Friday, February 1, 2008

unintended soul-baring in the classroom

I have posted a little something interesting at my list blog. (It gets sad that I only pay attention to it on Thursday Thirteen day).

The assignment came with these directions: Fill in the blanks with answers representing yourself. Remain appropriate for a general audience, please. [I have to say that last part because I will inevitably get a list of responses so scandalous that I can't look that kid in the eye for days. And I have to scrub my brain nightly.]

May I just say how much I am loving my creative writing class? I was wary about it because there are 32 students enrolled, mostly boys, and mostly people who need the credit but hate the idea of writing. Even scrawling their names on a blank piece of paper is laborious. And stupid. But they have been remarkably a) attentive while I read short stories aloud and b) participatory when I beg cajole bribe encourage them to discuss the stories. Even better, they've all written decent, if not utterly insightful and entertaining, entries for prompts like "A story about an empty glass" and "Describe a perfect hour in your day." [That last one I had to also remind them that my chaste eyes will be reading their work, so keep it clean or fold the page.]

Anyhow, this particular "If I were..." assignment was far more revealing than I had intended (a couple of my female students have slightly naughty sides I'd never realized - being stiletto heels and beds and cheetahs. Yipes). But they seemed to enjoy it, so what more could I possibly want?