Effectigogy?

One of the most popular reoccuring events in my class is "Coffee Shop". The idea came to me as an undergrad, when I used to hang out regularly at the Brickhouse, in Cedar City, UT, on Tuesday nights for open mic. Random people would get up and share personal writings, poems, essays, songs, etc. As I was studying to be an English teacher, I thought, "I bet students would LOVE this!" Now, in my seventh year as a middle school teacher, I finally got around to giving "Coffee Shop" a try. From our first experimental reading, it has been a hit. So much, that students have snuck cellphone video footage that I later discovered on Youtube! Since the, t has become a class ritual to celebrate the completion of each writing unit. I bring the hot chocolate, wear an apron, use the overhead projector as a spotlight, and provide the jazz accompaniment from my iPod. The students bring pastries and their own original writing (written in or out of class) to share with the group. Aside from a few 8th grade moments, the students take it very seriously. It has changed the culture of writing in my class. As I reflect on the success of this ritual, I don't think it has anything to do with the atmosphere, pastries, or the silly apron I wear when I serve the hot chocolate. The kids (can I even call them that?) love participating in real-world activities, even faux real-world activities. This has led me to analyze other successful practices in our classroom and at the top are the school newspaper we produce, our novel writing project in November (http://www.nanowrimo.com/), and in past years, a persuasive unit in which students choose an audience to call to action on a matter about which they feel passionately. All of these are authentic learning experiences during which they produce an actual product, and present it to an authentic audience. So much of teaching these days has to do with standards and assessments. That isn't a bad thing. It just requires teachers to get creative in their learning activities to make the instruction as authentic and student-centered as possible, and I think that is what I'm going to call "effectigogy", as I feel it is the most effective way to teach students of ALL ages.