Tuesday, April 6, 2010

And Therein Lies the Problem...

On a regular basis, we ask students to write in their journals. Sometimes, we leave the subjects open-ended, and sometimes we're specific. Today (our first day back after a week of Spring Break), it was logical that our students would have plenty to write about, so the writing prompt was, "Write about your Spring Break." Around the room, pencils scribbled away. Ten minutes into the process, I noticed Shelby just sitting there, her paper still blank, pencil in hand.

"I'm thinking right now," she explained, when I asked why her page was still blank.

I replied, "Well, if you can't think about anything from your vacation, just write about what's in your head right now."

Wide-eyed and serious, she replied, "There's nothing in my head right now."

And you probably think she was kidding....

[Sorry. Sometimes, I just can't resist.]

18 comments:

  1. Now that is funny! I can relate.

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  2. I think I was that girl....a few years ago! LOL

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  3. Sad I can relate too! But usually the young have lots rattling around up there!

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  4. I know my son has plenty of "those" moments.

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  5. LOL. I have those moments too Shelby!

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  6. I used to teach 7th and 9th grade...there were more of those moments than I care to say! Especially in the morning classes!

    My favorite was on a day I gave a quiz. One of the questions was "Define this term." A kid said, "I don't understand the question." "Tell me what it means," I replied. He looked at me and said, "I still don't get it." OMG!!!

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  7. I know you don't use real names, but it's so funny that you picked Shelby, because I have a Shelbie and my friend has a Shelby and they are both, well, airheads, to be blount about it! We've decided it's something about the name!

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  8. 'Nothin' like a honest answer! Heehehehe! It can happen to the best of us.

    God bless ya sweetie and have a terrific Tuesday!!!

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  9. I had an English teacher who would tell us, if your mind is empty so is your soul. That used to scare the bejesus out of me.

    Tell Shelbie to put the pen in her opposite hand and try writing from her primal brain. Or to try automatic writing.

    One of the best teachers I had taught us to put the pen on the paper clear our minds and just let the pen write whatever it wanted, in other words what was in our subconscience. Fun!

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  11. I happen to think she's brilliant. The rest of us would be busy pretending there was something profound in our brains.

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  12. I have so much in my head that nothing is able to make it to the front. This happens a lot. My suggestion to someone with NOTHING is to write about the nothingness, about how hard it is to think of something.

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  13. lol I think I know this girl...

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  14. Thinking is good though. Smile.

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  15. Hmmm, I don't know if things change that much in that case; I feel that way fairly often. :)

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  16. I can relate. After certain long days at work, I come home and there's nothing in my head either.

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