Driving conditions being what they are (I don't think even 4WD can handle the amount of salt on the roads) I'm not tempted to bestir myself. Georgia is closed anyway.
(if you look closely, you can see why #Hothlanta is trending. Help us, tauntauns, you're our only hope.)
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One of my 5th period students (let's call him Trey) acquired a new sticker for his computer. Stuck in between stickers for The Citadel, Browning Rifles, YETI, and the NRA, it reads, "The more Yankees I meet, the more I wonder how we lost the war."
Well if the winter of 1860 was anything like the winter of 2014, I wonder that the Rebs ever made it out of Atlanta.
In that particular composition class I was trying to impress on my students the importance of using descriptive adjectives, and searching my brain for some analogy. Usually I let my examples come to me on the spur of the moment - Miss McBryan's Grammar Class, unscripted.
Inspiration is a tricky thing. It will keep you feeling like the star of Dead Poets the Sequel until one day it fails you in epic fashion.
"Imagine," I began to draw a stick figure of a girl on the board, "that this is your sentence. Just a plain Jane girl. And adjectives are like her clothes, they're dressing her up (at this point I was feeling like the clothing analogy was the wrong direction to take but I was too committed to go back). Putting on her clothes, giving her accessories - all of these things are making her more interesting, giving her more definition as a person..."
A hand went up. "Yes, Kyle?"
"Miss McBryan, don't you think it would be a lot more interesting if she was taking off her clothes?"
Next time I prepare. We can't all be Robin Williams.
At the end of the class I was giving details on how they should be writing their personal narratives.
"What can we write about?"
"Anything about you. That's what makes it a personal narrative."
"Can I write about being adopted?"
"Of course. That's what makes it your story."
"Can I write about the time I threw up at school and got to leave early and get a milkshake at Chick-fil-A?"
"If you think that will capture your reader's attention...sure. Anything about you."
Silent James, who has not spoken a word all semester except to be excused for the bathroom, says quietly, "I am going to write about Batman."
"Well, James, that wouldn't be a personal narrative, would it?"
He met my question with a clear expression and asked patiently, "What if I am Batman?"
I wasn't prepared for that one.
By all means, James - by all means.
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*In other news, the advent of Snowpocalypse the Sequel did not catch me off guard. There is no lack of food in our apartment. Due to the extreme lack of communication between my roommate and me (Love you, A!), half of the dairy aisle at Kroger is currently in our fridge (my apologies to all of you stocking up for the endtimes - we have all the butter).
I began my day by making oatmeal and then remembered all of those sticks of butter crowding our side door. With the simple addition of some of these sticks, I could make portable oatmeal. Really, could you even call them cookies when they were so close to a balanced breakfast?
Whatever you call them, they were delicious. I have failed enough times to know. Follow the link for my recipe!
I began my day by making oatmeal and then remembered all of those sticks of butter crowding our side door. With the simple addition of some of these sticks, I could make portable oatmeal. Really, could you even call them cookies when they were so close to a balanced breakfast?
Whatever you call them, they were delicious. I have failed enough times to know. Follow the link for my recipe!
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