- Writing is an art. For some is comes naturally, while for others, even force-feeding the instruction just never seems to take. Like other forms of art, there are talented people in every area, while for others, their strengths lie elsewhere.
- There is room for artistic license. Unlike math and science, English language rules are hardly ever black and white. Just about every rule has exceptions. Read any popular novelist or journalist, and you'll find rules being broken all over the place.
- Students need something about which to write. I am a huge believer in this. If I can provide experiences and knowledge, kids can't help but want to write about them. The hurdle is in the structure, focus, and development of their ideas.
And with all of this, I still haven't mentioned the empathy we try to have for the folks who lived through the Civil Rights Movement. We kicked off this focus by learning about Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman who understood the words of the Declaration of Independence - that "All men are created equal" - sued her master for her freedom in the early 1780s. Context was added to the timeline when we considered the Civil War 80 years later, and finally the Civil Rights Movement 100 years after that.
I ask myself, Do you understand, now, how people can still be angry? While we don't always understand, we try. On all sides, it seems that the anger rarely gets us to a table to discuss things rationally. Hurling insults and accusations doesn't appear to solve the current issues of racism and bitterness in our nation. Perhaps by the centennial of the Civil Rights Movement in the 2060s, we will be able to add another point of reference to the timeline and see another step in the progress toward civility. One can hope it won't take that long.