Writing Lab Recall

Though my writer self had slept for a long time, it had not completed hibernated. Bouts of opportunities for me to remain in touch would appear from time to time as I practiced my being an educator. Last school year, I was fortunate enough to have learned to conduct writing laboratory sessions from our American consultant Maggie Moon. The way she taught writing awakened in me an eagerness and excitement to impart my writing skills and knowledge to my students. Despite the fact that we only had around two months more of school left then to apply this new strategy for teaching writing, I was able to do it and was very happy to witness how my Grade 3 kids responded positively and improved quickly. Just the other day, as I was recalling the mini lessons I had seen Maggie Moon demonstrate in several different classes, I tried to do it myself. Just a quick practice. Fast recall. Here's what I came up with based on a simple experience I had the previous day:

TIMELINE...

Beginning- I left work in a hurry.

Middle- It suddenly rained.

End- I got stuck in bad traffic.


EXPANDING THE TIMELINE...

BEGINNING

As I hurriedly opened the door of my car, droplets of water began to fall on my windshield. Oh, no, I thought as I threw my bag on the passenger’s seat and placed my key in the ignition. As soon as my car revved into life, I stepped on the gas pedal and drove out of the parking lot of my office building. I was supposed to meet my best friend twenty minutes ago! She was a wreck because of a recently failed relationship, and had wanted to talk and probably cry over coffee. I really need to rush. But with my luck today, I’m probably going to get there in an hour.

MIDDLE

I was just beginning to relax as I texted my friend to tell her that I would be late when the drizzle suddenly turned into a strong downpour. I could hear the heavy raindrops crashing on my car. And as I turned around a bend, I was shocked by the traffic that greeted me! The usually not-so-congested street was suddenly swarming with unmoving vehicles! It was one of the worst, and I was at the tail of it all. “This is so bad!” I muttered to myself. We were bumper to bumper, and I could hardly see anything because of the rain. Cars were honking their horns everywhere. Oh, how I wish I could transport myself to the coffee shop at that instant and just sip a cup of steaming hot caramel macchiato while gazing at the rain through the window.

END

The traffic was terrible. It was excruciatingly wearisome to be inching forward a little bit every five minutes only. I was a mixture of worry, annoyance, boredom, and helplessness! Yet I could not do anything but drum my fingers impatiently on the steering wheel and sit there doing nothing. Eventually, I started to feel sleepy. Sometimes when I leaned on the headrest, I could feel my eyes slowly closing and my mind slowly drifting. Oops! I could not risk dozing off in the middle of this street. That would definitely not help. At that moment, I decided to just take a few deep breaths to relax myself and then I forced myself to listen to the songs on the radio. Thirty minutes later and only two blocks farther, the traffic seemed to be lighter. “Finally!” I said in relief. Right at that moment, I received a desperate-sounding message from my best friend. I’m almost there, I replied. Hold on.

Looking back, I remembered just typing and typing the words away. It was just me and my laptop in the huge faculty room. Everything was blurry. The noise, the teachers milling about, the papers on my desk, the time...everything just faded into the background. When I was done, I read my work and smiled. It didn't have to be perfect. It just had to be a composition worth reading. It just had to elicit in me the author child that had gathered dust in the depths of my being. But now I think it's beginning to stir and push its way up to the surface again. I could still write and feel the magic of language embracing me in a mist of beautiful images, powerful words, and surreal dreams. It made me feel good. Hhhmmm....guess I should be applying these writing workshops to myself more often. Write, write, write. That's the key to becoming a better writer everyday. =)