Now, That's Your Story!

Writing short stories with sixth and seventh graders is always rewarding, in the end. I say, "at the end," for a reason, though.

When the students realize they will be writing a short story, many of them get excited, wanting to start their story before it is actually assigned. Visions of vampires, futuristic wars and fairies begin to write themselves into the epic tales that will be a breeze to tell.

Then they find out what the assignment is.

My goal, with the students' stories, is to help them see the subtlety of a short story. With only 700 words to use, they cannot solve the apocalypse or find happiness for a zombie. What they can do is help their character grow up just a smidgen, helping them mature just a bit, along with the reader, and themselves.

The process goes something like this. Student shows me his or her "Think Sheet," which is an outline for their story. I see a problem that can only be solved well in a novel, after the character development, setting description and plot unfolds reasonably, or I see they want to write about places or events of which they know little and I start asking questions.

For example, If they have never lived in Vietnam, setting a story there would take a whole lot of research. Not that it is something they can't do, but their time is limited. Sometimes, the problem is too unwieldy for a 500 to 700 word story, so we talk about how their idea can be pared down to a more subtle problem and solution.

This is all just writing, though. And most of these kids won't go on to make a living at writing short stories, as that is a lost career. So, what do they get out of this process?

The future, for these kids, holds many kinds of writing. They will be asked to choose topics to write about for the rest of their lives. Knowing how much topic can be covered well in the time and space allotted is a skill they will always need.

But more than that, what I get to see is a maturity; that ah ha! moment when they realize that there is importance and drama in the every day details of life. One does not have to be the most popular kid in school to have quality friendships and one can find deep happiness and meaning in simple things.

That is my joy and why I love to teach short stories and short story writing. We mature in bits and pieces at a time, rarely jumping huge leaps and bounds in 700 words, we struggle for our growth, line by line.

And that, my friends, is a theme for my life. It won't be on a test, but you can write it down anyway. Growth comes word by word, line by line, struggle by struggle. Even when we are far too old to be cool.

Uniquely Yours

With most of the students gone this week for Science Camp, it has been a chance for me to work on advance planning and fine tuning for the upcoming speech unit. It also has allowed me some quiet reflection time as I work.

One of the reasons I choose to come to Old Orchard was because I was offered the chance to really teach. With small class sizes and the expectation that I create the curriculum, I saw an opportunity to go back to what I love to do. I am glad I made the move to come here. I have said it many times, but I will say it again, I really like teaching your kids. They are bright, friendly, and they write better than many educated adults. The student body is filled with characters, people in their own right, who have found their niche here, and who thrive on the culture of OOS.

Being here for two plus years, though, has shown me more about why I like it. I fit in here because Old Orchard is filled with a wide variety of unique personalities like mine. We don't spend a lot of time trying to figure out how we will integrate different populations and make them feel at home, because we are all very different, and those differences serve as something like an equalizer. We are all pretty different, so how can we single out one difference over another?

But beyond our differences is the dedication I see-- that really is a primary thing we all have in common. On staff, I can think of several who speak a few languages, several who have been born other places, several who have had significant successes in other fields. It shows, too. No where else have I worked with a staff who has been so able to hold students to such an academically successful standard as they are here. I dance with joy sometimes at the writing ability of these kids, but that is just the piece I see. Our kids blow other schools out of the water with their science, math and other abilities. In fact, I know the robotics challenge is this weekend, and I would bet that our kids make an exceptional showing. I am constantly in awe of the people I work with at this school, and consider myself fortunate to be among this group of professionals.

Sometimes it is really hard to be a teacher, it isn't glamorous or lucrative, nor does it come with the perks of travel or even the fancy little gifts one gets when one goes to conventions. Education, though, is a part of who I am, and I don't see myself doing anything else. This place lets me teach-- and I get to teach the best kids with the best staff.

They are almost back, the kids, and I am glad. They will return from the week away tired and happy, another successful week of hiking, learning and bonding with each other. I miss them.

The Ms Grier Method

You know, it is easy to understand when someone tells you to kick harder, or walk faster. What used to get to me was when teachers and my parents would tell me to "try harder."

"Huh?" I would think. "How does one go about trying harder?"

It isn't clear, and there is no set way to "try". I really wanted to do better, but without the steps broken down for me, I didn't know how.

When I became a teacher, I knew I could never tell a kid to try harder if I wasn't able to provide the steps for him or her. So, that is one thing that I attempt to do.

Writing an essay answer to an literature question isn't easy to learn. For some kids, it just happens, but for others, they need the step by step process. Since I have never found one I like, I came up with the Ms. Grier Method of Answering Essay Questions, or the MGM. It is what I expect in my classroom. It isn't the only way, but even if the students never develop their own way, this is one structure that will help them through all of their writing for the rest of their lives, especially when answering essay questions. It is a five step process that goes like this:

The MGM

Step 1: Restate the question as your topic sentence. This is what you will prove, and it is your chance to make sure you have understood what you are to answer. This should be a strong statement with no "I think" phrases. It should state one position, unless the question is a compare and contrast.

Step 2: If possible, find a quote to use, if not, paraphrase from the book some part that will help you prove your point.

Step 3: Prove, or explain, your quote. Tell how the quote supports your point.

Step 4: Add another quote or generalization that supports your topic sentence.

Step 5: Restate the question as your conclusion.

Once students internalize this pattern, writing those essay answers will be very easy for them. Not only that, but they will be far ahead of their peers in their writing ability.

Starting Well

The first week has come and gone and the sixth graders are behaving like a team and finding their way around the school. Yesterday, I showed them a few short videos of what they will be doing tomorrow at the Trapeze Arts, and they are super excited about it. That trapeze is simply the best!

Last year's sixth graders, this year's seventh graders, were the first class to really become comfortable emailing me. I was glad that they felt free to do that. Now that are comfortable with that, I wanted them to learn more about email etiquette. How they email their friends is one thing, but emailing a teacher or another adult is different. In addition to email structure, we discussed, and did an activity on Internet safety.

I realize many of you do not want your children to have email accounts, and I certainly understand the reasoning for that. I do not encourage students to use email, I just want them to know how to use it formally for when they do begin.

We will start a short unit to prepare to see the play, As You Like It, then we will begin our first novel units.

The sixth grade will be reading, The Giver, by Louis Lowery. It is a great book to introduce utopian literature to children. The book is an easy read, but has huge ideas for us to discuss.

The seventh grade will be reading Breaking Through, by Francisco Jimenez. It is a book about a boy who came to the US illegally, and who now is a citizen who teaches at Santa Clara University. It is an inspiring book that brings up some questions of immigration ethics.

With both books, great discussions occur. I try to ask questions without telling the students how they should think, which is easy for me because I see all the sides of these issues and can understand the emotions on both ends. Both books are fascinating reads, should you want to read along with your child.

Please, questions, comments and concerns are welcome and I love the chance to interact with you, the parents of the best kids anywhere.

The Poetry Project

Seventh grade, for me, was a huge turning point in my life. I had “Steve” for a teacher-- a self-identified hippie who told his class to call him by his first name, and that whenever we wanted, to just pick up a book and go outside and read. It was a class of 15 students, many of whom I am still in contact with.

Seventh grade was the year I discovered poetry. Around that time, a wonderful poetry book called, Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle was in the Scholastic book order. Since I bought almost all the books in each order, I made my way through that book. It still holds its charm to the students, and I use that book in my poetry unit.

What that book did for me was teach me that poems are just playing with words. They are word games that bring pleasure. They are only as stuffy as you want to make them, and they are accessible to anyone who can understand the words. Once I started teaching, I discovered the fascinating world of Shel Silverstein, who gave me the tools to hook a whole new generation on poetry, even earlier than I was hooked.

The last three weeks have been a delight in the class. Generally, when told that they will read and write poetry, students inwardly, and sometimes, outwardly, groan. Not this group. In this class, all three sections, the sixth and seventh graders attacked the various poems and the book project with no complaints. Beyond that, though, each day I saw some things that made me smile, and every once in awhile, things that made me blink back a few tears.

Sometimes, three people to a computer, sharing poetry and asking for ideas. Not content to do the minimum, they wanted their poetry to say something about themselves-- rhyme was important, but meter and meaning was important, as well. The understanding of the various literary devices available to them was demonstrated in the poems they wrote.

What I loved most, though, was that they had fun. The poems made them laugh and think. They were collaborative instead of being written in solitude, and I think the poems are better for it. Mostly, though, the kids got that poetry is fun. It is play with a serious result, and sometimes it is a way to express what can't be expressed any other way.

I am hoping to publish most of these poems in a book for you to purchase, either at cost, or as a fund raiser. One of the students will be in charge of the project, and all of us will help. I think that we can make an attractive keepsake for about $2 or $3 each, then charge a bit more to make some money for whatever charity they choose.

I hope the poetry book idea excites you as it does me. These kids really are great writers.

Seven Sacred Minutes

It sometimes seems almost too good to be true; the quiet, the eagerness and the joy the students find in the first seven minutes of class. You see, when the students first come into the room, they do so quietly, take out a book, and read. Almost any book is game, as long as it is age appropriate for them. No magazines, but I broke the rule about graphic novels for the classic, Maus. Other than that, they read what they want to read. I am careful to protect those seven minutes for them because, not only would they complain if we didn't have that time, but it helps them in many ways.

We know from large amounts of research, that reading for pleasure does several things for a student. First, it is the best way to learn new vocabulary, and the greatest indicator of success in school is a student's grasp of vocabulary. Second, as they read, they are exposed to worlds and places outside their place and time, giving them the base of knowledge they need to make larger, abstract connections in all the subject areas. But besides that, it is the magic that I love.

Middle school is a busy time. Oh, so long ago, when I was their age, I had far more time on my hands than they do. I had time to ride my bike to no where, read a book a day, if I wanted, and time to be bored, which, when you think about it, leads to creativity. Now, it seems, kids are busier, and at this age, they are making transitions quickly. The sixth grade is coming from a self-contained room, and the seventh graders are struggling to deal with all the wanting and not wanting that seems to define that year. To know that, when they walk into a my class, that they will have seven minutes all to themselves to retreat to some place they want to be, can work magic. That few minutes of relaxation, for which little will be required of them, may be one of their few quiet moments in their day. It might be the only time they have that day to dream and pretend.

It is hard to believe that something so simple and so pleasant can have so much research affirming its importance. And, as much as I love computers and what they can do for the academic success of the students, there will never be a replacement for picking up a book and reading even if all you have are seven sacred minutes.