This is my second year as a "counselor" at the Young Writer's Camp. It's a three-week, three-hour-a-day, four days a week day camp for... well, young writers. Seventh through ninth graders to be exact. It's a blast to teach writing without grades or standards determining the worth of the student's work.
Cindy is my partner, and we work together in the group of 22 kids. It's a great group too. Not any knuckleheads like last year.
Oh, we still have a few kids who really don't want to be there; their parents sent them to help them improve their writing skills. Bad idea. These kids don't look at creative writing as fun, they look at it as punishment. No matter how we try to present this as something for kids who already enjoy writing, we always get the two or three who act like they would rather have the Chicken Pox than keep coming.
I just got off the phone with the mom of one of them. Eddie has a sweet smile, and is basically a polite kid, but does NOT want to be in camp. He said he hates coming, but that his mom is making him. I feel bad for the kid. His older brother (in high school) gets to stay home, watch TV and play video games, while Eddie has to go to "school" (as far as he's concerned).
What's really too bad is that when he does participate in the writing activities, he does a good job! I'm worried that his mother forcing him to go will make him hate writing rather than enjoy it more. I tried to say as much to her, but I didn't want to offend her either. These parents pay around $300 for the three weeks. Maybe it's even more now, I don't know exactly. Is it a good idea to force kids to go when there are so many other opportunities for them?
In any case, we have already written pieces on being famous, a poem of address, a collaborative piece using all five senses, a memory piece, a "candy" story (using the names of candy, write a short story or letter... you know, " I hope you love me Now and Later, etc.), we've gone to the art museum and written about the exhibits there... it's been busy. I writer every day with the students, and maybe I'll post something I've written soon, but after I get home I'm so tired, I don't seem to have much blogging stuffing left inside me.
Maybe tomorrow. There's no camp on Fridays.
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3 comments:
Maybe this is a good chance to teach the kid about making the best of bad situations - why choose unhappiness and all that.
But,
I HATED being forced to take piano lessons.
Well, that actually makes me feel better, because you like the fact that you can play piano now, right?
love your writing assignments! too bad about eddie but, as you suggest, tornwordo's experience may bode well for e. btw, what's an address poem?
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