It is Monday morning, and I am sitting in an auditorium waiting for the first keynote session to start. Harvey Daniels leads a stellar group, and I am primed, planned, and pumped for a great day of learning.
Though, in many cases, the best learning is sitting right next to you rather than standing on the stage in front of you (no offense to Harvey – we’ll talk about his great stuff in another posting).
Lucky for me! I met a new friend, Andy Danilchick, a 7th grade teacher from Philadelphia. He introduced me to his incredible students via their e-zine, the Bulldog Buzz.
What an AMAZING group of people, this teacher and his students. During their writing workshop, his students choose relevant topics, study and select their writing genres, and then publish their work. The entire crafting, editing, publishing is done by students — for students. Prepare to be astonished by these samples of their work:
Yoly Cruz and Xiomara Arceco on Teen Pregnancy:
U going thry 9 months
Of pain
Later on your life is going down
The drain
You going to be stuck with a
Baby
You just a young
Lady
People think it’s
Cool
But it takes u out of
School
Boys say its
Great
Boys say its
Fine
9 month later they say it
Ain’t mine.
The Kiss of Death
By: Eddie Rosado/ 7th grade
I met her in a party, and her eyes were sparkling. We talked, hugged and kissed. I don’t need to stretch the rest. Well, I wasn’t protected. I went to the party one day, and the next day she was nowhere to be found.
I immediately went to the emergency room, and took a test… “I CAUGHT THE HIV VIRUS!” I felt so cold. It was summer, but it was so cold! The doctor was talking, but I couldn’t hear him. I think he was telling me something about “T-CELLS.” Where will I go? There’s no cure! There is no way that I will survive this! I should’ve never met her, I should’ve never said, “Hey.” What will I do? Oh god, when will this nightmare end? I’m dying! My future is uncertain at best. It’s getting cold now. Good bye.
Every minute of everyday,
Kids die of the HIV virus.
Please help us keep children
Alive.Go to “http://keepachildalive.org”
For more information.
(This story is fictional)
Here’s what I hear from teachers:
Kids hate to write,
Kids write poor.
Terrible grammar and spelling;
Kids unmotivated.?…
NO MORE (here’s why!)
"I think kids love to write if they are able to explore issues that they care about, that are personal to them." says Andy. "The passion for writing explodes and they are transformed by it. They want to write in many forms and genres, they love to celebrate and share their accomplishments. The kids do all the work. I just opened the door!"
And we’ve just taken the opening steps to a long friendship. More to come on these kids and their fantabulous teacher!
