#SOL18
Is this what kids mean when they say, "Miss, I can't think of anything to write about."
I usually sigh and roll my eyes in exasperation.
Didn't we just
brainstorm
and web
and list
and
turn
& talk?
I did my job. Just write, I think.
But when it comes time for me to write
I realize that maybe,
just maybe,
the kids are on to something.
For I've done all the things and still
I'm stuck.
It's hard to think of ideas.
Even when you have
an authentic audience,
and you care about the writing,
and you know how to write in lots of genres.
Walking this walk puts me in the place of my students.
It reminds me of how hard it can be to find the words.
But also, how delicious it is when the words finally come,
when the topic finds you
and you can play.
So I will continue to write beside them,
to push myself to remember
and to be authentic.
To write.
Thank you for this because I am in exactly the same boat! This is a large part of the reason I wanted to do this challenge. I want to walk in their shoes. The use of poetry for this is lovely.
ReplyDeleteKeep on keeping on! I know that feeling well. You've helped them brainstorm, made lists, talked with a neighbor. And then you try to write alongside them and realize, Yeah. It's Hard! It's humbling, but it invariably brings us closer to our students.
ReplyDeleteI'm always surprised by this too--when I have the list and the ideas and sit down to write and..... nothing. You're right: slicing is a good exercise in authenticity. It reminds us just how challenging writing is.
ReplyDelete