Writing a Life

"Many people are longing to be in conversation again. We are hungry for a chance to talk. People want to tell their story and they are willing to listen to yours. People want to talk about their concerns and struggles. Too many of us feel isolate, strange or invisible. Conversation helps that." -Margaret Wheatly.

It was very evident last Thursday that most sixth graders were ready to begin writing their memoirs. Never before have I seen a class that has taken ahold of this assignment in such a personal, reflective and meaningful way. Students are writing with depth, purpose and rigor. They are writing with honesty and insight. In other years, it has been more difficult to push students to show deep reflection but this class does not need to be pushed. They have stories that need to be told and they are ready to tell them. What has been the overall theme that has emerged from this class? Triumph over struggle. I have found myself near tears every time I pick up a first draft in progress because each student is writing with such honesty about life struggles but also with such hope for redemption from these difficulties.

We have been very fortunate to have Jill Kastner take the lead on creating self portraits with the sixth grade students throughout this writing process. Jill states that, "The objective of the self portraits is for the students to create visual works which reflect the character qualities they are discussing in their written pieces. Just as with their writing, each student is making specific decisions about what to portray, how to go about it, and in the process asking him or herself why they are making each visual choice."

Stay tuned for further updates on the memoir process and happenings in the sixth grade classroom!