Last week I showed my eighth graders a photo of me as a child. It was part of a presentation where I shared the process I had gone through to write a poem. I told them about an experience I had had, and then showed them my brainstorming, my first draft, research I did to improve my details, and so on. The photo, taken with my brothers long ago and in a galaxy far, far away, illustrated how I looked when the events in the poem took place.
"Miss!" said one student in amazement and delight, "You used to be pretty!"
I did not respond in the way I wished to, which would have been something like this: "Ah, yes, my child! But that was before....the hideousness!" (Evil cackle.) Instead, I just smiled and thanked her.
5 comments:
Ahhh. grade 8s! I was teaching grade 8 the year I was getting married. In June as the year was winding down I had gone to the hair stylist to get highlights for my upcoming wedding in July. When I returned to school after the weekend a student told me “Miss, your hair looks so much better!” LOL Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Funny ... the things our students say ... at least, they were paying attention!
:)
Kevin
Ah, if only they knew how much sarcasm we were biting back/filtering for them. I think we've all been there. What a great lesson though about process and product.
Reminds me of the teenagers watching my husband and I at a reflecting pool on our wedding day. One of them said, "They're kind of old though." We were 27 and 29. Kind of old, indeed! Love the retort you held back. Middle schoolers, they love to tell it as they see it.
Kids say the darnedest things, Ruth, but you might want to explore the response you might give via verse.
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