Memoir Monday -An Island Adventure

In San Juan we waited for some time for our connecting flight to St Kitts. Repeated announcements through muffled speakers informed in-transit travelers that flights were delayed -and, in some instances oversubscribed. Weight restrictions meant that only twenty-four passengers could be carried on planes originally designed to carry forty-two. A standard offer of $300 was presented to any passenger who would willingly ‘jump off’ and take a later flight. The announcer kept reminding everyone that weight restrictions were the cause of the problem. A man sitting opposite me continued tucking into a pizza. A quick glance around the lounge confirmed that there was in fact, an oversupply of fat tourists.

We finally boarded for St Kitts and then spent an hour in a hot, cramped plane with a hairy-armed hostess who dispensed miserable bags of cheese and onion chips to passengers who only wanted to escape the heat of the cabin. I desperately wanted to tell her that she could keep her Fokker Friendship!

The view of the island as you approach St Kitts is spectacular. Volcanic peaks (Mt Liamuiga 3792 feet is the tallest) and the rich blue of the Caribbean Sea make for an impressive introduction.

Negotiating immigration proved to be agonizingly slow. In fact, it made getting through JFK airport like life in the fast lane. St Kitts International Airport is not exactly under passenger pressure, yet it took us thirty minutes to be processed. Three officials, forty passengers (I had time to count them) and yet it took a brain burning amount of time. It was like getting a bike for Christmas and then being told you couldn’t ride it until Easter! We were in the lane that moves the slowest. My good friend Schmidt would say that only happens to the world’s unluckiest man. The processing officer made glaziers look speedy. What a classic example of operating on island time. Methodical is not the word for the painfully slow checking process everyone was put through. The archetypal ‘i’ dotter! I felt I was going to be admonished when it was pointed out to me that I had forgotten to include the zip code on my Brooklyn address. Here I was, just hoping to be a warm and happy tourist, and instead I was being made to feel like a naughty boy.

It was mercifully a short drive to ‘Papillion’ The air warm and breezy. Palms and bougainvillea flourishing in abundance. The island was in the midst of a prolonged dry spell. As we drove, two items keep recurring in my mind. Goats and cactus! The island appears to have an over supply of goats and cactus. Given the goats renowned ability to eat almost anything maybe they could be set loose on the cactus? The resort faced onto the Atlantic Ocean at a point known as North Frigate Bay. The wind harasses the ocean, and buffets you, but its warmth is relaxing and you could feel your body giving into it.
A short walk across the island and you are standing on the shore of the more tranquil Caribbean Sea at a location known as Timothy Beach. Such a short walk between two large bodies of water.

When you sit beside the water’s edge you can hear the small rocks- crack, crack, crack as they are tumbled about by the waves. I found myself waiting for it to happen. I was fully entertained by this action, as the waves spilled over the rocky shoreline. The beach on this side of the island was actually a bit disappointing. Plenty of rocks and very little sand. Not at all what one expects from the Caribbean.

Originally called Liamuiga by the first inhabitants, this tiny small island was renamed San Christobel by Columbus and St Christopher by the British. Officially that remains the island’s name, but it is more commonly referred by its nickname, St.Kitts. Situated about 1600 miles from New York, it lies in the north east Caribbean on the shoulder of the island chain. Apart from the three groups of steep volcanic peaks, its foothills feature sugar cane and assorted grasslands. There is also a small area of rainforest. Approximately 45000 people live here and on the neighboring island of Nevis.

Mother nature is perverse at times. She creates a touch of paradise to which people are naturally drawn and then she litters the beach with enough stringy seaweed to tastefully clothe a myriad of mermaids. Swimming in the Atlantic waters means that apart from being bashed and splashed by each set of white capped waves, you find yourself emerging from the surging seas draped in green stringy weed and resembling a sea creature. Maybe that’s why people prefer the safety and tranquility of the swimming pool when staying in island resorts? Personally, I like the challenge of the ocean. It says, this is the way it is –take it or leave it! I feel I have to at least try and get involved. -Even if it’s just for a few minutes. I know I am going to be pummeled, tumbled and spat out, but at least I can hold your head up and say – I tried. It’s like standing up to a bully.

In London they say you are never further than eight feet from a rat at any one time. In the Caribbean you are never more than eight feet from the sound of a Bob Marley song! Bob may not be with us any more, but his melodies strongly represent him wherever you go. Bob kept confessing that it was he who shot the sheriff. After seven days I wanted to shoot the sound system! It was the perfect excuse to lose myself in a pina colada or two. Island time is always a memorable adventure...

Boy Writers

I have been reading Ralph Fletcher's book, Boy Writers -Reclaiming Their Voices in which Ralph puts forward the view that teachers need to broaden the circle and provide boy writers with greater choice if we want to more fully engage them as writers. Ralph articulates the view that boys come to writing with unique issues and perceptions of the world and if we want them to remain in the game, we need to understand the world in this frequently reside.

This approach does not advocate promoting the interests of boys at the expense of girls, rather, there are approaches that can be incorporated into our teaching that will lead to boys more fully embracing writing. Each chapter of the book contains many practical suggestions under the heading, 'What Can I Do In My Classroom?'

The aim of the book is to be practical, not political.The book also contains a number of samples of boys writing. They provide concrete examples of what motivates boy writers. They are included as models of strong writing by boys, which the book's author wants teachers to use as models of craft elements.

"We must begin by coming to grips with the qualities boys bring to the table. To the extent that we really understand them we can become more skilled, more complete writing teachers."

Page 8, Boy Writers -Reclaiming Their Voices, Ralph Fletcher.

Boy Writers explores important questions such as:

What subjects are boy writers passionate about, and what motivates them as writers?
Why do boys like to incorporate violence into their stories, and how much should be allowed?
Why do we so often misread and misunderstand the humor boys include in their stories?

In addition, the book looks at: how handwriting can hamstring boy writers, and how drawing may help; welcoming boy-friendly writing genres in our classrooms; ways to improve our conferring with boys; and much more. For those of you who have recognized a need to more fully engage your boy writers, Ralph Fletcher's book provides much practical support. Oh boy, its worth a look!

Building Community in the Writing Workshop

I have recently been working in a Grade 4 classroom at Heany Park Primary School in Melbourne's eastern region. The focus of the writing has been developing memoir pieces. The teacher, Prue Nimmo has provided her students with a high level of support by immersing them in the genre. She has read memoir pieces to her students. She has written several memoir pieces of her own and shared the development of her writing pieces with her students across several lessons. Prue has worked tirelessly to ensure her young writers take the learning journey along side her. Telling her personal stories, Prue has signalled to her students that their personal stories are valuable as well. Her teaching has focused on the structure and features of the genre. She has taken time to alert her students to the need to write with the audience in mind, and so her students have worked hard to engage their readers with snappy, attention grabbing leads. Time has been given over to discussion and planning so that the writing produced matches the intention of the pre-writing focus. Conferences have teased out critical considerations for these writers and they have responded with much enthusiasm to accurately and entertainingly tell their slice of life stories.

Prue has alerted them to the need to inject voice into their writing as they are telling a story from their own lives They understand the need to make that story interesting for others to read.

I have been able to support Prue with lessons on writing effective endings, and adding dialogue and details which show the characters in action. The students for their part have worked to polish their writing and have become aware of the real purpose of memoir –to shed light on an event/s considered important in one’s life.

Prue has demonstrated the value of writing for and with students. With her patience and high expectations for herself and her students, this group of writers have developed into a writing community, sharing ideas and striving to improve the writing products they produce. The quality of the writing has been enhanced because the teacher cares enough to ensure that effort, experimentation and risk-taking are undertaken in a climate of trust and support. She clearly understands the need to have these essentials in place if we want to achieve improved learning outcomes in writing.

It is clear the writing has been given time and space to blossom. I enjoy being among this group of writers. There is energy around what is being produced. They approach their daily writing with confidence. One gets a sense of shared pride in writing well for others to read and enjoy.

Writing About Reading - Reading Reflection Journals:

Writing in response to literature can be a great way for students to organize their thoughts, explore what they think, and generate ideas. One of the strengths of writing in journals is that it allows students to capture all of those great ideas that generally float off into the air during the discussion.

Journal writing can also become drudgery if students are asked to write too often, given little choice or inspiration in what to write, or if they simply don't have anything to say.

While some students eagerly share their impressions about selections they have read in class discussions, others are less comfortable and keep their thoughts to themselves. In an effort to encourage all students to think more about what they read and confidently share their observations and opinions, some teachers are turning to the reading reflection journal and are gaining insights they never anticipated.

The Value of Reflection Journals
Journals assist teachers to gain insights regarding student comprehension of major ideas and concepts Written responses give us clear and powerful insight into how students are constructing their knowledge of language. When we ask students to write in response to what they've read, we not only get to see what they're thinking about, but the writing is tangible evidence of how they're learning to spell, punctuate, and put ideas together.

Journals can reveal what lies in the heart and mind of the reader. We may witness examples of student writing that illustrate powerfully how strongly a child has connected with a story.

A carefully worded prompt can offer students a way to show us what they know and can do. This is more likely to occur when the reader is engaged in reading a text that involves issues that resonate with the reader. Such issues are more likely to draw a strong response from the reader.

Ways to Use A Reader’s Reflection Journal

 To collect thoughts and ideas about text
 To record evidence from text
 To record and reflect on facts, especially during research
 To record partnership and book club conversations
 To take notes from a read aloud
 To take notes in preparation for conversation
 To reflect on facts or events/changes in a text
 To record connections and build understanding from them
 To collect sticky notes when done with a text
 To reread to build new thinking and then write more
 To use shorter notes as basis for longer entries
 To freewrite to access thinking
 To make plans for more reading
 To reflect on one’s reading process and progress
 To make plans for writing about reading
 To plan and organize genres of writing about reading
 To record texts read across year and evaluate
 To write about any of the “ways to think about books”
 To try out language for longer writing about reading genres
 To record telling quotes from books
 To make connections across books
 To muse about language, authors, ideas, characters, and so on
 To note favourite part of books and reflect on why
 To record information from book reviews, author visits, and other literary events
 To record teaching and learning and refer back to them
 To reread and reflect on previous entries

*Sketch to Stretch is another journal strategy. This strategy uses drawing and discussion as a pre cursor to more extended writing. It's a great way to encourage students to think symbolically as they capture images and words as they read. They discuss their drawing with a partner/small group before adding their own words to the illustration.

Valuable Insights
Some teachers have two sets of prompts, one for fiction books and one for non-fiction reading. The questions are quite different. Students choose a fiction or non-fiction prompt based on the material they are reading, and they are free to select any prompt or make up their own.
When students gather for share time, each student reads his or her entry, and the rest of the group comments on what was written,"

When students are reading non-fiction books, they can be encouraged to take notes on what they consider to be the most important ideas. They may also designate a page for new vocabulary. Another option is to have students draw a simple graphic organizer in their journals and complete it while reading.

It is important not to overdo the use of journals. Students should enjoy their reading, and using journals everyday would inevitably lead students to a point where they may resent the writing.


Searching For The Spark!
An improvement in fluency and expression of ideas as well as higher levels of thinking generally results from introducing journals. Journals also help students to see writing as a means of thinking and reflecting. If journals are used as tools for reflective and critical thinking about reading, they become a "springboard" for class discussion. They also provide a vehicle for students to goal set for themselves as readers.
With the introduction of reading response journals much modelling of responses is needed. This will provide students with exemplars to follow. Following this period of time, students need to be provided with a set of guidelines outlining the purposes for reader reflection journals.

The modelling needs to continue once students begin making their own entries along side those of the teacher. Exemplary student entries should be read aloud and shared.

“ I like how the writer used the word slaughtered instead of killed. It’s stronger. The beginning paragraph pulls you in when it says “In a desperate attempt to save the rhino. The author jumps right into what is happening…”

I think Solomon Singer had a horrible place to live. He hated everything in New York until he wandered into the Westway Café, ‘where dreams come true’ This is a wonderful book about feelings dreams and angels. When our teacher was reading, the author’s words made me visualize. I had a picture of a perfect home for Solomon….

(Examples from Strategies That Work, Stephanie Harvey, Anne Goudvis)

It is important to assist students to move their responses beyond an initial, personal reaction toward a more reflective, critical response.
By providing scaffolds we can move students beyond first impressions to more critical thought by providing open-ended thinking prompts - “Think about Maniac Magee’s's reaction to Amanda when they first meet as compared to his reaction when he meets her family”, rather than questions that may appear to have right or wrong answers “What was Maniac Magee’s reactions to Amanda after he meets her family? "

Making Journals Work
The following advice is provided for those teachers who wish to start using reading reffection journals:

Don't overwhelm students by asking them to write about their reading every day. If you take that approach, they won't have time for the joy of reading itself!

Seek to achieve a balance. If you push for too much writing, it becomes a dreaded task. If you only use journals once a month, students will not become proficient in using journals to reflect on their reading.

Be flexible with how you use journals. One week you could use them for a traditional written response, and the next week offer the option of using a graphic organizer. Use them for taking notes, recording imagery in a story, recording new words, or other purposes. A variety of approaches keeps the interest level up.

Go slowly. Try to find prompts or questions that will really make your students respond to what they're reading in a way that is meaningful to them.

Less is more. Write less often but focus on things that matter deeply to your students. Ask them to help you figure out what that might be.

Make it meaningful. The more engaged your students are with what they're writing, the more assessment information you'll glean about what they know, think, and can do as readers and writers.

Preparing for Journals
One very effective strategy is to gather, or write actual pieces of writing that illustrates an effective journal response.-¬ it makes it much easier than simply writing in the dark. It's so much more helpful to be able to see what specific traits make a piece of writing effective, or not so effective. Students responding with quality and depth to reading in their journals will be supported by including topics such as:
• Advice for the author or characters;
• Text connection to self, another text, or the world;
• Ideas for writing;
• Light bulb or Aha! moments.

The following prompts may be used to support students in developing the reader’s response to a text:

If I were the character...
A quote I like or reacted to strongly is...
I wonder about...
This reminds me of...
I predict...
This line is interesting/ challenging/ puzzling because...
I now understand why/how/what...
I was surprised by...
Some questions I have are...
I'm confused about...
Was the plot believable? Why?
Who would enjoy reading this text?
Did you enjoy the writing style used by the author? Explain
Do you enjoy this genre? Explain
Did you connect to a character or event? Explain how
Was it a page turner?
Did your mind wander during reading? Why?
Did the text hold many surprises? Explain

Here are some prompts with an emphasis on summarizing skills to help you get started.

The setting of this story is important because…

The book makes me think about…

The most important ideas are…

Two, three, or four key events are…

I think the purpose of the text is…

The parts of the text that help me to work out the purposes are…

The main thing that happens is…

To me the book is about…

I wonder…

A question I have about this book is… because…

I don’t understand…

The big ideas in the book were…

Some important details I noticed were… They were important because…

To summarize the text, I would say…

The main characters of the story are… because…

I think the theme of the text is…

Something I have learned from reading the text is…