We are currently reading And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie in my freshman English classes and for those of you who aren't familiar with the book, it starts with ten people on an island and then there were none. Since I only have a classroom set, with the exception of making copies of some of the chapters, we have been reading it in class. Today I was reading out loud and the students were following in their books. We have been averaging about two chapters a day, but had more time today. When I stopped reading, I asked if they wanted to stop or keep going and there was a resounding "Keep Reading!!!" Ah, comments like that are music to my ears. This is currently book three of three that I have had someone beg me to please not stop reading - the other two were Anthem by Ayn Rand and The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. Now if I could just get them as excited about writing, although with the assignment to write a mystery, there has been more interest.
In our creative writing class, we are currently learning about poetry and today they are going to read their poems based on an imagery practice and write celebrity slam poetry - it should be a great deal of fun.
Two more school days till Thanksgiving break - I'm just keeping class fun at this point and enjoying every minute.
3 comments:
Writing is hard...as much as I love and NEED to write, it is a painful thing to look at the white page, or screen, and formulate the words and ideas. More power to you as you motivate and train your students. I think there are few things they will learn more useful, no matter their vocation or career, than to write well.
Thanks! Most of them don't think that writing is important, and face it most won't be avid readers if statistics stay true, but there is very little possibility of success without writing. Someday they'll realize that (maybe) or they will just do what Enoch did and marry an English teacher :)
If you and your students are having that much fun, I'd say you are succeeding!
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