The Trailblazing Teacher

Sep 18, 20195 min read

STARBUSH COFFEE

Updated: Nov 4, 2021

STARBUSH COFFEE

A Vocabulary Enhancing Experience

Ever find yourself wishing you could model for students, the importance of word choice, but in a way that is engaging and innovative? Ever feel like you are seeing the SAME, repetitive, word choice from students in their writing?

Do you yourself struggle to find the FUN factor, in grammar and language arts?

LOOK NO FURTHER!

STARBUSH COFFEE is the lesson for you!

I first had the idea for Starbush Coffee, when one day, I overheard students talking amongst themselves -- about me none the less!

"Yeah. Miss Bush LOVES Starbucks!" "I bet she has at least one coffee a day!" "Yeah probably more!" *Laughing* "My mom took me to Starbucks this weekend. She got a Pumpkin Spice Latte... But I don't like those. I got a Vanilla Frappe instead..."

"Oh... I've never been to Starbucks, but I do like coffee!"

I chuckled to myself. But then... the wheels started turning.

I looked down at the grammar sheets I was currently grading.

A coffee house.

Grammar.

Pumpkin Spice...

Vanilla...

Starbucks...

AND THEN - BAM!

STARBUSH COFFEE WAS BORN!

Our focus that week, during our grammar/language arts time, was focused on word choice.

Within minutes, I had schemed up a WHOLE lesson on word choice, that took students to another world... errrr.... coffeeshop!

I began to think about the students in my room who didn't have the expenses, or means, to go to places like Starbucks on the weekend, for a treat with their family.

I began to think of all the experiences I could recreate in the classroom, to give students those missed experiences, but with an emphasis on their learning.

(But that's another story for another day.)

That day - Starbush Coffee was birthed into life, and it became the launching pad of my 'experience teaching' career.

I couldn't even wait a day to put this lesson into place.

That night after students left, I cleared the bulletin board outside my door.

I lined the wall with green paper, and boarder.

I created an 'awning' out of more butcher paper.

A couple hours later, and the outside of my classroom had been transformed into a coffee shop. Sidewalk menu and all!

*The following is a combination of 'practices' I carried out the first year of Starbush coffee, as well as adaptations I've made in the 4 years since*

The morning of, I waited for my students at the door, dressed in an apron, and a headset with an attached microphone. I had a rolling desk I draped with a black plastic table cloth, that I stood behind outside the classroom door. Clipboard in hand, I 'took the students orders' as they arrived. (Whenever they ordered anything Vanilla or Carmel - they were told that the items were 'sold out'. Pumpkin Spice Latte orders were still in stock. It was the *password* to get in.) Occasionally I would 'take an order' on my headset, to hold up the line to get in... Authenticity was important to me.

Once inside, students were greeted by a picture of a coffee shop, projected on my SmartBoard. Jazz music played quietly in the background. My white board had, "Welcome to Starbush Coffee" written on it. Minutes before the bell had rung, I had sprayed - no, doused - my room in vanilla body spray from Bath and Body Works.

It smelled heavenly...

The students walked, excitement already on their faces. Kids passing by in the hallway, tried peeking inside. Eager to see what all the thrill was about.

Once everyone was inside, I closed the door, and took to character.

"Barista Starbush" was the sub for the day.

Against our west wall, I had set a table with a black table cloth, and multiple coffee cups.

I had the students meet me on the floor in front of the SmartBoard. We began to discuss our word choice, and what we had learned about weak and strong vocabulary. Then I asked the students the following -

"So, let's pretend, Barista Bush took you to Starbucks and she said - 'You can have anything off the menu! My treat!' what would you order? Would you want the.... 'vanilla' boring drinks - or would you want something with BOLD, PUNCHING, MOUTHWATERING FLAVOR - like a Pumpkin Spice Latte?"

Of course the students jumped right on board with shouts of "Pumpkin Spice Latte!"

I began to tell the students, that in life, we can either use 'vanilla latte' boring words, or BOLD 'Pumpkin Spice Words'.

The kids were enthralled.

We began to make a collaborative list together on the board of some 'vanilla latte words' that we had been overusing in our writing...

"Pretty"

"Nice"

"Good"

"Fine"

After we had enough words, (one for each student), I explained to the class that for the day, we would be creating some 'Starbush Magic'! We were going to transform vanilla latte words, into a Pumpkin Spice Words!

Drawing sticks, I allowed the students to each pick the word of their choice from the list, to transform.

As the students picked their words, I wrote them on sticky notes and handed it to them. They then used their Chromebooks to research (Thesaurus.com), 4 different variations of that same word - that were PUMPKIN SPICE, powerful!

Once students had their 4 words written on the same sticky note, and approved by "Barista Bush", they were then able to write their Pumpkin Spice Words on a 'coffee cup' drawing (Image pasted on a Google Doc). Once the words were written on the coffee cups, they were allowed to decorate and color them!

As the students worked, so did I!

I stood behind my 'barista bar' - creating and serving 'coffees' (hot cocoa)!

The students got the MAJOR giggles as I shouted out, 'Orrrrrder up!' and then called out their names one by one for a 'pick up'!

(We even had a visit from our Principal and Counselor! Major fun for all!)

That day there were so many smiles, giggles and conversations that were CHARGED with excitement about vocabulary!

(Does it GET any better than that?)

To end the day, students had the chance to share their words choices with their peers. After sharing our coffee cups, we took them to our bulletin board 'coffee shop' in the hallway, to staple them up, and display them for all to see!

The next day, to close and re-review - students created 'synonym rolls' to accompany their 'Pumpkin Spice Lattes' on the bulletin board!

(Same project, different words, in the shape of a synonym roll!)

Starbush Coffee is still a lesson my students talk about today as their favorite lesson -

5 months later.

Change the name. Make it your own.

But I dare you to give it a try - and see if the kids don't 'espresso' their excitement for learning!

TIME:

- 45 min - 1 hour / Full Day

MATERIALS:

- Blank Coffee Cup Art

(Names can be pre-applied, as

I did for my students)