Friday, July 11, 2003
Good Golly Miss Molly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The final project for my kids was for them to write a short story. You may remember that my kids have so little reading and writing skills. I didn't really think that we could accomplish it. So I have spent the last three weeks hammering in the elements of a story. An elementary story, but any kind of story would do. Check this out:

It is Haway. It is warm music salsa a island a little with palm tree. A little people and a bench. Friends. Emilio is tall and Leonel short. Brown eyes Emilio too. Short hair Leonel too. Leonel has glases Emilio no. The problem in the story is the shark now. The problem is the my friend's go to swin but they go far and a shark see to they and go to attak to them and they swim fast. Carlos arrive in a boat for HELP to him. Friends of the shark and Carlos attack with gun and Carlos help to him.
Carlos Perez, age 13

It is Houston beach. The blue green water hot and son is beautiful beach. The beach is culd. It not have people. Raining there is salt water. It makes their eyes hurt. The boys and grils sick. The people cry. Ambulance comes They take the people to the hosptial.
Julia Martinez, age 14

Call me crazy, but these are brilliant. You don't understand what a big thing this is. We have spent three weeks chanting: character, setting, problem, solution! over and over and over and over. I spent at least three days on each of these concepts, for hours at a time, drilling them, drilling them. "CHARACTERS are the PEOPLE in the story! The PEOPLE in the story are the CHARACTERS! Okay, everyone! Who are the people in the story?" The kids yell out, "PEOPLE!!!!" And today, well you can check for yourself. The kids wrote stories that included character, setting, problem and solution. They may not be bestselling novels, but I could not be more pleased.

Good lord. I am afraid of becoming one of those people that talks about teaching all of the time. But this place is just filled with it and I have no other reason for living here in Houston. It will change when I get to NC. Tonight all of the NC people are going to karoke. I really think I am going to hold out and not sing until I get to NC and people can see Owen and I together. That is the true standard.