As within so without

I always tell my kids at school
who have a hard time getting started
on a writing assignment when I walk
past a few desks and see a blank
paper when others have dove right
in: I say, it doesn't matter what you
say, just say it. We can't go over
and make corrections to nothing.
Kids in school are oftentimes either
lazy, overwhelmed, undernourished
lack confidence (that's usually the
biggest one) and maybe many of those
all going on at once as well as
having other extraneous conditions
affecting what they do
or don't do in school.
So, if I give examples to give them
ideas of what to say or how to begin
they use mine instead of their own
creativity. I tell them they are at
the most imaginative time
of their lives and they could write
great stories and they do if they apply
themselves and try. They often surprise
themselves as well as me.
They often ask me how long the assignment
has to be. I challenge them: Make it as
long or short as you want, and then I
give examples of what I will accept
and what I won't given those
wide parameters and time frame, etc.
It's funny how kids intuitively take to
and love to draw to express
their imagination and worry not
whether their figures are misshapen
or colors "weird" or unnatural.
But tell them to WRITE something and they
get intimidated. Not all. Some valiantly
write down a string of "words" that could
only be described as a foreign or alien
language and when I ask them to read it
back to me they do so in perfect English.
I just nod and say of course, great!
and something like we'll correct the
spelling later--good job! They need that
confidence that they're succeeding and
so they try again and it gets better,
pretty soon we're proudly preparing their
work for open house.
These are very young kids just learning
how to write. If I correct something,
they're on it in as long as it takes to
flip their pencil over and start erasing
and writing it correctly.
We all have a story. We should feel free
to express it without a lot of criticism
and a whole bunch of praise. Kids shut down
their light way too early as it is and it
never need be anyway. Whatever spark is
there needs to get fanned and encouraged
or it could be lost to eons and very
difficult to rekindle and reestablish.
Every day many kids are required to read
for 30 minutes. I think that writing
should be able to share some of that time
to also be practiced. Even art could be
given as homework although I've never once
seen that in all my years of substituting.
Who knows what great talent could be
discovered if kids were given the incentive
and time to develop it.
Whatever we have within us can come out
and be shared with,and for the benefit of, all.
Nobody can say it or express it
exactly as we can so we all have something
original to offer the world.
When we keep it within, no one benefits. As
within so without just requires some
courage to not be afraid to be who we are
and a willingness to show that to and
share it with the world.


Copyright © 2012 Gary Frates All Rights Reserved