Mrs. Anderson just starts to sing!
She sings about the writing workshop, and her kids join in as they pack up their previous activities and migrate to the risers. The lyrics to the song are on the SMART board. I smile to myself, imagining the influence these powerful words might have on her children as they prepare themselves for the writing time.
When they are gathered, Mrs. Anderson beams at them. She has a new poetry book and she is SO excited to share it. It is written by first graders, just like them, who’ve been working to become poets, too.
Lately, Mrs. Anderson’s kids have been working on free verse poetry. To get started, she reminds them, you need a BIG IDEA. . . something that matters to your heart. She directs their attention to a brightly colored anchor chart with supporting ideas about poetry writing.
Back at the tables during work time one student tells Mrs. Anderson he wants to write about his cat. When she pushes him to tell more about the cat, he gets very sad, and eventually tears fill his eyes. His cat is dead now, and he misses the cat.
Mrs. Anderson, working hard to honor the boy’s feelings and also keep the writing on track, comments on his emotions and tells him that some writers do their best work when they are feeling very sad. But, you might want to take a walk and try to think of a happier topic, if this one just seems too hard to write about. After taking a short walk and thinking it over he eventually decides that he will write about the cat.
I am moved by his decision and by this poignant demonstration of how personal and profound the act of writing can be. As I watch this young boy face a strong emotion and look for the words to commit it to paper I can’t help but reflect on all of the great authors I’ve read in my lifetime. I realize that has been their willingness to take risks and their ability to capture life’s emotions, both ups and downs, that makes their writing so enticing.
Thanks, Mrs. Anderson, for making room for poetry, emotion, risk taking and choice in your writing workshop! Thanks for encouraging your kids to find topics that “really matter to their hearts”.
