#oklaed Challenge: My Entrance Video

What's Your Entrance Video?

Yet another gauntlet has been thrown in the #oklaed blogosphere, and this time it's Blue Cereal Education challenging us to choose our entrance videos. Naturally, I found 15 possibilities and couldn't decided which one to go with.

Some of the contenders included:

Mandisa's Overcomer

I considered this song because I believe I have overcome a lot to still be a teacher: Alternative certification, my own limitations as a human being, the current political climate, both at the state and federal levels, but also at a more local level. More importantly, all of my students are Overcomers, as well, and I want to encourage them to continue to overcome whatever is holding them back.

TobyMac's Get Back Up

Continuing on the same theme, both my students and I have to Get Back Up each day and keep trying, even when we have a bad day, or we're in the dark days of February and it seems like there is no light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. (I also considered Tubthumping's I Get Knocked Down, but it didn't seem to be as positive, and I want my entrance video to be very inspirational.)

A few other contender's included Black Eyed Peas' Where's the Love, Audio Adrenaline's Kings & Queens, and Britt Nicole's Gold.

But a colleague from last year, texted me out of the blue (pun intended!) last week and made up my mind for me. (And she didn't even know about this challenge!)

entrance-video-text

Here is my entrance video. Think I should play it during Open House tonight? Heehee!

Or maybe I should just play the entire playlist

Update: Another #oklaed teacher responded to this challenge by telling about a fellow teacher who encouraged her classes to choose entrance videos. I think this is a wonderful ideas, and will help the students see the importance of music/lyrics/poetry, as well, as see how fun they can be!

Related topics: #oklaed, Student Engagement

About the author 

Michelle Boyd Waters, M.Ed.

Michelle Boyd Waters is the founder of reThink ELA, where she creates research-informed resources that help middle and high school English teachers build stronger communities of readers and writers. After teaching secondary English for 10 years, Michelle has continued working alongside educators and students as a university composition instructor, writing center director, teacher consultant for the Oklahoma Writing Project, and mentor to new teachers. Her work brings together classroom experience, literacy research, and writing center pedagogy to create practical resources that support authentic reading, meaningful writing, and student voice. Through reThink ELA, she helps teachers create classrooms where both students and educators can thrive.

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