Oh the things my ears hear here! 6-23

Our morning write was based on a picture prompt of two people in dress clothes. We found that the words at the bottom of the picture signify that the picture is indeed of Loma and Lawrence Phillips who eloped to be married. This enabled a lot of different responses, such as stories of husbands, parents, and grandparents. Some quotes that stuck with me were, “God knows best and sometimes we have to follow without question.”-Deb Webb and Jess’ response about her mother, “She allows me to choose to fly and to flop.”

Reggie-How did I get here? Really! Where have you traveled to visit family? “I do not know if my grandfather is a murderer or not.” Deb Webb—we still don’t know how many he killed. That’s why I am so gloom and doom.” “It doesn’t matter I can go either way,” Cindy. Karen, “I am not Chinese.”

Reggie was our next teaching demonstration with the title, “How did I get here? Really!” She sparked our thoughts and minds by reading The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant. Reggie sent us to a website titled www.glenbarrabbey.com where her ancestor’s castle and information was housed. Once of the website, I was amazed that her family lineage goes back to Scotland, where her parents have even visited and stayed the night. What a treat to get to stay the night where many, many ancestors have slept. Every year in August they always have a family reunion around an uncle’s birthday. People from eleven states come to visit. Reggie shared that she used Student Treasures, a company that publishes student books. Good resource, Reggie—thank you!

After placing us in groups, we brainstormed lists of things we think are important to interviewing our ancestors, as well as generated specific questions we would ask them? Next were mock interviews within our groups. This would allow students practice, which is very important when interviewing someone. Last, fellows were to write a letter to grandparents about their project.
At lunch we ate a variety of foods with the highlight being banana pudding, which Holly brought—thank you, Holly. It was amazing! And as I am told, according to April, better than sex.

After lunch Tracy shared with us her previous knowledge of the writing process—that five day process that some teachers still use as linear instead of circular. We all have a process, and everyone might have a different process, we just have to keep writing. That’s how we will know. Process can become passionate for each individual if we continue to write. One process is revision. What is the difference in revision and editing—A LOT of difference! Revising is looking at the whole piece and as whole and it can be rethinking, rewriting, adding details where we need to add details, deleting details, and the list goes on and on. So, we learned about revision groups—Writers Revision Groups allows students to do revisions for one another.

Off to revision groups we went. There we were fed by one another in a teachers-teaching-teachers kind of way. I love teacher revision groups.

But back in the room, some crazy things were going on. When we all learned that Crystal was the only one MIA certain suspicions were aroused. Diana was sure she was gone for good. Although no one saw Crystal leave, alas she had not been taken by the rapture of God. She was just outside on her cell phone.
“Sometimes I would have rapture panics.”-Crystal “I had dreams of the devil calling me from my closet.”-Deb Webb
As Diana explained that she had a good friend who promised when the rapture came, because he was sure he wasn’t going at the time) he would take care of their cat.
Too much fun for us.

So to a piece on advice we trudged. Velma’s advice to those who hover over us as teachers, Andie’s advice from a wedding singer made us laugh, Nancy’s advice from a mother brought some tears, as did Holly’s, Jill’s advice from a dancer made some realizes the difficulties of being a dancer, Jess’ advice from an outsider, and the many responses about teaching were moving and funny!

With another day closing, I reflected on this beautiful day of Summer Institute. Although we come to the table with many voices, we share them openly. I can’t wait to hear what is going to be sparked onto paper tomorrow.
Courtney Pritchard