DAY 10  Read. Write. Dream.

Well last day is already behind me.  And I knew the students would do well presenting.   Had an audience too.  A few parents.  Adults from several programs.  Judges.  And about ten cute ones, wide eyed and young.  They were sitting up front listening to me talk about the importance of reading and the novel Money Hungry, being entrepreneurs and the like.  Good audience they were.

The young people in Read. Write. Dream.  read some of the pieces they had written.  I love that several of them wrote some impressive beginnings to stories.  I spoke to the audience about creating pictures with words.  Reading.  And how much interesting stories students had written often with only an interesting photo as a prompt.

Presenting can bring about the shakes even with adults.  No shakes today, but I could see a little nervousness.  And who wouldn't be nervous?  Afterwards, while the judges did their thing, I invited the little ones to go and talk to the older students sitting at desks.  It was so cool to see the 13-14 year olds sitting with their posters spread out, flanked by 6-8 year olds asking questions, leaning in, captivated at times.

 I asked the older students how many wanted to be entrepreneurs.  About four out of thirteen said they did.  How many made the decision after the program?  About three.  Plus a few young ones even put their hands up.  I was giddy.  I wanted to teach Money Hungry with the entrepreneurial aspect because I always felt the two were a perfect pair.  Raspberry like so many youth, has an entrepreneurial spirit.   She is always  in pursuit of opportunities to work and make more cash.  But she doesn't think of herself as an entrepreneur, I believe.   Readers of the book might not think of Odd Job as one either.  Yet they both are.  So are many students in the classroom, so lets give them the information and skills to make a career out of it, was my thought.  Having students write up a business plan for Raspberry's boarding house gig would be a great teachable moment.  Wish I'd thought of it during the class

I'm hoping other people will do something along these lines with the book.   But mostly I hope the students I was blessed to work with will keep reading, writing and dreaming of owning their own businesses.  It's the American way after all.  Oh, and who won?  I'm not telling.  In my eyes, we all did.

By the way, thanks for hanging with me on this journey.  I think I learned as much as I taught.  Until next time, Read. Write.  Dream.

Day 9 Read. Write. Dream.

Busy day.  Students working like bees preparing for presentations tomorrow.  Amazing to watch them finalize things.  Gathering info to include on posters.  Selecting written pieces they want to read before parents and other students.

I thought they would have to rehearse and rehearse.  Silly me.  They ran through their presentations once for everyone and a few times among their business groups.  They found ways to  remember their parts, taping bits of information on the inside of the poster.  Finding their own voices to hand off to the next person or start the introductions, not simply saying what I had suggested.

It's funny one guy asks me just about everyday what time they'll leave, when they leave the same time everyday.  But he was smiling cheek to cheek when I told him that he and the others how proud I was of their group.  They gave a terrific presentation.

Asked everyone to complete a two question survey about how well the program went and what they would change.  Awesome, wouldn't change a thing, one student said.  I was surprised.  His momma made him come and he wasn't always happy about it.  Liked journaling, the posters, my part (presentation) were other comments. Too much talk someone said.  Were they talking about me?  Not sure, but I can be a chatterbox.   What about the book, the book, the book, I thought?  They liked the book.  But this is summer.    And their peers are in pools and hitting the zoo.  So I guess I'll take awesome, even though I know as I write this which things need to be scraped or improved or remember the time someone said they were bored.

Tomorrow is the final day and presentation.  They will knock it out of the box make their parents happy and move on, I'm sure.  I will remember them as my first Read. Write. Dream. group.  I will think about what worked, what I could have done better and what next.  And I will never look at teaching the same again.  Or students either, I hope.  You can not know young people in a day, a week or two.  But I swear I saw them grow and change.  Or maybe we all did.  Not so much changing, but revealing pieces of ourselves a little more to one another along the way.  Maybe that was our real education

Day 8 Read.Write.Dream.

Not much to say today.  Several students went on a trip.  The remaining students practiced for Friday's presentation.  They did a really good job.  Practicing over and over again can be a chore even for adults, but it didn't seem to bother them much. They got better each time, more confident.  Made me remember the first time I stood before a crowd.  I was maybe eight at church for a spelling bee.  Don't remember being scared, but I'm sure I was.  I do remember that I went down on the first word.  It was bottle or bottom, truly it was.  Spelling was never my thing.  Am better now but will never be terrific at it.  I am not that little girl anymore, however.  But here is a bit of who I am.    Someone who rarely quits.  Who works hard, tries hard, and is brave enough to take on challenges that some folks wouldn't think about.    I push past my limits. I don't let scared stop me.   I think outside the box.  I believe in underdogs, speaking to strangers on the street, hugging students during visits, rewriting, rewriting, rewriting, and family.  

I am not perfect, which is why I guess so many of my characters are so wonderfully flawed.  

In two days the workshop will end.    I shall keep blogging I believe.  Thank goodness it won't be everyday. I'm sure you and I both will be happy about that.  But blog I will.  I think I like it.  Not sure what I shall write about.  And know this.  I am a hit and miss kind of girl.  Sorry if you had other notions.  I come and go on facebook and twitter with a flash and a bright light.  Then disappear. I'm sure people say what the heck....or where'd she go?   Trying to do better.  Wish I could just stay put and be steady appearing daily or weekly or something like that.  But know this, with writing and my daughter I am very consistent, steady ever present.  And with this workshop too.  Showing up every day.  Not just because I am being paid to by the way.  But because I promised I would.  And with promises, I am usually, most all of  the time someone who keeps them.  Ain't perfect...just me.  Sharon G. Flake.  Having the time of my life!  By the way thanks.  It's nice to be out here with you folks.