I'm just home from a lovely morning spent with three Grade Five classes at Terry Fox Elementary School in Pierrefonds.
One of the first students I met was named Sophie (that is her sitting near me in today's first pic). I couldn't help noticing the booboos on her cheek and chin. Because I'm me, I had to ask Sophie, "What happened?" She explained she'd had a sledding accident yesterday. I'm telling you all this because I used the incident to show the students three things: 1) that writers tend to be snoopy; 2) that writers need to do research; and 3) that trouble makes for good stories.
In today's pics, you can see the first of the two groups I met, and also a boy named Brandon (from my second group) who is wearing a sweatshirt with a great slogan on it. His sweatshirt says: "Trouble finds me."
I did advise the students to stay out of trouble -- but if trouble comes knocking, to USE IT IN THEIR STORIES!
We also talked about secrets and I asked students if they could think of good ways to get people to share their secrets. Savannah suggested, "Make them feel trusted." I thought that was a really good answer! I explained that in order to get someone to tell me a secret, I often start off by telling them a secret of my own!
There was time for a writing exercise with both groups. A student named Justin came to chat with me after the exercise. He told me, "My character started talking to me!" I have to say that this made me super happy. That's what happens to real-life authors too! We can hear our characters talking in our heads. It sounds strange, but trust me, when it happens, it's a good thing!
You may know that I am always observing students (in my own classes and also when I do school visits). This is because I am always looking for interesting DETAILS to include in my stories. Here are some I found today: a student named Ashley who raised her arm perfectly straight; a student named Trista whose name I like (maybe I'll use it in my next story -- that okay with you, Trista?); and a girl named Reanna who had a yellow bandage wrapped around her wrist (it turned out not be an injury, but instead a gift from her best friend Nica, who, as it happened, was injured by a car door this weekend and had been using the yellow bandage to hold two of her fingers together.... I know all this because I asked, of course! See what I mean about snoopy?)
What really counts is whether the students learned stuff today and whether they had fun while they were learning, but you know what? I had fun and learned cool stuff myself. Many thanks to principal Mrs. Rampone for inviting me to Terry Fox; and to teachers Mrs. Hall, Miss Tara and Miss Aloe, for sharing your lovely students with me!
(PS: I almost forgot to tell you that my visit today ended on a lovely note. That's because on the students' way out of the classroom, I got a surprise hug from Sabrina! Thanks, Sabrina -- I needed that!!)
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Comments
Hi,remember me my name is Sabrina. I enjoyed the Tim
Sorry my other comment got cut but i really enjoyed the time with you and later on that day I started to continue the writing exercise. And then I remembered your website and saw that you will be at the DDO library and I go there to so I might see you there. Thanks loved your stories.
Thx for putting me in the pic and I had a great time;D;D
Hello!! I love your books and all that kind of stuff. How on earth did you come up with Smokey in Junkyard dog???
Stay cool!
Ryan wanted to thank you for the writing tips. He said that now it will be easy for him to write a book. We all read your blog together in class this afternoon. Mrs. Hall had us go home and do a good copy of our "BLURB" . She said some of them were amazing. Evan has started to write a story. Luca bought 121 Express. Jasmine wants to read Home Invasion. Our teacher said she will start to read Junkyard dog to us today!! BYE!
thank you for coming &the book marks.i was wondering if i can have your e-mail so we can stay in touch???
thanks for all your help
have a nice week
Thank you so much for coming to our school... It really fun!!!:P
I wrote a story called the robbers.I even made a blurb on the back thanks for those tips i yoused.;D>:P:-*:'(8)8)8)
Thank you for coming to our school I'm planing to go out and buy 121 express.;D;D;D:P
Thank you so much for coming to our school!;D Your.....AWESOME!!!!! Please come back! ;D
Hi Monique it's Sarah , the girl that was sitting in back of you i just wanted to say that i really enjoyed you coming to our school and that you're really funny and smart P.S I'm not mysterious ;D
Hey Monique, it's the grade five class [522:P]. We just wanted to tell you that your book the guard dog is one of the best books we are reading
hey Monique it's Sarah the girl who was behind you when you were talking i wanted to tell you that i had areally fun time with you and that in glad that you were invited to our school and that your really funny and smart and that your a great wrighter... P.S im not mysterious ;D:P:-*
Thank you soo much for coming and giving me tips!! I hope to see you soon ;D !! Thank you for sharing how you got the ideas for the books you wrote!!;D
Thanks mrs Polak for coming to my school8)b
I'm still shocked how you write those three pages everyday.
keep up your writing and never give up
- Thomas
;D;D;D
Thanks for coming we all love it I hope you come again I really like home invasion and I want to start ready it it looks really good and the part in the book wen you go of your run and talk to your daughter in the story made it even cooler. THANKS FOR COMING I LOVE YOU AS A AUTHOR YOUR REALLY GOOD AND YOUR TIPS HELP A LOT.:-*
hi monique its cassandra from miss tara's class i wanted to say thank you for coming to our school and i hope that you can comme back it was very fun hope that i will see you again and tell me if you are going to west park school my best friend is there and my grand-ma works there too
thank you cassandra
hi Monique I just wanted to say thank you so much for coming to our school I learned so much and I really enjoyed finding out where some of your book ideas come from
I loved the tips you gave about writing
thanks again, stay awesome! ;D
I'm back again Monique And I would Like to say.......... Please come back again:'( and I would like to read 121 Express!
Hello my name is ........ secret person so thanks so much for visiting our school thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you I can go on forever. just like these happy faces wil ;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D