Teacher hopes rap will help students write

SARASOTA (FOX 13) - Maureik Robison has a unique teaching skill.   He's known for innovating new ways to connect his students to what they're learning.

"Just restate your main ideas, that's a satisfying conclusion," he reminded a student.

Right now, his fourth-grade class at Booker Elementary School in Sarasota is focused on next week's FSA testing.  Robison is focused on helping them pass by keeping them interested, so he and a friend produced a music video called "Let's Write It."

"The goal of the music video is to say, 'OK, I see that I'm going to bring that to you and meet you where you are,'" he explained.

It's a rap song with a lesson plan.  It teaches about punctuation, how to use adjectives and synonyms. And most importantly, how to write clearly.

"I hear a lot of my students saying, 'I've heard that so many times,' and I say, 'That's the point.'  Because once you are able to sing those lyrics to yourself, that's something no one can take from you on the test," he said.

The goal is to get students excited about writing and give them helpful reminders they can't forget.
It's a catchy tune that's working.

"The strategies in the song helped us write the essay and not mess up on it," said student Leila Nelson.

"It helped me to know how to write an essay and you can, like, just figure out how to write it. You can think it in your head," agreed Charmeria Douglas.

Robison wants his students to be successful in next week's test, but he also wants them to stay interested in learning.

"When it comes to testing, I think it's more about confidence and going into it, know they can be successful," he said.

WATCH: The "Let's Write It" video can be viewed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5P_RV2T7yo