Learning to Teach Writing

A few days ago I mentioned the Writing Rhetoric book we're using this year in school. Today we came to the part that made me nervous: "Rewrite the fable of The Lion and the Mouse." Oh, how I detested doing activities like this as a child! For a week and a half, we've gone over this fable and done various activities to get us thinking about how this fable is written. But to have to re-write an entire story? I anticipated pushback, maybe even tears.

The story has to do with a mouse captured by a lion, who laughs when the mouse tells him that if he's let go, he will one day help the lion. The lion doubts that such a small creature will ever be of use to him. One day, however, when the lion is caught in a net, the mouse proves himself useful by gnawing him out. Our task now was to rewrite the fable, but with the mouse as the strong character. 

Surprisingly, both girls knew immediately how they wanted their stories to go. What followed, though, was the dread and bigness of having to convey the whole thing on paper. It reminds me of how we as parents often put gigantic plates of food in front of two-year-olds and command them to eat every bite. Just looking at the plate causes defiance and meltdown, because the task is overwhelming. My girls saw this assignment as an unconquerable plate.

At first I went down the road of, "Just try to write some sentences." Then I tried, "You know how sometimes I tell you to write sentences? Do that, then put them all together, and you'll have your story." No matter how I sliced it, that "big plate" was still there. One child's eyes began to fill...what to do?

I know that writing teachers would've come up with the answer immediately, but I'm new to older-kid schoolwork. My eureka moment came when my daughter asked, "Mom, can't I just tell my story to you?" I first said no, because I thought, just telling isn't the same as writing. Then I realized, sure it is; stories are "talk written down"! It doesn't matter who is doing the writing portion; it's the creative part that turns into the written part.

In other posts, I mention narration, and how we use it to assess what the girls remember from our reading. They simply tell me, in their own words, all they remember. I've heard more seasoned homeschoolers talk about how this basic narration later morphs into something more sophisticated when I (the teacher) begin to write down my student's narration; later, the student him/herself can begin to take the narration and write it down...and it becomes written...a story!

Whew! I cover our homeschool in much prayer, asking God's discernment and guidance. Times like today remind me that He guides in much more than what  books to use, or how much we should cover. He shows me how to do it, what it looks like when it seems impossible. He knows the answers before I even form the questions. He whispers and reminds, gently leading in ways so as to avoid tears and frustration. I thrive on His guidance and rescuing, because my own devices just don't cut it.

He also shows me that little ones can provide the big answers I'm racking my brain over. Just when I'm tempted to say no, I stop and think, "Wait...that's actually a really good idea!" Kids have an affinity for simplicity that we as adults have lost; they're worth taking seriously, as they think in the childlike way of Christ Himself.  

Best of all, writing in school doesn't have to be scary or dreadful...it can be fun! We don't have to view it as a formidable job looming over our heads, one that will take hours to complete. Just when I was preparing for a struggle, a way out was provided that enabled us to enjoy and learn from the experience. 

Without further ado, it's my privilege to transcribe two stories written by my sweeties, both about a mouse and how a smaller creature saved him. 

"The Mouse and the Bee" by A.H.W.

   Once there was a mouse cooking in his kitchen. A bee flew in while the mouse was making soup. The mouse thought the bee would make delicious soup. The bee cried, "Please spare me, so I can help you one day!" Eventually, the mouse gave in.

   A few days later, a human picked up the mouse by the tail. The bee heard the mouse's squeaks, and he came flying up and stung the human. The human dropped the mouse, and the mouse was free.

THE END

"The Mouse and the Bunny"  by M.M.W.

   Once there was a mouse and his favorite thing to drink was lemonade. He was making some for his dinner one evening, and a bunny hopped in. The mouse caught the bunny in a net, and the bunny said, "Please let me go! I will help you someday."

   A week later, the mouse's foot had a thorn in it. He squeaked, and the bunny heard him. The bunny rushed to him, then he saw the thorn in his foot. He pulled it out.

THE END

Just like fables, my own story has a moral: Don't complicate what can be made simple. Don't rush what needs to grow slowly. I can't imagine how long it would've taken my two kids to first come up with these stories, then sit and try to write the whole things out. There would've been constant erasing, pages being ripped out and thrown, crossing out and starting over...overall, an unpleasant experience. Now we don't have to dread next time; I imagine we will all be enthusiastic about future writing assignments. It's nice that the kids will get to take the reigns when they're ready, growing naturally as writers, learning slowly to enjoy and not despise it. 

Thank You, Lord, for always teaching me.