This Post Will Change Your Life! Click Bait in the Classroom
Every single one of my classes starts with a warm-up activity. On a practical level, these quick tasks are a lifesaver, because they give me a moment to take attendance in peace. More importantly, though, they are an important tool for reviewing the specific grammar and writing skills I’ve noticed the students struggling to master in their regular work.
Lately, my Year 9 students have been working with independent "choice books," which means our classroom has been a sanctuary of quiet, focused reading. While I love the focus, I also miss the energy! Warm-ups have become the perfect opportunity to liven things up and get the students collaborating and talking with one another.
This week, I decided to pivot away from our usual grammar drills and try something completely different. I challenged the students to create dramatic, irresistible "clickbait" titles for the books they’re currently reading.
The Assignment:
To say they ran with it would be an understatement! The classroom was buzzing, and their creativity was so brilliant that I just had to bring their ideas to life.
Here are some of my absolute favorites:
These masterpieces now hold a place of honor on the display boards just outside the school library. Not only did this silly little warm-up spark a ton of laughter in our classroom, but it’s now doing exactly what clickbait is designed to do: stopping passing students in their tracks and getting them excited to pick up a new book.
Ultimately, it was a great reminder that sometimes the best way to engagement is through a little bit of play. Taking a single 10-minute warm-up window to let them be silly not only re-energized our reading community, but it gave them ownership over promoting literacy in our whole school. I’ll definitely be keeping this one in my back pocket for next term!
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