Creative writing examples from grade 7....Autumn is arriving

Last week I wrote about my experience with the grade 7 literature class and our time outside "feeling" nature. I received some excellent reflective essays sharing what they experienced during their two minutes outside with their eyes closed, taking in the world around them. There are 19 students in the class so I could only pick a few examples but overall, I am very impressed with the creativity of these 11 and 12 year olds. I have done minimal editing...the work below is that of the students.

     "I heard the cars in the distance - a faint sound like waves, rolling over the ocean just waiting to get to the beach and be washed back out to the ocean."
     "The wind was chillingly cold as it floated through my skirt...my skin was getting prickly and the feeling of pins and needles were going down my spine."

     "I could feel the wind pressing on my back, wanting to lift me up in the air. Everything sounded so clear you could hear a stone falling on the other side of the street."

     "...then that nice, cool wind passed by again as if someone rewinded life and then clicked the PLAY button. The leaves and branches rustled and swayed more than before, and the feeling of autumn swept over me."

     "I felt the wind blowing my pants against my skin. I could feel it tickling against the back of my legs; it felt like that breeze you get as you are riding your bike."

     "I heard and felt the leaves falling of of the branches preparing for winter. I felt myself under a spell, like the wind wanted me to stay and listen. The wind gave me a breath of fresh air that calmed myself down...Everything felt so graceful and it was something that I never thought would be."

What did I feel and hear?

I just finished literature class with grade 7. We have been reading the short story, "The Most Important Day", in which Helen Keller meets for the first time her teacher, Miss Sullivan. In the story Helen learns that every thing is a thing and has a word to go with it. I shared with the class how it was beyond my comprehension how Helen lived without sight, hearing or the ability to speak. We tried to figure out which was the most important sense to have but couldn't reach a definitive agreement. During this last class we went outside, the students shut their eyes, and for two minutes listened and felt the world around us.

Even with my eyes open I was amazed at what I could hear and feel when I stood and did nothing else. I could feel the wind swishing and whirling my skirt around while biting at my fingers. The warmth from the sun managed to reach through the breeze, and I could feel the light and heat on my face and fingers. I could also feel the stillness of the class - all was still beneath my feet.

What surprised me though was what I could hear when I really focused. I heard our school flag flapping to its own rhythm in the wind. I could hear the elementary children playing in the back of the school. I could hear very clearly the cars cruising along Dunbrack Street which I did not expect because we are quite far from the highway. At one point, I heard a very young child crying inside one of the nearby homes. I could hear the sound the wind makes as it begins its yearly job of clearing the leaves from the trees in preparation for winter.

At the end of our two minutes we went inside and the class reflected on their experience. I am very interested to find out about their two minutes. If nothing else, I hope it helps to reinforce how blessed we are to have all of our senses when experiencing our world.

Extreme Organization

When I was a teenager, my room was so messy that my Mom would get to the point that she couldn't stand looking at it any longer. She would then threaten to hire in a cleaner to dig it out and take the charge out of my allowance. Of course, I would then clean it - very unhappily because I said I couldn't find my things when it was neat.

Flash forward a "few" years. I now wish I could afford to hire someone to come in and help me. Being "uncluttered" is definitely not one of my strengths and there are mornings where I sprint around my apartment in a bad mood because I can't find an important paper or my keys (even though I have a special key hook!). It really does make life more difficult.

As part of our study skills unit, the grade 7 class had a discussion about their current study environments. We then brainstormed what would make a good study environment. Then I sprung it on them....the "Extreme Organization" assignment. Everyone has to clean their room by next Tuesday. For some students this may be easy - for others (I would be one of the "others") it will be quite a challenge.

I realize that not all students study in their rooms but the intent of the assignment is to help everyone learn what a good study area should look like. Students must get their sheet signed by a parent and I welcome your reflections on the exercise -was it easy for your child, do you think he/she will be able to keep it clean, what helps your child study when it comes to the environment?

For the record...I did clean my room yesterday...I still don't enjoy it but I did it :)