Telling My Story...one chapter at a time...

Several years ago, a group of us across the states read and discussed Penny Kittle's book Write Beside Them...and I was changed.  For the better.  Now, as I assign a paper, a poem, a novella (!), I complete that assignment right along with my students, sometimes finding changes that must be made, sometimes making additions to improve the thinking process.

This year, my students and I are writing a story...My Story...a story about why we are who we are because of...a family member, a hobby, a choice made...or not.  Just short chapters, totaling a novella.  Short chapters, using James Patterson's chapter lengths as a model, for this project needs to be obtainable.  Therefore, we write a chapter at a time, reviewing and editing, deleting, changing, until one day next April, we publish.

For each class, I have am writing a different version of My Story.  When all these pages are totaled, mine may be a novel!

• My Daughter and Two Sisters:  Their Stories
• Family Members
• Hobbies
• Education

This past week, we drafted two chapters, and I shared with them the messiness of drafting!   Some of the chapters, I drafted, sitting here at home in my chair; others I drafted in front of them, with all my thoughts displayed on the big screen via the document camera and LCD projector.

Located in their three-binders for my class, this project is ever with them.  One, that should we have snow this year (yes!), we may continue to add to as the snowflakes fall and as we fulfill a waiver commitment granted by our state department to engage with students digitally on such days that, due to inclement weather, we have to dismiss school.  Win win!

More about this...as I develop this project more...:)