Journal, Michigan Reading

English

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Michigan Reading Journal Volume 35 Issue 2 Article 10 January 2003 Creative Writing of Michigan Teachers Michigan Reading Journal Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mrj Recommended Citation Journal, Michigan Reading (2003) "Creative Writing of Michigan Teachers," Michigan Reading Journal: Vol. 35 : Iss. 2 , Article 10. Available at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mrj/vol35/iss2/10 This Other is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Michigan Reading Journal by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact scholarworks@gvsu.edu. CREATIVE WRITING OF MICHIGAN TEACHERS Because I Cannot Sing It has always been my dream To sing, To send sweet, plaintive notes Into the void To pluck heartstrings and shiver spines. But my voice is soft and weak And quickly fades. And so I write, I gather the words, Thosetattered,used,abused Symbols of our lives I give them color, shape, A voice, New life. I weave them into morning skies And avian cries. I summon them forth: They rise from the flames of disabuse From the depths of my soul: Bright colors, soft plumage, New visions. I weave the songs my soul sings and then I let them fly To touch where they may, Sunsets or sorrow, New love, new life, new hope, Plucking heartstrings and shivering spines. I write because I cannot sing. Kristine Allen Kristine Allen is a doctoral student in reading and language arts at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Her interests include children's literature, reading and writing poetry, and science. WINTER 2003 45 CREATIVE WRITING OF MICHIGAN TEACHERS 46 My Child I've seen you before, young man, new shoes, new coat, combed hair. You are well groomed, physically. But when I ask you to write about important people in your life, you cannot. You sit there head bent, cheeks red, hands trembling. While classmates write furiously to capture the essence of humanness, you stare at one sloppy word: mom I have read your writings about this woman who abandoned you at six to live with a man in another state; this woman who called for a while and then stopped calling for the last five years. Can you write about your dad? Oh yeah -the alcoholic who lost his license and cannot drive you to the public library to get a book for English class. So you sit parentless, longing for any life but yours to come flowing. We both sit barren. I watch you and think if you were my child you would have both body and soul if you were my child I would not squander your childhood if you were my child this story would be no problem. I say, "Wait for words to come, young man," but it's not words you need. There are no words for that. J. Parrott Jill Parrott holds an MAT from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. She teaches Writing from Literature to 9th- and 10th-grade students at Port Huron Northern High School. MICHIGAN READING JOURNAL CREATIVE WRITING OF MICHIGAN TEACHERS Mother/teacher Woke up late, Oh no! It's 6:40am! Gotta hurry must leave in 30 minutes first must let dogs out get Max juice and change diaper then teethmakeuPanddress, no time for a shower! Slim Fast for breakfast again Uh-oh! Elmo's on and no kiss goodbye and barely enough gas in the tank to get me to school, but at last, I've made it and just in time to give Mr. Principal copy of lesson plans that I slaved over for 20 minutes must get coffee What? No cream? Bell rings, I smile, they grumble, Ms Cramer! Ms Cramer! What are we doing today? Do we have to? I'm bored! I'm tired! I don't feel like doing this! This is stupid! Can I have a pencil? Somebody stole my work! Ms. Cramer! Your socks don't match! Tony's bothering me! Stop it Stop it! TELL HIM TO LEAVEMEALONE! ! ! Lunchtime! Look in the mirror-yes, I'm still there so try to eat hiding behind newspaper but people keep talking to me, whyohwhy? Ms. Cramer we came to play hackysack in your room, Oops! Sorry, didn't mean to spill your water but your desk was in the way, by the way, what are we doing today? Planning period spent staring at the dry erase board with mouth hanging open. On my way home need gas, pick up milk, return overdue library books, finally home to play with son, chase son, pick up this toy that toy, feed the cat who says MEOW louder than any other on planet, let dogs out, fill water bowl, let dogs in, give each a biscuit, get Max a cookie, fold laundry and deposit in basket and leave room for a moment return to find son joyously unfolding clothing and throwing about the room ... ahhhhhhhhh! ! ! \ While refolding, spy lego under sofa and how did my dog get under there? Wait! It's not the dog! It's a giant DUST BUNNY! Panic sets in; when did I last sweep? Five days ago? Ten? Sweep, mop, clean, cats want out, dogs want in, Max wants Teletubbies are they making him retarded? Let him watch anyway. Time for dinner, make food, put squirming child into highchair, blow on food till it's edible, crawl on floor to find juice cup watch as child smears meatball into hair and feeds carrots to dog, holler "NO!" but it comes out like the wail of an orphaned, well, whale. Child wildly amused and laughs heartily, I am increasingly more frazzled: wash kid off, rinse dishes, plastic wrap, go to find child and HOLY MACKEREL he's figured out how to throw things down the toilet. Start to run tub Max throws towel in water, pull it out and try not to cry, take of his clothes, remove poop, in tub, 874 toys must be added as well as every bottle of shampoo and bubble remove son from tub he is slippery and does not want clothes on. Collapse on sofa and stare at wall with mouth hanging open and allow son to run naked for ten minutes, make milk dress child, leave room and come back to find son gleefully shaking milk bottle upside down onto sofa, dogs and self, say "No No!" and am laughed at yet again upstairs read stories brush teeth kisshugkisshug back down dogs out dogs in, refill water bowl, pluck toys from tub, pick up house, start a load of laundry, sit down and look across room at gigantic bag of schoolwork sitting on chair and want to cry. Tomorrow is only Tuesday. J. Cramer Jennifer Cramer teaches English, speech, and marketing at Avondale Academy in Auburn Hills, Michigan. She finds her work very rewarding, constantly challenging, often frustrating, hut never boring. WINTER 2003 4 7 Call for Manuscripts Winter 2004: Writing across the disciplines. (Manuscripts must be received by September 1, 2003. Electronic submissions are encouraged.) ~ A T riting is a content and also a tool. Instruction in writing helps children work in and around Y V subject matter because it helps them discover what they know and what they want to know. * How have you integrated writing instruction into the content areas? * How have your students benefited from this practice? * What tips do you have for your colleagues? * Are you concerned about the practice of assessing content-area knowledge through writing? * Have you integrated instructional practices from writing into the design, execution ,or assessment of content? We are especially interested in pieces about the research and practice of writing about math, social studies, or science. • Manuscripts should not exceed 2,500-3,000 words. • Author's name, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, e-mail address, and professional affiliation should be on a separate cover page. The author's name should not appear in the manuscript. • Three members of the editorial review board will review all manuscripts. • Manuscripts must be received by September 1, 2003. Decisions will be reached within four months for this issue. • If a manuscript is accepted for publication, its author must provide a computer disk copy of the manuscript, preferably in MS Word. • Charts, graphs, drawings, and high quality photographs pertaining to article topics will be appreciated. Photographs from a digital camera can be submitted digitally. • Send either: a) an electronic e-mail attachment; orb) six copies of the manuscript, a disk with your submission, and two self-addressed stamped envelopes to: Kathryn M. Brimmer, Editorial Assistant Michigan Reading Journal Oakland University, Department of Reading Rochester, MI 48309-4494 e-mail: kmbrimme@oakland.edu MRA Mission Statement The Michigan Reading Association is a dynamic organization whose mission is to promote literacy by enabling the varied com-munities of learners to become knowledgeable decision makers and by providing opportunities to share common and diverse interests and beliefs. 48 MICHIGAN READING JOURNAL Call for Manuscripts Spring, 2004: Developing local, global, and affective knowledge about reading (Manuscripts must be received by November 1, 2003. Electronic submissions are encouraged.) mportance of developing students' local knowledge about reading (e.g., phonological awareness; ln her discussion of balance in the reading program, Fitzgerald (1999) has talked about the word level knowledge, vocabulary knowledge), global knowledge about reading (understanding, interpretation, response, metacognitive knowledge), and affective knowledge about reading (love of reading, positive attitudes toward reading, motivation and desire to read). Please share with us the ways in which you develop these kinds of knowledge about reading in your grade level. • Manuscripts should not exceed 2,500-3,000 words. • Author's name, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, e-mail address, and professional affiliation should be on a separate cover page. The author's name should not appear in the manuscript. • Three members of the editorial review board will review all manuscripts. • Manuscripts must be received by November 1, 2003. Decisions will be reached within four months for this issue. • If a manuscript is accepted for publication, its author must provide a computer disk copy of the manuscript, preferably in MS Word. • Charts, graphs, drawings, and high quality photographs pertaining to article topics will be appreciated. Photographs from a digital camera can be submitted digitally. • Send either: a) an electronic e-mail attachment; orb) six copies of the manuscript, a disk with your submission, and two self-addressed stamped envelopes to: Kathryn M. Brimmer, Editorial Assistant Michigan Reading Journal Oakland University, Department of Reading Rochester, MI 48309-4494 e-mail: kmbrimme@oakland.edu The Michigan Reading Association shall comply with all federal laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination and with all requirements and regulations of the state of Michigan. It is the policy of the Michigan Reading Association that no candidate or applicant for a position or office in this orga-nization shall, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, creed or ancestry, age sex, marital status, or disability, be discriminated against, excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in any program or activity for which the Michigan Reading Association is responsible. The president of the Michigan Reading Association, together with the Executive Committee, shall ensure that federal and state regulations are complied with and that any complaints are dealt with promptly in accordance with the law. WINTER 2003 49 

Creative Writing of Michigan Teachers

Michigan Reading Journal Volume 35 Issue 4 Article 9 July 2003 Creative Writing of Michigan Teachers Michigan Reading Journal Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mrj Recommended Citation Journal, Michigan Reading (2003) "Creative Writing of Michigan Teachers," Michigan Reading Journal: Vol. 35 : Iss. 4 , Article 9. Available at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mrj/vol35/iss4/9 This Other is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Michigan Reading Journal by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact scholarworks@gvsu.edu. CREATIVE WRITING OF MICHIGAN TEACHERS 52 Looking Back BY BEVERLEY J. DINNALL Was it that long ago that we Roamed the pastures, Collecting naseberry, sweetsops and golden mangoes* Then growing tired of this we would Foolishly frolic like fluttering fruit flies? Was it that long ago that we Crawled up hills like overload 'cane trucks Wishing for a glimpse of the Flickering flames of the factory's fire? No, it was not long ago that we Mounted those hills eagerly to school and to church. First to feed the brain and then the soul. Oh yes! Friends, foe and family made that tedious climb. It was not long ago that the Heavy May showers pounded our roofs like Fleeting fingers beating Congo drums, or when one Flash of lightning sent us scampering beneath our beds. Certainly it was not that long ago, and so I Fondly recall how delightful it was For us friends to make a muddy mess, As we walked splish-splash, splish-splash in muddy pools of water. "Good old days" I call them and Quickly they did pass. For sure I do miss them, but I Could not stay with them, neither could they forever re-main. *Naseberry is a small round edible fruit with brown skin and sweet yellow pulp that grows on a sapodilla tree in the Caribbean, Mexic~, and Central America. Sweetsops or sugar apple is the fruit of the sweetsop ~vergreen shrub. It has a hard green rind and a sweet, edible pulp. Mango 1s the green or red fruit of the mango tree. It has a juicy, sweet orange-yellow pulp. THE WONDER OF IT ALL BY BEVERLEY J. DINNALL Sleeping trees awaiting Spring's rebirth awakened by the icy touch of the Frigid freezing rain and Become transformed into a winter wonderland. Evergreens sparkle in Snow dust as they Stand in majestic splendor, In gleaming glacial enchanted forests. Oh, Mother Nature, as you Proudly display Your brilliant artistry, you gently remind Mere mortals of their inadequacies. Icicles like chandeliers and chimes ' Icicles wreaking havoc and commanding attention, Icicles like dainty dazzling diamonds, and yes, Icicles on trees symbolizing impermanence. Beverley J. Dinnall taught/or a number of years in the Jamaican secondary school system, but for the past 6 years she has been working as a first-grade teacher at St. Richard's Primary School in Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica. Her school is a government-aided Roman Catholic school, and she is one of three grade-1 t~achers .. Beverley holds a bachelor's degree from the University of the West Indies and is currently completing a master's in reading and language arts at Oakland University. She was inspired to write "The Wonder of It All" during Oakland County's April ice storm. MICHIGAN READING JOURNAL ._. • Michigan Call for Program Proposal Michigan Reading Association, an affiliate of the International Reading Association, invites you to submit a program proposal for the Reading Association 48th Annual Michigan Reading Association Conference A MIChiganNonprofitCorpo,at>on MRA 2004: Growing Readers and Writers Saturday, March 20 through Tuesday, March 23, 2004 Detroit Cobo Hall and Cobo Arena Detroit, Michigan Proposals must be postmarked no later than September 15, 2003. The Program Committee will consider all proposals submitted by the due date. Notification of the committee's decision will be sent no later than November 15, 2003. The person submitting the proposal is responsible for notifying co-presenters of the Program Committee's decision. Program presenters do not receive honoraria or reimbursement for travel, hotel or related expenses. All presenters and co-presenters must register and pay for the conference. Overhead project and screen will be provided. Handouts and any additional A/V equipment will be the responsibility of the presenters. Please submit a separate form for each proposal. Factors that tend to enhance a proposal: Factors that tend to disqualify a proposal: • specific and descriptive program abstract • promotion of commercial material or programs • relevance and interest to proposed audience • content unrelated to reading or literacy • clarity, conciseness and coherence of proposal • failure to complete the proposal according to guidelines • thoroughness of planning and preparation • relevance to conference strands I. Person submitting Proposal: Dr. Ms. Mr. First Name Last Name Institution/District: _____________ _ Position: _______________ _ Address: _____________________________________ _ City State Zip Day Phone Evening Phone: Fax: Email : II. Co-Presenters: (if needed type additional presenters on separate sheet of paper) Name: ______________________________________ _ Institution/District: ______________ Position: ----------------Name: Institution/District: ____________ _ Position: -----------------(Continued other side) SUMMER 2003 - VoL. 35, No. 4 53 III. Topic Area: (check no more than three) _Adolescent Literacy _Adult Literacy _Comprehension _Content Area Literacy _Curriculum Development _Differentiated Instruction _Diversity _Early Childhood Literacy _ELL V. Check one in each category: _Family Literacy _Fluency _Newspaper in Education _No Child Left Behind _Phonics, Word Recognition _Reading/Learning Disabilities _Research-Based Practice _Technology _Title 1 _Writing Session Time: Audience Size: Day Preference: _Sat _50 minutes _0-50 110 minutes _50-100 _Institute (3 hours) 100-200 _Sun _Mon _Tues IV. Of Interest to: _Pre-School/Kindergarten _Primary Grades _Intermediate Grades _Middle School _High School _Adult Educators _Parents _Teacher Educators _Administrators _Title 1 Educators _Special Educators _Researchers Willing to Repeat: _Consecutive time slots _Same day, NOT consecutive time slots _Different Day VI. Preferred Room Arrangement: _Theater _Classroom _Rounds On a separate paper in 250 words or less type: VII. Title of presentation and names of presenters VIII. Presentation abstract for program (60 words or less) IX. Presentation Objectives I understand that MRA does not provide honoraria or expenses. All presenters and co-presenters for this session will register and pay for the conference, Signed ______________________ _ 54 For Office Use Only: Date Received ______ _ Submit completed proposal to: Michigan Reading Association 668 Three Mile Road NW, Suite C Grand Rapids, MI 49544 Tel 800-672-7323 Reviewed By Action: - A - R - A-Q Date: Time:------- Room: _____ Capacity: Date: Time: Room: ----- Capacity: MICHIGAN READING JoURNAL Call for Manuscripts Spring 2004: Developing local, global, and affective knowledge about reading (Manuscripts must be received by November 1, 2003. Electronic submissions are encouraged.) 1n her discussion of balance in the reading program, Fitzgerald (1999) has talked about the importance of developing students' local knowledge about reading ( e.g., phonological awareness; word level knowledge, vocabulary knowledge), global knowledge about reading (understanding, interpretation, response, metacognitive knowledge), and affective knowledge about reading (love of reading, positive attitudes toward reading, motivation and desire to read). Please share with us the ways in which you develop these kinds of knowledge about reading in your grade level. • Manuscripts should not exceed 2,500-3,000 words. • Author's name, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, e-mail address, and professional affiliation should be on a separate cover page. The author's name should not appear in the manuscript. • Three members of the editorial review board will review all manuscripts. • Manuscripts must be received by November 1, 2003. Decisions will be reached within four months for this issue. • If a manuscript is accepted for publication, its author must provide a computer disk copy of the manuscript, preferably in MS Word. • Charts, graphs, drawings, and high quality photographs pertaining to article topics will be appreciated. Photographs from a digital camera can be submitted digitally. • Send either: a) an electronic e-mail attachment; orb) six copies of the manuscript, a disk with your submission, and two self-addressed stamped envelopes to: Linda Pavonetti, Co-editor Michigan Reading Journal Oakland University, Department of Reading Rochester, MI 48309-4494 e-mail: pavonett@oakland.edu SuMMER 2003 - VoL. 35, No. 4 55 

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Creative Writing of Michigan Teachers

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