creation of one’s own artifact, etc.). 

[Tamara76]

@PrettyPaint @willa25 Yes!  Exactly this! ❤️

[itscarin]

@willa25 What you're describing to me sounds like the Breakfast Club (the movie from the 80s with everyone's favorite -- Molly Ringwald).  I know you're talking about making it anime and more current, and I don't know if you have room for it, but it might be cool to do a club based on 80s movies.  I could see watching Goonies, Labyrinth, 16 Candles, the Breakfast Club, Drop Dead Fred, Little Monsters, etc.  Even if you don't watch all movies, it would still be a cute name based on the movie.  

If you made it a film class you could turn it into a film critique class.  Make them write a page or two analysis on movies, or talk about the different effects that are used in the movie, themes, or historical/societal context.  There's some really racist stuff in 16 Candles that could be worth discussing, and Molly's character is very much a loner.  Goonies has a background story about the parents having to leave their houses for some developers.   

[Tamara76]

@willa25  I agree with @itscarin that a movie club would be awesome!   

My daughter is on the upper end of your target age range and I asked what type of club she would like and movie or makeup clubs were her top choices.

In addition to movies, she and her friends have been really obsessed with '90s Nickelodeon cartoons lately (Rugrats, Catdog, Rocket Power).  Also, if the kids are into anime, you could even let them watch some anime (double check it first, because there are a lot of options that are not appropriate for school).

[Samtian]

@Tamara76 Rocket Power was my life!!!!

[moxiepancakes]

Name: Geek culture collective?  stealing a key word from @Mcakes 

[txcatx]

I don't know about STEM components, but for an educational perspective, it would be interesting to learn about the historical and sociological aspects of the topics you're exploring. For instance, a brief history of anime. The foundations of kawaii and how its popularity spread across the world. 

[Ispend2much6]

@willa25  As soon as I can focus, I'll give this some serious thought.  It's funny; I was just telling my kids recently how tough cafeteria lunches were; there was never enough room to sit, and the worst thing to happen would be to have to ask permission to sit at some other group's table!  That wasn't even a guarantee.

[veronika23]

This sounds like a great idea @willa25! Hope you can get this off the ground. If I think of something I'll let you know... right now nothing is coming to mind. 😞

[pocketvenus]

1. What should be the name of this afterschool club???? This is tough, I'm sorry
   
2. What should be the design/lesson plan of each club session???? In addition to a show and tell, maybe a research or discussion component could be included? So maybe with one sesh, it's about discussing the character development, people's motivations, ethical dilemnas. With another sesh, perhaps you delve into the science behind it all and participants are each given a little research presentation on a section of the science. e.g., if a student wants to show-and-tell the latest X-Men movie, in addition there could be a research presentation on genetics or mutations or how X-Men relates to discrimination in society. Or maybe there could be a creative component like doing dramatic skits together, or crafty things that might appeal to the more introverted participants.
   
3. How would you advertise the club to the community (both students and parents)? Facebook for parents?
   
4. Should this club have any type of academic component? Yes, but in a fun way? 😄
   
5. What actual topics/ideas would you actually include as things to talk about in the club? Women in STEM for sure.

Good luck! Your students are very lucky to have such an involved and caring teacher ❤️

[Mcakes]

This sounds like such a wonderful idea @willa25! Of course it is you that would think of doing something like this You have such a big heart and are so good about making everyone feel included. 

Here are some ideas that just popped into my head, I'll probably come back with more as I mull this over! 

1. What should be the name of this afterschool club? Isn't this somehow always the hardest part? lol. I think it is just such a unique club in that it could cater to so many different things but it's central focus is on pop. I do like the idea of keeping the name broad for that reason. How about POP Symposium? The Collective? Lures you in just enough to want to read more about what the club is about. 
2. What should be the design/lesson plan of each club session? I like your idea of the show and tell model. Perhaps to incorporate structure you can create a list of categories, have the students vote to select their top choices and then each category chosen can have its own designated day. You can have a sign up sheet for each day where students can self-nominate to be a speaker that day for a topic that is of specific interest to them. To help them plan their presentation you can come up with 5 key points that they should cover. Some examples could be 1. What sparked your interest about this? 2. What was the first item you chose to collect and why? 3. If you could start this game all over again, what advice would you give yourself to succeed earlier on?
3. How would you advertise the club to the community (both students and parents)? I think you have a great core base of students who would be interested since you already have lunch with them. From there you could create invitations for each of them to give out to friends of their choosing. If you are trying to create a comfortable environment for this particular group I think word of mouth advertising might be best. For the parents, I think a simple but well written pamplet that the student could take home would be perfect. 
4. Should this club have any type of academic component? If you could bring in keynote speakers to talk about the art of collecting or the science behind gaming I think those would be interesting topics to cover.  
5. What actual topics/ideas would you actually include as things to talk about in the club? You could go in so many different directions with this but I don't know what the kids are actually interested in. Maybe on one of your lunches you can ask them to create a list of things that they are interested in and go from there? Since they like Tokidoki you could also add that in there. Different anime series. Popular collection topics like comics and games. Maybe makeup...haha jk...but seriously... 😉

[Samtian]

I was in an after school program they started when I was in high school. There weren't really that many people interested in it from 7th to 12th grade. We maybe had 15 people. But it was a group of us outcasts that weren't popular, it was fun. We had one hour of schoolwork (we all hated that. Seriously hated it.) And than an hour of playtime. Usually something like in the gym or a movie. I wish they had done something like shown everyone our hobbies, or brought in people to teach us new crafts and hobbies. 

[ohheyitscindyk]

@willa25 I love your club idea! I wish I could have had such a caring teacher like you when I was in middle school, that was a hard time for me. I wish I could have avoided the school cafeteria at times.

I like the idea of having the kids take turns "teaching" the other students. I think public speaking is a valuable skill to have. And as you mentioned, they would also gain some tech skills, whether it's by making a PowerPoint, video, etc. Perhaps a combination of "show and tell" and your lesson plans could work? Personally, I always loved whenever we got the rare chance to do something hands-on.

[MissPuff]

@willa25 Oh I wish I could give this post a million hearts! I have so many thoughts an will post again once I organize, but you are such a saint for even just contemplating this! Sadly, it sounds like middle school hasn't really changed much since I was a weePuff. You speak the truth about the perils of the cafeteria (I ABSOLUTELY was one of the kids that ate lunch in our homeroom rather than risk the certain torment of the cafeteria as both a new kid and a visible foreign minority) and getting kids to get involved in activities they actually like, versus bowing to the "cool" kids. 

Side note - Am I the only one that wants to participate in @willa25's two existing STEAM camps? They sounds so much more engaging than what we had in middle school! 🙂