Sep 01, 2014 Compelling Quotes as a “Hook”, Reflection, or Welcoming Activity

Excerpt from the soon to be released Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner book:

Purpose/Focus: active engagement, hook, introducing a topic, “first five” or “do now,” context setting, conversation starter, reflection, discussion or writing prompt, emotional connection to learning, differentiation, formative assessment, community building, transition

Quotes are an engaging transitional, introductory, or reflective activity. They are a compelling way to explore an academic subject, a discussion topic, or a lecture. Discussing quotes can help group members connect with each other or spark creative thought around a subject.

Facilitation Suggestions
• When facilitating workshops for educators, I often start out the program by displaying my collection of quote cards with themes around leadership, teaching, and learning.
• As group members arrive for the program, I ask them to choose a quote that resonates with them. (Group members often initiate conversations with each other during this pre-workshop time as they gather at the quote table.)
• I discovered that leaving some blank cards out with the quotes can increase participation from group members who would rather make up or share their own quote. This idea came as one of those “accidental successes” in facilitation when I mistakenly left some blanks in a stack of quotes. Participants (especially those who needed a sense of ownership in a workshop they were forced to attend) liked having the opportunity to create their own.
• Depending on the program, participants can later reflect upon this individually, write about it, or discuss it with a partner or the whole group (see pages 86-93, 95-96 for partner dialogue ideas).
• Quotes can also be used again later in group process as a reflective tool (see chapter nine).

Academic Content/Creating Context Variation
Recently, I found success in using quotes to introduce academic material. An 8th grade social studies class was about to begin their unit on the American Colonial period and the Revolutionary War. I worked with their social studies teacher to find quotes from people of that era that the students would be studying and quotes describing the events of the era. We printed them on card stock. This exercise not only piqued their interest about the subject and the upcoming material, it also increased the depth of classroom discussions throughout that unit.
• On the first day of the unit, display the quotes and ask students to choose one that resonates with them.
• Ask participants to share the quote and why they chose it with a partner or small group.

Outcomes/Reflections
• The teachers were able to make a formative assessment as they heard students discuss their choice and their understanding or misunderstandings about that period in history.
• Students seemed to want to know more about the people behind the quotes they chose. Many were curious enough about their quote’s author to take the initiative to read ahead
in their social studies book or research information about them online.
• When events and people related to the quotes came up in reading or lecture, students recognized the connections and were able to better relate to the events or person they had
discovered through this activity.

Facilitation Notes
I have also used quotes in language arts to introduce a unit on theatre and in guidance group to frontload a discussion on empathy. I saw many of the quotes from all three classes in the front of student’s binders or taped to the inside of their locker!
The process of collecting quotes for use with your groups can be a rewarding reflective task for an educator. This reflective exercise has sparked my own thoughts around subjects as I planned and prepared for a lesson. There are some great quote books and websites. I especially like to seek out vintage quote books in used bookstores. Enjoy your search!

Reference/Resource: Make your own, there are some great quote books and websites. “Quotables” cards focused on the art of experiential teaching and facilitation are available in my store at experientialtools.com. Check out the soon to be released Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner book for more “hooks to engage.”