Veering slightly from picture books as prompts this time. I came across an article I loved today from the newest NCTE Council Chronicle journal, "Restoring a 'Spark': Enhancing Writer's Voice in the Secondary English Classroom" by Suzanne Rubenstein. She argues for the right to use the pronoun "I" in student essays to bring back voice. You can still steer kids back to formal academic style, but the use of "I", at least in early drafts, empowers writers to take ownership of their thoughts.
One of her "I Opener" exercises is to write to the prompt,
What have you lost in your life?, using Brian Arundel's essay,
The Things I've Lost as a mentor text. I tried it out; at least for one paragraph!
A preference for going barefoot outside everywhere: over rocky driveways, in chicken coops, and across pastures. My dignity and a good amount of money: when I walked into a closet instead of out the door after a college scholarship interview. A diamond earring: I seem to take better care of cheap jewelry than the good stuff. A taste for good, buttery Chardonnay: now I only buy $5.99 bottles of Woodbridge, much to my husband's chagrin since he bought a lot of my previous preference. Patience for crazy drivers and slow traffic: once I started logging many miles in my new job. The ability to sleep in late and stay asleep through the night: around age 50. My keys, phone, and sunglasses: all the time. The ability to pretend and play: around the age of 12. The will power to stay absorbed in a book and not look at my phone: that scares me a little.
This is a great prompt that I may have to steal before the month is over.
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