Writing+Workshops+Spring+2010

After studying Fletcher and Portolupi's approach to writing workshops, and hearing a presentation on 6 + 1 Traits, I decided to combine the two approaches and use them to teach a new writing course at my school this past semester. I was given the class to allow my students from Research Writing I a chance to finish editing their senior research papers. It was called Research Writing II. I couldn't stomach the idea of working on research writing for another semester. So, I set up the class by telling them I expected them to create their own writing projects and put together a portfolio with about 20-30 printed pages by the end of the semester. The results were not perfect, but they definitely met my expectations/hopes in some areas and exceeded them in others.

Positive Outcomes: 1) Students published anywhere from 15 to 45 pages. 2) Collectively students produced 16 different genres (Stand up monologues, spoofs, research papers, novels, short stories, dramas, letters, tributes, business plans, mock newsletters, raps, poems, sprots reviews, informative papers, children's story, and speeches) 3) 50% of students stayed after school to finish at least one of their projects 4) I had the highest percentage of students passing the class that I've ever had at ASA 5) Students learned to communicate via email and send attachments 6) All of the students analyzed genres and identified their preferences in terms of genres and writing. 7) Students shared their writing with each other and people outside of the class 8) They dealt with grief 9) They developed a sense of community--everyone knew each other's name and no one argued 10) They tripled the number of genres they wrote

In their own words they benefited from the class because: 1) they wrote more 2) they got things off their chest 3) they wrote about things that mattered 4) they enjoyed the class 5) they talked about their feelings 6) they got rid of baby words 7) they know how to write a research paper

Student Example 1: //I still remember it like it was yesterday it still haunts me in my sleep it was the worst day of my life it happened on September 3 2009 and I got a call .My day started off normal like any other day I would have never thought it would have ended the way it did. I had left my mother at home she was getting ready to go to her friend’s house. We said our goodbyes and that was the last time I heard her voice .It was around 12-12:30am when I got the call .It was my cousin who was with my mother saying that I need to get to the hospital as soon as possible ,because my mother and brother were both stabbed and they were going to the hospital .I couldn’t comprehend what I was hearing it felt like my oxygen was cut short and it was getting harder and harder for me to breath .I knew at that moment it wasn’t going to end good I was just praying for the best at that moment it felt like my soul had been taken from me .When we made it to the hospital my aunt was already pulling up it was the scariest day of my life .When we walked into the hospital it was a feeling of sadness and fear, they had us go into another room where we be in a room by ourselves that just confirmed it wasn’t good. We set there for what seemed to be forever .Sitting in that room was the hardest thing ever because I could still smell her sent like as if she was sitting right next to me I was so anxious for someone to come in and tell us her fate I couldn’t sit still. After about an hour they took us upstairs to the 4th floor where she was and the police that had answered to the call came and set with us and talked to us about how it was to them when they arrived at the house, I was just so hurt to actually hear what her and my brother had to go through. We found out what hospital my brother was at and he was on his way to the hospital my mom was at the doctors came in and said she was stable so we went bake to my cousins house it was like 5 in the morning I was so tired but I couldn’t go to sleep I was just so worried about what was going to happen. I was still seeing her face and it was killing me to even think of loosening when we left they said she was ok the knife had hit her jugular cord and she was having a hard time breathing I was scared I know she had really bad asthma so it wasn't looking good. I wanted the best but with how things were going I knew the outcome wasn't going to be nice. My world had shattered in a blink of an eye and it wasn't anything I could have did to change it. When we got to my cousins house I did sleep for like 30 minutes but then we got a call saying get back when we got there everyone was crying and I knew she was gone they had us in this small room and when I walked in my little sister just fell into my arms and cried all she could say was they took her ,she’s gone and ask me what are we going to do now I all of a sudden felt helpless I felt so alone and at times I still do the hardest part was I couldn’t do anything to ease my sisters pain because I was feeling the same thing I just held her and we cried together I let her know I had her and ion will always be here no matter what happened. The next week was the hardest I really didn’t go home it was to hard to be there and she wasn’t I couldn’t ueat,sleep and I barely talked to anybody didn’t no one know how to help so allot of people just stayed their distance and at times I wonted it that way and when I was ready to talk I did I just needed my space. But it came to the point where I wasn’t doing anything and I had to be forced to even eat I didn’t feel no use I was lost with out her I aim completely empathy she was my world and she was taken from me what was I to do now after everything everyone just seem to go back to their normal lives like nothing ever happened but it was and still is hard for me cusp I cant really seem to pull threw I lost my best friend we did just about everything together she was the only one I was able to talk to and she never judged me I miss her so much and at times I admit I just wont to quit but then I think about her and how she wonted the best for us and I only wont to make her proud no one ever told me it was going to be easy and I can only take it one day at a time and imp getting better at dealing with it its just going to take time I miss her more everyday and it hurts not to have her here but ill be ok

Dear mommie

I never thought I would be writing a letter to you and not be able to give it to you. Its been aproxitmentlly 5 months since that fateful day we put you to rest. I’m trying to be as strong possible but its getting harder and harder cause I am going threw so much stuff and there’s so many obstacles I have to overcome and I just wish I had you here to help me through them. I’m trying my best to lead sashay down the right path but as you know she is just so complicated and hardheaded but I will never give up on her no matter what. All I wont is for you to be proud of me, that’s all I ever wonted. I never wonted you to leave me but I know you were through so much and I guess god felt it was to much and he had to take you out misery you were stressing to much. Even I seen that and I wish I could have helped out a little more. I just miss you so much and I hope wasn’t in pain cause you honestly been through enough of that. I wont you to know I’m going try my best to successed and make you proud and show you that your children are not failures and we can do something in life and now that you are gone I finally see what you had been trying to show me all this time .I just wont you to know I am truly sorry for everything I ever put you threw and I hope you are happy and stress free.

LOVE ALWAYS YOUR 1ST BORN DAUGTHER//

Student Example 2 (an excerpt):

In my life I have already experience a lot of heartache. Whether it is death in the family, or just issues with it. Obstacles were always a foot ahead of my happiness, this made life very depressing for me. During my sophomore year of high school my whole world shifted in a totally different direction. My baby sister Frances Trannette Christiam died at the tender age of eight years old. She died in her sleep from an enlarged heart. The crazy thing about that was she was in the bed with me when she died. This would make my fourth sibling that's deceased.

After this incident I really blew off school I started to feel that there was no point. Everyone that I loved was slowly fading out of my life. After the accident with my sister the school officials became somewhat familiar with me. On the day that my sisters body was discovered I was actually ditching school, so detectives came up to my school looking for me but of course I wasn't there. My councilor thought that it would be best if they enrolled me in an anger management class, but I wasn't angry I was hurt.

As the school year went on I felt like the earth was just sitting on my shoulders. I was so stressed I couldn't even stay focused. I began to think of my mother and how she was dealing with the death of her fourth child. Then it hit me, if she was feeling anything like I was feeling maybe I could understand why she turned to drugs it was just too much to cope with. Maybe her drug abuse was becoming clear to me but not to others.

Student Example 3:

White people...

Ey don't we gotta love white people they just so friendly and energetic. Have you ever in your life ask a white person for anything or ask for directions. Well, I ask this white man for directions one day to get to the hospital and this is what I got

Well sir you can get on the expressway and take 195 then you will see an exit that will have exit 1B then you get off sir drive down a quarter mile make a right turn on belden and here go my number just in case you get lost you can call me and I will come meet you and show you, alright sir?

Black people...

Yeah yeah famo. I know how to get to the doctor. See big homie this what you do. Jump on the e-way but when you get off just ride down like 3 blocks you should see it and big homie I don't mean to be yo business or nothing but why you going to the hospital? You done hit one of these chicks and she left you hot you know what I'm talking about?

White man...

Excuse me sir, did you make it to the hospital safe? I'm calling cause I couldn't sleep tonight because I'm worrying about the fact did you make it....yeah I made it safe, thank you...Well I was wondering maybe tomorrow we can go to the bar and have a beer.

Student Example 4: Excerpt from Dreams

Sittin in dis lil ole house justa dreamin. Dreamin dreams dat aint neva gonna come. Mama aint raisin no dreamer, she tells me erday get my head out da clouds. Mama a 37 year old country lady done settled down in Chicago to mak a livin. Mama use ta draem of being a movie star til she met Jerome Perkins who soon afta gave her me and leff. Mama aint do much dreaming afta dat. Me imam 9 year old and aint got the cents of a baby, but I dream, I dream of being a doctor and help da sock or a theropiss and help mam with ha dream or a signtist to look at Pluto. Mama aint proud of those drams, she says imam grow up an be a cleaning lady like ha. I just wana go ta school. I's dreamin of one day awlking cross a big stage an at da otha end is a ploma waitin for me with mama in the audience clappin. Yeah, I's got dreams. I wonda if momma dream woulda come trueif I aint eva come about? Probably so. I'm reckon it's time for suppa, so I wash my face an fix myself up.