Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education.
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My students were struggling to truly grasp figurative language, it felt abstract and out of reach. So, I decided to meet them where they are: through music. I created a writing circle lesson using New Edition’s “Can You Stand the Rain,” and something beautiful happened. As the music played, metaphors and similes started to click. They laughed, sang along, and connected the lyrics to their own writing in ways that were powerful and personal.
What started as a challenge turned into a moment of joy and discovery. By the end of the lesson, they asked if we could do “music writing circles” every week. And just like that, they began to see language not as something hard, but as something they could feel, create, and own.
About my class
My students were struggling to truly grasp figurative language, it felt abstract and out of reach. So, I decided to meet them where they are: through music. I created a writing circle lesson using New Edition’s “Can You Stand the Rain,” and something beautiful happened. As the music played, metaphors and similes started to click. They laughed, sang along, and connected the lyrics to their own writing in ways that were powerful and personal.
What started as a challenge turned into a moment of joy and discovery. By the end of the lesson, they asked if we could do “music writing circles” every week. And just like that, they began to see language not as something hard, but as something they could feel, create, and own.