Author's Hearts and Secret Poets

Every semester I have my Creative Writing students write their "Writing Autobiography". They write an essay explaining their feelings about writing---whether  they like it, loathe it, tolerate it or are secret poets.  The essays help me get to know them and their writing. I can plan mini-lessons and big lessons. I find out who to nag at and who to let simmer. I know who needs help coming up with writing ideas and who will find their own. Here's what this semester's classes have to say. I think they speak to all writing teachers...

I have a few like KC, who told me, "Well, to tell you the truth, I love to write. I will write all the time. Well pretty much any time I have a chance. You could say I’m a secret poet."  Don't you love those words, "secret poet".  She will do well this semester. 

And then I have VH. I wrote back to her and said I can hardly wait to read what she has to write. "Since second grade I’ve known I had an author’s heart, and I’ve grown up with writing built into the very foundation of my being." She most definitely has an "author's heart". You should read her quickwrites--magic. VH will make me believe in the power of writing throughout the semester. She will be the one I read when I begin to wonder if I am teaching them anything at all about writing. Because, you see, I read many more essays that sounded like these:

"The most enjoyable thing about writing to me is when you don’t have to do it. The things I did write outside of school and the ones i did inside of school were nothing alike. The ones outside of school had many mistakes but it was interesting to read. The ones i did write inside of school were dull to read and didn’t have many mistakes."

"I have never been very fond of writing. It has never really attached to me like math, science, and history. It is like a parasite to me, it feeds off of me but I don’t get anything out of the deal. I don’t know if it is the grammar or punctuation in writing, but it just does not like me.

"Overall, I enjoy writing, but since most of the writing I do is in school, I don’t really enjoy it as much. If we get to write about what we want, I could possibly really enjoy this class."

A very common theme in the essays was that many of my students DO write outside of school. And they like it. They find it a great way to express themselves. These students also have the heart of an author and are secret poets, they just don't think that the writing they do has any place in school. 

My job this semester is to prove to them that their stories matter.

 

Little Bits of Joy

I wasn't going to write today. Grades are due tomorrow. I've got lots to do. But two little moments happened today that I just have to share (and they make events of yesterday much less meaningful).

I went back to school this week invigorated after spending most of break participating in the Facebook/Twitter discussion of Penny Kittle's Book Love. I have spent two days talking books. We figured our reading rates, set our goals, made a plan.  We talked about the importance of reading and the amount of reading they will need to do in college. It helped in one class when the guidance counselor showed up at my door and backed up everything I was saying. I told students they needed a book picked out for next Monday. That's when we will officially start. I gave students time to find books or read.

A quiet, at-risk student came up to me as he was leaving and said, "Mrs. Day, would you pick out a book for me. I don't know what to read and you pick awesome ones."

My heart melted just a little bit.

I have several picked out for him that he can choose from tomorrow.

FYI, I gave him "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" last semester. He read it in a week.

The second bit of joy today happened in one of my speech classes as students were giving their introduction speeches.

A quiet, "A" student stood in front of the room, pulling items from her bag as she talked about herself.
"Like lots of you, I hate to read. Except for books Mrs. Day picks out for me. Those are awesome."

I gave her "Looking for Alaska" last semester. She fell in love with John Green. She wanted to know if he wrote anything else. He'll keep her busy for awhile....

Little reminders to myself:
Joy comes in small, quiet ways.
And we teach students, not classes.
One student at a time....

Nothing Without Joy

I sit in the midst of my crazy family looking at the remains of 2012 and our Christmas celebration. Even though we've been picking up all day, there is always a hidden bow or scrap of wrapping paper peeking out from a corner or from under the couch. Boxes that once held Christmas magic are now forlorn, laying in a pile waiting for recycling.  We're watching bowl games, kids are running and screaming, dogs are playing and barking.

It's a joyful noise.

We are a family that enjoys being together.

And even though there have been struggles this year, even though things aren't always perfect, even though life is hard at times, there is still joy in our lives.

It's in the smile in our faces as we glimpse the youngest two standing at the window watching the dogs race with joy through the snow in the backyard. They babble in babyspeak at each other and giggle at the dogs.

It rings out in the laughter of the grandkids. In happy smiles and cuddles in the morning and random I love you's throughout the day.

It shouts to us as we ring in 2013, 4 generations enjoying time together, laughing, sharing stories and toasting those no longer with us.

Joy.

At some point in Book Love, Penny Kittle says, "Nothing without joy."  Those words stayed in my head and my heart.

Nothing without joy.

My One Little Word for 2013: Joy

Look for joy. Live with joy. Love with joy.

Happy New Year!