Chapter 12 - Solving the dropout dilemma

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Solving the dropout dilemma	431

reads a lively descriptive piece called Lady and the Chick, from Rebecca Kaplan's book Writers In Training. The students have fun as they attempt to act out some of the parts. The emotion keeps them involved in learning.
      More creative writing - but only after a "state change" of stretching. Then off to building on the "cluster" and "fast write" techniques - expanding on to comparison-contrast demonstrations with Koosh-ball activity. Then another break. [Breaks and state changes play an important part in the learning process. They create more "firsts" and "lasts" and thereby better retention.]
      Near the close of the afternoon, the teacher models a memorable childhood experience: "The forgotten immigrant" - her own version of learning English as a Second Language back in 1949.
      The day is beautiful, so it's outside for writing exercises, after talking about story formula and visualizing possible plots, characters and settings - all to background music.
      After the outdoor writing exercise, students evaluate their own work and feelings to date. Their teacher reads the evaluations to check progress and work out gaps that need to be plugged, needs that have to be met after dinner.
      After the meal a quiet descends. A student's father has died. So the teacher changes pace, and reads a student composition from a previous class about a girl whose grandfather has died. "Maybe just writing about our families would help," she says, using the flexibility based on student needs that should be built into all good teaching.
      Then the shared stories, and a run around the buildings to let off steam - typical of the "state changes" built into each session.
      By 8 p.m.: time for some poetry readings - and their own poetry attempts, to soft background music.
      8:15 p.m. - time to share their efforts. A hush falls as the first student reads his poem. A 16-year-old boy begins to cry in front of the other 35 students. Then another, then all, while the students empathetically continue to share their writing and their feelings.
      By 8:45, it's obvious the sharing could go on all night, but they have to stop for a general camp get-together to debrief the day and to talk more about beliefs, values and behavior.
      By 10:30, they've evaluated their teachers, gone to bed - and

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