Tonight is the night regular writing begins, again. My buddies (Crazybastard66 and NoisyLittleAdventures) and I have devised a challenge...a one-word challenge. Every day in December a random word (supplied by one of us) will be drawn and our task will be to include the word in a piece of writing (it could just be in the title) or simply write from inspiration derived from the chosen word. The web site instructs participants to write for sixty seconds...this all English-teacher crew has decided to toss that guideline...we like words and our own voices (in writing of course) too much to be limited to a mere sixty seconds! So, here goes...
Tonight
Tonight was spent in class, well, two and a half hours of it anyway. I like the class, I like the people in the class, and I thoroughly enjoy the wit and intellect of the instructor; but, I am so ready for this class to be over. I want my Wednesday evenings with "my fellas" back, and I want to be able to absent-mindlessly watch a movie without thinking about star power, commercial aesthetics, production codes, lighting, framing, and staging techniques, or focus on camera angles. I merely want to enjoy the spectacle of Harry Potter escaping the Dementor's kiss or jump out of my seat when I'm startled by the snake striking at the screen, instead of thinking the director broke the rules by making the audience a part of the film instead of allowing us to just be spectators...I want to stop using the word spectacle when talking about what is projected on a movie screen! After a finishing a fifteen page paper I have yet to start and a final class meeting, I will try to return to the role of audience member...and, I plan on celebrating that moment with Scott, a bowl of popcorn...and, perhaps, Johnny Depp.
**Follow our challenge, hold us accountable to writing every day...join our challenge! Leave a comment if you'd like to participate and we'll get you linked!
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Another Day for Tears
I'm beginning to wonder how long a person can ride an emotional high.
The past two days have been quite possibly (most likely) the most amazing days in my professional life...they're pretty high in my personal life as well. All the long hours of planning and preparing, the sleepless nights and the days being too nervous and busy to eat (thank you WW for helping me drop a few pounds), have all been worth it. We were pumped about bringing WW to West, and we hoped it would be well-received, but I honestly don't think Mr. Jameson and I ever really thought this would be the reaction the first year (I know I didn't!).
Day One had nothing on Day Two; both days were equally phenomenal!!
Here are some of my highlights for the day:
Students’ interactions with Annette Crymes. I'll be honest in that I was a little nervous when she mentioned wanting to do some thing interactive because I wasn't sure how the students would handle it, but as always, they rose to the occasion. They loved her passion for writing and I think she made them think about the way they use language...there isn't a need for profanity to get a message across.
Annette stayed the entire day and was overwhelmed by what she experienced with us during WW; she complimented and commended us profusely throughout the day.
Lamar...you made me cry. Never have I been more proud of a student or have I had one work so hard on a piece. I know you were anxious about getting up in front of a large crowd, but you NAILED IT!!!
Melissa...I am sooo glad that others have experienced your gift for writing. You had the audience in the palm of your hand and I am sure that several left with stitches in their sides!
Katie, Nick, Endia, Julianne...thank you for sharing such personal experiences. You are brave and strong, and you touched many hearts!
"Last year my book was a best seller in Taiwan. During the Summer Olympics I cheered for Taiwan; they are my people." -Judy Merrill Larsen
"My youngest son told me, 'Thanks a lot for killing me off, Mom.'" (The youngest son in her book is the one killed in a jet skiing accident.) -Judy Merrill Larsen
Nearly every visiting presenter has asked for us to have them back for WW next year.
Shelby...I'm so proud of you! I'm so glad that you didn't talk yourself out of presenting...you have such a gift for writing and I'm glad that others got to see that!
Kristin...You opened the students' minds to language and its connection to movement. So cool!
Tyler and Kevin...I was right...the audience loved you! And the PowerPoint presentation...timed with your playing and vocals...AMAZING!
William...the truest example of "the show must go on" I have ever witnessed! The Harmonica solo was amazing!
Mr. J. running around the stage to assist William...well done J., well done.
"I'm sure you know my math teacher, she mentioned your name a couple of time while she was trying to teach me..." The entire paper was hysterical, yet very insightful, Felicia. Although, your performance of that piece is what sent it over the top!
Math teachers signing up to attend sessions...you know you made it when the math teachers sign on to something the English department is doing. ;)
"I was so touched by what I saw yesterday I cried and then I went home and cried again last night. What you have done is amazing. I still can't talk about it without crying." -Mrs. Tusinski
"You did it! You did it! You did it, did it, did it!" -Gary Anderson (co-founder of WW)
"By focusing on writing last week your school became a safer, warmer, smarter place than it was the week before." -Gary Anderson
Overflowing sessions...our seating maximum was about 450...I guarantee there were closer to 500 people in the auditorium 6th and 7th periods!
Students writing and writing and writing some more because they are so inspired by two days of WW. What more can we ask for?
I'll stop for now...although there are so many more wonderful memories. I also must stop so that I can spend some time writing, for I have no idea what I am presenting on Monday! I am seriously nervous after seeing how amazing the student presenters have been!
The past two days have been quite possibly (most likely) the most amazing days in my professional life...they're pretty high in my personal life as well. All the long hours of planning and preparing, the sleepless nights and the days being too nervous and busy to eat (thank you WW for helping me drop a few pounds), have all been worth it. We were pumped about bringing WW to West, and we hoped it would be well-received, but I honestly don't think Mr. Jameson and I ever really thought this would be the reaction the first year (I know I didn't!).
Day One had nothing on Day Two; both days were equally phenomenal!!
Here are some of my highlights for the day:
Students’ interactions with Annette Crymes. I'll be honest in that I was a little nervous when she mentioned wanting to do some thing interactive because I wasn't sure how the students would handle it, but as always, they rose to the occasion. They loved her passion for writing and I think she made them think about the way they use language...there isn't a need for profanity to get a message across.
Annette stayed the entire day and was overwhelmed by what she experienced with us during WW; she complimented and commended us profusely throughout the day.
Lamar...you made me cry. Never have I been more proud of a student or have I had one work so hard on a piece. I know you were anxious about getting up in front of a large crowd, but you NAILED IT!!!
Melissa...I am sooo glad that others have experienced your gift for writing. You had the audience in the palm of your hand and I am sure that several left with stitches in their sides!
Katie, Nick, Endia, Julianne...thank you for sharing such personal experiences. You are brave and strong, and you touched many hearts!
"Last year my book was a best seller in Taiwan. During the Summer Olympics I cheered for Taiwan; they are my people." -Judy Merrill Larsen
"My youngest son told me, 'Thanks a lot for killing me off, Mom.'" (The youngest son in her book is the one killed in a jet skiing accident.) -Judy Merrill Larsen
Nearly every visiting presenter has asked for us to have them back for WW next year.
Shelby...I'm so proud of you! I'm so glad that you didn't talk yourself out of presenting...you have such a gift for writing and I'm glad that others got to see that!
Kristin...You opened the students' minds to language and its connection to movement. So cool!
Tyler and Kevin...I was right...the audience loved you! And the PowerPoint presentation...timed with your playing and vocals...AMAZING!
William...the truest example of "the show must go on" I have ever witnessed! The Harmonica solo was amazing!
Mr. J. running around the stage to assist William...well done J., well done.
"I'm sure you know my math teacher, she mentioned your name a couple of time while she was trying to teach me..." The entire paper was hysterical, yet very insightful, Felicia. Although, your performance of that piece is what sent it over the top!
Math teachers signing up to attend sessions...you know you made it when the math teachers sign on to something the English department is doing. ;)
"I was so touched by what I saw yesterday I cried and then I went home and cried again last night. What you have done is amazing. I still can't talk about it without crying." -Mrs. Tusinski
"You did it! You did it! You did it, did it, did it!" -Gary Anderson (co-founder of WW)
"By focusing on writing last week your school became a safer, warmer, smarter place than it was the week before." -Gary Anderson
Overflowing sessions...our seating maximum was about 450...I guarantee there were closer to 500 people in the auditorium 6th and 7th periods!
Students writing and writing and writing some more because they are so inspired by two days of WW. What more can we ask for?
I'll stop for now...although there are so many more wonderful memories. I also must stop so that I can spend some time writing, for I have no idea what I am presenting on Monday! I am seriously nervous after seeing how amazing the student presenters have been!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Beginning to practice
For years I have written in journals; on my closet shelves live the memories of my youth, my present predicaments, and my future hopes and dreams. Writing has always been my way of decompressing, of dealing with my anger, my fear, my insecurities, my stresses, and all the things over which I seem to have little control.
I imagine that part of the reason I began writing in journals was because it was easier to have an internal dialogue, purged on paper, than it was to speak those feelings/frustrations to those who evoked them. It was easier to cry on the crumpled pages than it was to express my pain to those who loved me...and would later blame themselves for my tears. I realize now that it was easier and, it was learned. I grew up in a tight-knit family who never really expressed their deepest pains, fears, struggles, etc. I was neither told nor felt that I couldn't share those feelings, I just never wanted to burden anyone else.
Recently, a man I dated several months ago contacted me and in a conversation he told me that I had always kept him at arm's length, that I would never let him get close. I have really struggled with this comment because I feel that I am an open book. I will share any part of my life with anyone who asks...I have no secrets. It is upon further consideration of this comment that I realize, maybe he has a point. I still resort to the journal to express the day to day frustrations, and irritants...are these the things that he wanted me to share? While I considered these matters to be trivial in the broad scheme of things, are these the items that he needed me to share in order for him to feel close to me? Is it really the little events in our daily lives that eventually have more bearing than those major events that come so few and far between?
So, here I am. I have toyed with the idea of blogging for quite some time and I now think it is time to begin. It is time that I share those day to day thoughts and musings with the world...or at least give the world the opportunity to see/hear them. Maybe it is a bit selfish on my part to practice here, but I've seen no better place to begin. While I know that I will never completely give up the journaling, maybe I'll cut down on the storage space needed to house all those memories.
I imagine that part of the reason I began writing in journals was because it was easier to have an internal dialogue, purged on paper, than it was to speak those feelings/frustrations to those who evoked them. It was easier to cry on the crumpled pages than it was to express my pain to those who loved me...and would later blame themselves for my tears. I realize now that it was easier and, it was learned. I grew up in a tight-knit family who never really expressed their deepest pains, fears, struggles, etc. I was neither told nor felt that I couldn't share those feelings, I just never wanted to burden anyone else.
Recently, a man I dated several months ago contacted me and in a conversation he told me that I had always kept him at arm's length, that I would never let him get close. I have really struggled with this comment because I feel that I am an open book. I will share any part of my life with anyone who asks...I have no secrets. It is upon further consideration of this comment that I realize, maybe he has a point. I still resort to the journal to express the day to day frustrations, and irritants...are these the things that he wanted me to share? While I considered these matters to be trivial in the broad scheme of things, are these the items that he needed me to share in order for him to feel close to me? Is it really the little events in our daily lives that eventually have more bearing than those major events that come so few and far between?
So, here I am. I have toyed with the idea of blogging for quite some time and I now think it is time to begin. It is time that I share those day to day thoughts and musings with the world...or at least give the world the opportunity to see/hear them. Maybe it is a bit selfish on my part to practice here, but I've seen no better place to begin. While I know that I will never completely give up the journaling, maybe I'll cut down on the storage space needed to house all those memories.
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