my teacher wanted to be the hero...

I've recently been teaching my students what it means to add voice to their writing. I got this idea from my colleague and needed to share the outcome.

At the beginning of writing on Friday morning I gave each student a blank piece of paper, told them to write their name on it (a direction that is still CONSTANTLY needed) and proceeded to tell them for the next thing to work there was to be no talking, and no laughing. I walked behind my desk, pulled out a bag of fudge stripe cookies, opened the bag and started eating one in front of them. I was sure to let them know how delicious the cookie tasted and smelled. I then went back to the bag and grabbed another cookie. By this time I have some students turning their backs on me, others pleading (without saying anything) with me to give them one. I believe I became even more obnoxious with the second cookie, letting them know how great it was.

After finishing the 2 cookies I closed the package and returned it to my desk drawer. I then instructed my students to spend the next 4 minutes writing about what had just taken place.

After those 4 minutes had passed I gave them the chance to share what they had written. I thought you'd enjoy reading some of their responses:

"She didn't share. We wanted some good chocolate chip cookies and I bet they were delicious!"

"You made me feel like I wanted to explode!"

"It made me mad and angry. I will just take the cookies and hog them all!"

"Mrs. George ate cookies in front of us to make us really hungry. Mrs. George also described that they were good to make us even more hungry"

"She didn't even stop to give us one, not one single crumb! I love these kind of cookies! I felt really jealous because I don't usually get them!"

"I turned my back so I did not have to think about it!"


There were many other great responses, but on with the story :). I then went back to my desk and grabbed the bag of cookies. Upon giving the "no talking" direction again I placed one cookie on each students' desk. Their faces lit up, they were so excited...until...I informed them that they couldn't eat it. I gave them another few minutes to write again:

"My teacher wanted to be a grinch!"

"My teacher wanted to be the hero of saving us from hunger. But it's not fair she gets to eat one and we can't. I'm soooooooo made at my teacher. If I had a cookie I would rub it in her face too. I would say aha you can't have any! That's what you get! Now she's not the hero."

"This really does not bother me because I have these cookies at home all the time so when I go home I'll just have some."

"We finally got a cookie (yay!) and we can't eat it (aw man!). If you ate it why can't we eat it?"

"You are sharing with us, you are the best teacher. Except now we can't eat it! I am through with this, I am going to eat it anyways!"

"When you turn your back I will eat all the cookies in one second!"


Don't worry, I let them eat their cookies and their stories quickly changed back to my being a good teacher :) They understood my reason for our activity and now recognize the voice in their own writing! Mission accomplished!

I am...

I am: a child of God, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a teacher (thanks for the great answer Amy...with one change).

I think: I'm glad God is writing my story. ("We find ourselves in the middle of a story that is sometimes wonderful, sometimes awful, often a confusing mixture of both, and we haven't the slightest clue how to make sense of it all...we try to interpret the meaning of life with only fragments, isolated incidents, feelings, and images without reference to the story of which these scenes are merely a part." The Sacred Romance)

I want: the coffee table we found today :)

I wish: that more people would accept the love of our Savior.

I hate: folding laundry.

I miss: living with my college girls. Who wouldn't want 5 additional wardrobes, 5 shoulders to cry on, 5 prayer warriors, and 5 best friends.

I fear: losing those close to me.

I feel: proud of my husband and all his accomplishments :)

I hear: NBA Live (Matt's playing).

I smell: fresh air (I love having a sliding glass door to open :)

I crave: the Olive Garden desserts we have waiting in our fridge for later (or sooner).

I search: online for houses for sale, knowing full well we're not ready to buy yet.

I regret: the years when I didn't make my family a priority.

I love: being married to my best friend.

I ache: for the children in this generation who don't know what it means to grow up in a loving home.

I care: about my students.

I always: buy sweedish fish when I drive long distances by myself.

I am not: always as confident as I want to be. I sometimes forget that I was "wonderfully made" in the eyes of God.

I believe: in the power of the blood of Jesus.

I sing: in the car. When Matt and I sing in the car it becomes a competition to see who can sing the MOST off key.

I cry: easily.

I lose: whenever I play Yahtzee against Matt (who else gets 3 yahtzees in a row on the first 3 turns?)

I never: turn down skittles.

I need: to get serious about an exercise plan.

I am happy: to be an aunt to such a beautiful baby girl.

I hope: to be a blessing to those I come in contact with.

CONGRATS!

My brother called tonight and asked if I had enough practice being an aunt. I asked if my answer would change the news he was about to share. They are expecting their first baby. So exciting!!!

Congrats Kevin & Dawn! We are eager to celebrate with you in this exciting time! Love you!

new summer do

For awhile I've been wanting to do something different with my hair. But well, I just didn't know what that something different would be. I figured it out:


I told my hair dresser I wanted style and less hair! Thick hair is definitely a blessing in the winter when I need a heater. But when warm weather comes, it is not fun to spend 20 minutes with a hot blow dryer attempting to style it. It's then that I give up and throw it in a pony tail.

It took me 5 minutes to do my hair this morning! I'm going to like this!

I have more to post about but will spread those out over the next few days :)