Some fantastic moments come within just a few minutes. These are the moments that brighten the spirit and motivate the soul. These moments transform the ordinary into the extraordinary with memories that last forever. My 40 minutes arrived the other morning in a 4th grade classroom – my granddaughter, Brynley’s, to be exact.
I met her teacher, Audrey Karr a year ago. She’s someone with a sparkling personality that just draws a person in. Her laugh is contagious, as is her enthusiasm. Bryn and her classmates are so fortunate to have had her this year. One devoted teacher changes a life.
Over the past few months, Mts. Karr and I had discussed having me come in to present a writing lesson.
Naturally, December turned into May as time slipped by. Settling on a date last week, I hopped in the car for the quick drive to Southside. Students had been discussing opinion pieces and they had two impressive brainstorm posters full of writing possibilities.
One poster was filled with the advantages of a 4-day school week with homework and the other a 5-day week with no homework. Glancing at the posters I admired their thoughtful preparation. I briefly presented information about writing opinions and pointed out that with justification every opinion can be correct regardless of whether or not others feel the same way.
Students grabbed their writing guide notebook – an awesome tool they had created with hand-outs and notes – and their “Oreo” planner. No cookies involved, the Oreo had spaces for opening sentence/paragraph, 3-4 reasons for the student’s opinion, and a closing.
I explained the value of never erasing, just lightly crossing out as needed changes occurred just in case the original idea had importance later on. Students began to write; I wandered the room as a scanned papers and worked hard to be quiet. Once the first few sentences were complete, I traveled the room checking each paper and adding comments, recommending adjustments, and tossing on a scoop of praise.
A notable recommendation included writing in first person: “I believe a 4-day… is something you…” becomes “I believe [know/recommend] a 4-day…because I realize…” You may sound accusatory while I, the writer, means my opinion counts and everyone should listen.
About 20 minutes into the lesson students had designed insightful outlines or paragraphs. They made use of excellent vocabulary (lots of previous practice and instruction) and did not hesitate to move forward to reason #2, #3, and the conclusion. Names on desks helped me personally connect with the students and we developed a since of trust. Writing, you know, is personal and private until it is shared. My enthusiasm for their efforts put us at ease. Their talent soared.
Soon recess approached and we wound up the final sentence they were working on, knowing they’d return later to complete the piece and then type a final copy. This also meant the end of my time. Mrs. Karr had students share things they had learned and how they would use these guidelines in future writing. I felt amazed by their responses and the progress made in just a few minutes. Feeling sad about leaving, I mentioned that I’d be in Elko the following week and if Mrs. Karr wanted me to stop by… Fun like this makes my world spin.
I stopped by the office before heading back to Winnemucca and chatted with the principal, TW, telling him what a good time I had enjoyed and that, with his approval, I’d like to return a time or 10.
He laughed and said I was welcome. At that moment I fully understood how much I miss kids and the classroom. Writing is such a special endeavor and reading the incredible creations students compose has been lacking in my daily existence. Interacting with 9- and 10-year-old kids teaches me about that young point of view, the innocence of childhood, and the wonder of sharing ideas.
Sometimes I fret about the future but with dedicated kids like these, I can feel at ease. Thanks goodness we juggled my day in class until it worked; thank goodness Brynley encouraged my visit; thank goodness for the expertise of Audrey – in fact of all the amazing Audreys of the world. I’ll be floating on Cloud 9 for the next several days.