Midday Snack

I realize now that jumping into an entry in the middle of the school day during a free period presents several issues:

One- the frequent interruptions. students, teachers, my own wandering brain.
Two- the fact that I should actually be doing work...

and I am done after number 2 because that issue encompasses them all.

I am inspired today by the idea of writing.

Around 4am, when I woke up this morning, I grabbed my pen and journal and took off. The plot of my stories lately have been somewhat marred by the level of detail I attribute to them. It's like my art teacher would always tell me: get the general outline and then add the detail. Yet, my stubborn ass is always married to the intricate details of things- so much so, that I lose sight of the picture. I am working on ameliorating this issue.

Today in class we are sharing our work.

Students have 10 minutes to write, which for them is like 2 hours, and then they will offer constructive criticism to each other. On the board are my instructions. Next to these instructions is a black and white photograph of a baboon. We can only see its eyes and half of its nose as it is peering into the immediate distance. Its expression is one of concern and  I am struck with the idea of how human-like these creatures are. Not only in their appearance, but in their emotional capacity and their intellectual strength. Students may use this image as fuel for descriptive writing, but if they have a better image in their head, they can go for it. We have gone over the rules for how to criticize and how to receive criticism, both in relation to their own writing and general demeanor.

And yet, the interesting thing through it all, is how much I am learning. As readers, the students question the author's intent, the ambiguity of language, and sometimes the tone of the pieces. I am impressed by their level of analysis and the seeming depth of their pieces. Children are cesspools of imagination and learning how to pull it out has been a joy for me throughout this experience.