Why Teach Biography and Memoir: Nonfiction Series Part 1 [S5 E116]

Listen to the full episode below:

Hey Brave New Teachers! We’re excited to start a brand new series that we’re putting together for you, starting with this episode.

This series will lead into our newest virtual workshop (what we’ve called “festivals” in the past!) that will be held on October 3, 2022. It will be centered around nonfiction and teaching biography and memoir. You can register for the workshop here! 

Are you wondering why we’ve chosen biography and memoir? To put it simply, using biography and memoir, whether it’s a whole unit or sprinkled into your other units, is the single best way to bring authentic voice into your classroom. 

Obviously fiction texts are amazing. I mean, we are English teachers after all. We love fiction! But seeing the world in someone else’s eyes, in an authentic voice, is absolutely pivotal to a student’s experience in an ELA class. 

Not only do biographies and memories help our students see new experiences and perspectives, but they are the best empathy builder that we could have.

Through these podcast episodes, and our next virtual workshop, we hope to provide you with tools for using biography and memoir as a very specific way of bringing skills to students that they might not be getting in other places.

Topics Covered:

• Four big points that will build our case for biography and memoir

• The explosion of the memoir genre, and why it’s so great for our students

• A variety of ways that you can use biography and memoirs 

• How supplementals can help when reading a heavy novel

• An announcement about our upcoming workshop

Resources:

• Register for our upcoming virtual workshop on biography and memoir!

• Check out our Shakespeare Teacher Festival

• Check out our Dystopia Festival

• Register for our FREE masterclass, Down with the Reading Quiz

• Night, Elie Wiesel

• The Glass Castle: A Memoir, Jeannette Walls

• Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson

• Connect with us on Instagram @bravenewteaching

• Follow Marie on Instagram: @thecaffeinatedclass

• Follow Amanda on Instagram: @mudandinkteaching

• Let us know what you think! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 89, Text Pairings & Supplements: Where to Start

• Episode 81, Essential Question Workshop: Dystopia (Woohoo!)

• Episode 59, Essential Question Workshop: 12th Grade Lit

• Episode 15, To Write an Essential Question

More about Brave New Teaching:

Join hosts Amanda Cardenas (Mud & Ink Teaching) and Marie Morris (The Caffeinated Classroom) in discussions about being brave, trying new things, and all things teaching! As seasoned classroom teachers, Amanda and Marie bring their experience, insight, energy, and oh, so many opinions and ideas... It's time for all teachers to take their classroom and teaching practice into their own hands!

Tune in on your favorite podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.