Perhaps You've Never Been Called Delicious! Today's Visit to Rosemere High School

Perhaps no one ever called you "delicious"! But that's the term I used when I told Ms. Lawrence's Sec. I English students how much I enjoyed their company today. They were a little embarrassed when I called them "delicious"!

I only use the word "delicious" for special occasions, and as you may have guessed, those special occasions usually have to do with food! But these students, who are in Enriched English dazzled me with their focus, creativity and overall great spirits. Also, they had to deal with me for nearly three hours straight! We had a little break for recess, but several of them stuck around to show me the writing they did during our writing exercise.

Here are some of my favourite moments from today. They'll help you to understand why I enjoyed Ms. Lawrence's students so much. I should also mention we had a few visitors -- Juliette, an older student who love to write, as well as Martin, a counselor at the school. Yay to both of you for being there of your own free will!

I was impressed when a student named William knew how to spell the word "segue" (it's pronounced "seg-way" and it means a transition between two random subjects; it's also sometimes used to describe a movement in music from one piece to another. Not too many people know how to spell it!)

I also had a soft spot for a student named Fox. (We writers are always collecting names for our future characters.) I told the students that last Friday, driving in the Laurentians, I saw a red FOX. I pointed out that the fox's colour was similar to the colour of Fox's hoodie. This observation led to a lively conversation about the right word to describe the colour of said hoodie. We debated the merits of rust, bronze, and mustard. The average person might not consider this an important debate, but as a writer I LOVED IT. That's because WRITING IS ALL ABOUT FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS.

I had to laugh when at 10:30, a student named Rodrigo announced, "I just woke up!"

I also loved when I was talking about the importance and absolute necessity of rewriting, and I asked the class, "So, now that I'm writing my 30-something-th book, shouldn't the first draft come out perfectly?" -- and a student named Adriana, said -- simply, but emphatically -- "No!" Quite right, Adriana! I have found that writing does not get easier; you just get to be more comfortable with the process, which includes many (many) drafts.

Here come a few of my favourite lines from the students' writing. Emma included this sentence in her paragraph: "I was a menace growing up and I still am." WE ALL LOVED THAT LINE! Mackenzie had the following opening line: "I often pick fights with my parents." Doesn't that line make you want to keep reading?

In today's picture, you will see me and Ms. Lawrence at the back, and some of the delicious kids in front of us. In the middle, you'll see Hannah. I just loved how she raised her hand when she asked me a question. Her arm was so straight and confident! And Hannah kindly agreed to raise her hand again for today's photo.

We talked about courage -- how writers need to be courageous. We also talked about feeling discouraged -- which happens sometimes, and which we shouldn't be afraid to write about. Afterall, stories need trouble to give them energy. And we also talked about feeling encouraged -- which I guess could be seen as meaning helping to give someone else courage. So I hope I en-couraged Ms. Lawrence's students. They certainly en-couraged me. And a special shout out to Ms. Lawrence, who, over the many years I've been visiting her class, has become my friend. Thanks, Ms. Lawrence, for sharing your wonderful class with me today (and also for the coffee and apple turnover!).