The Birth of The Dream: A Civil Rights Story

One year I had a very interesting class. It was an inclusion class where I had a mix of gifted students, typical students (but is anyone actually typical?) and special needs students. This class soaked up all we had to teach and asked for additional chances to do extra projects. The students told me that they wanted to do an extensive Black History month project. It turned into a living museum. These students questioned so much of the learning and asked for more information on every subject.

A line in a text book changed their lives and mine. It said During the Civil Rights Movement there were riots in Los Angeles and Detroit. The students knew I was from Detroit and asked me what had happened during the riots. I told the students I would speak to my mom and aunts who were adults during that time and get back with them. I was a small child during this time period and only remember bits and pieces. I was actually interested myself and I knew that this was the class that would not let me forget about it. I started with some research online and then moved on to questioning my relatives. As I learned more about what happened I knew that I had to write this story. That was the beginning.

It is really amazing how a book comes to life. I never intended to write a book but the story would not leave me alone. Many students and book clubs have enjoyed the dream. I hope many more will enjoy this historical fiction story that brings the riots right to the front door.

Getting the Courage to Write!

Getting the Courage to Write

This year I am teaching 1st graders. I have spent most of my teaching career working with 4th, 5th and 6th grade student, and I loved it. In the older grades they can tie their own shoes, zip their own jackets and there is very little nose picking, and I loved it. There are a few things I love about my 1st graders. They come in happy everyday and they are eager to please. This comes in handy when it is time to try something new. Even though they can't spell very well and they often lack the ability to write a complete sentence but, they love to write. We start by drawing a picture and then write about it. My students have so much courage to dive in and get going. I often think of them when I need to get started on my writing.

I have been writing since I learned how to string a sentence together. As a young girl, I would write poems and short stories. When I was in high school I wrote all kinds of things including sci-fi thrillers. Over the years, I have started writing fiction and non-fiction pieces. Everything from self-help books to autobiographies to kids picture books. There are a lot of unfinished projects in my closet. When people say writing is easy, they are crazy! Writing is hard, scary and nerve racking. Coming up with ideas and making them sound exciting is insane. It takes a boat load of courage. Yet, schools require 1st graders to write a well written piece of work and they have to courage to at least try.

Teaching older children to write is very hard. Teaching adults to write is very hard. I start my students off by telling them to just tell their story. Speak out loud and tell their story. Most people have no problem telling about what has happened to them at the grocery store, that weird dreams they had last night or that funny joke. I often have to tell myself to grab my courage and just tell my story like I'm a 1st grader.