Day 2, or week 2, of class focused on a story's setting and creating unique, well-rounded characters. Some parts turned out better than others. For writing examples, I whipped out selections from my college anthology, which I thought was a good idea on my part. Well, my son told me he had no idea what we were reading and didn't understand why we were reading them. Okay, so the selections were a bit advanced. I will do better next time.
The time we spent talking about character traits went well, but it wasn't how I had written it on my agenda. I had planned for us to create characters on the spot and then share our work. Instead, the students went around the room verbalizing their character and plot ideas, making it a free for all. A small part of me was bothered that we weren't sticking to my plan, but then I told that part of me to cool it. These students were thinking creatively, sharing their thoughts, and smiling and laughing at the same time. They worked hard all day, and why not end the day on a positive note by surrounding yourself with others who share your passion. So, I have since declared our class to be more of a support group than anything. I'll still work to improve their writing by going more in-depth with the various aspects of writing. I'll still demand that we stay positive and respect the ideas of others. But, I'll also allow the students to have fun and help guide the class for better learning.
Looking forward to Day 3 when we'll talk about plot.
No comments:
Post a Comment