Minutes (From Jevette)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
More Than Minutes . . .Moments!
The last Sun Belt breakfast is hosted by Ivy. Large cinnamon swirls of bun and tubs of cream sweet topping, cheese Danish, strawberries and green grapes, are spread down the table to the marbled colby-jack cheese cubes. Jevette brings the ice and bottled water. Percolated coffee and orange juice complete the repass. It’s better than home!
John and Suzan begin the day’s agenda and announcements. Yvonne asks about the attire for a Slice of Sun Belt tomorrow. With Whitney’s help, we understand casual but no shorts! The anticipation of separation anxiety is near as John talks about tears and hugs.
The Morning Writing Invitation is from Merribeth. She reads “ Eleven” by Sanderson Arrows. A little girl’s voice tells about her eleventh birthday. Aging is compared to the layers of an onion, each year holding its own life responses. Merribeth invites us to write and never forget the child voice inside of us.
After brief poster editing for TC’s, Whitney’s instrumental concert begins. We begin our Morning Writing. The laptops are circled up like a frontier wagon train. In the safety of the circle: shared destination, hopes and fears bagged over the years, personal images of children/people taught, our new writing community blazing trails for their students, teachers, and future writers. Sun Belt!
The warm productive writing climate in which thoughts and feelings germinate. Whitney sounds the end of morning writing to John. John calls break time and mentions discussing the Writing Marathon of yesterday. Robbie prepares for her TIW. The voices rumble around the room. Vickie assaults Whitney with photo flashes from across the room.
Experiences and laughter volley from voice to voice. Lori catches everything like a court stenographer. Questions asked and answered nip the fraggles. “Whose bread is this? There is nothing between it! Let’s give it to the squirl!”, Vickie.
Robbie presents her TIW, Let’s Dialogue About It! Connecting Writing to Reading through Literature-Based Dialogue Journals. In her background, Robbie articulates her goal for her 9th and 10th grade students is for them to become life-long writers. The activity intends to engage students in dialog about literature reading and journaling between classes. The ideas for this TIW are influences from Greenwood & Walters, Literature-Based Dialogue Journals:Reading, Writing, Connecting, Reflecting.
With a tenth grade mind, we take a pre-test about reactions to reading and writing. In our sharing, some express being shy and not wanting to speak out in class. Others express liking recreational reading, but not curriculum reading.
The Edgar Allen Poe poem, Annabel Lee is the given reading assignment. Using the reacting and responding rubrics, we write, share with a partner and write back to the partner.
In our Reflections we discuss applications of the lesson at different grade levels.
Mr. McDade, Principal of Deborah Cannon Wolfe comments about the potential effectiveness of the lesson in socializing students. We also discuss parent –student journaling. Suzan raise the point of parents who can not respond because of illiteracy or language barriers. Think it was Amy who says the student could scribe for the parent. Discussion continues about the negative student response that may be seen in teens. John and Whitney’s journal share illustrates how such writing may include off topic shares mixed with the given writing focus. There are many laughs. Applauds, Robbie!
Everyone returns from lunch. Vickie is wearing a cow-head crown from Chic-fillet and a smile of contentment. Whitney reads “Shitty First Drafts” from Bird to Bird, by Ann Lamott. The readings give advice about writing through Ann’s literary writing.
Surveys here! John encourages completion of the paper work. Whitney and John leave the room. The last writing! Writing assignments are due today. TC’s retire to the LRC.
Questions about posters and writing assignment buzz across the room.
Thanks to the Sun Belt Invitational Writing Project and our 2008 writing community: Dr. AlysonWhite, John Pennisi, Whitney Reed, Suzan Piper, Vickie Pheil, Michael Sinnott, Holly Robinson, Robbie Flowers, Merribeth Henderson, Lori H, Jennifer ,
Amy, Ivy Howard, YvonneWilliams, Jevette Page, Lori Johnson and guest principal Mason McDade Jr.
“See ya the Slice!”
Jevette A.K.A. Waterwriter
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