Self-Reflection

What does it mean to be self-reflective?

Here is one explanation:

"Take a moment to think about what this sentence on self reflection means for you.

It is talking about how we perceive ourselves and our surroundings - how we fail to see that life reflects us back to ourselves.
Because we keep on looking out the windows, many of us take forever to realize that we are looking at ourselves mirrored back to us by others and by the events of our life.
This saying about self reflection helps us to become empowered.
If we see that our negative feelings towards others are reflecting back to ourselves our own sense of negativity then we can do something to help ourselves forward. By continuously looking out the window and putting the 'blame' on others we fail to utilize all the power in the moment.

Changing our perception of the problem by seeing the reality as it is reflected by us and to us, brings empowerment, change, discovery and consciousness.
As we learn to look for that reflection in the mirror rather than to project our senses outwards we gain a sense of responsibility for our own lives. Our authentic self begins to shine through." 

I believe self-reflection is essential for coming to know oneself.  Writers are typically very self-reflective people--people seeking to know themselves and usually through that self-knowledge make a difference in other's lives.  

Today I'm going to ask you to self-reflect.  Who are you?  Imagine you are describing yourself to someone who has no knowledge of you whatsoever.  How do you describe yourself to that person in just a couple of pages?  What defines you as YOU?  The more seriously you take this assignment the more rewarding.  You will have the opportunity to add to this reflection throughout the semester as you reflect more.  By the end of the semester, this will be the most significant piece you produce.  A piece I want you to have to reflect upon as you grow older.   


Who we are looking for is who is looking ~St. Francis of Assisi

Recipe Project

Using our descriptive writing powers, we will create a class recipe book. For this assignment, you will:

1.  Pick a family recipe that you've enjoyed over the years.
2.  Re-write it using descriptive adjectives.  List the ingredients descriptively.
3.  Then very clearly but descriptively include a set of directions for how to make the recipe.  You don't need to "overdo" the number of adjectives.  Use just enough to get the makers mouth watering!!

Next, make the recipe and take photographs of the process that way you can include visuals with the steps. Design your recipe page(s) to be visually pleasing and easy to read.  All of your recipes will be laminated be made into a book so that each of us can have a copy of the recipes.

On the day that the books are given to you, you will bring the food and we'll share in a great feast!

Journals to improve sentences!

Food Journal:
Pick 3 foods. For each one, write a sentence that describes the food in such a way that makes it sound awful.
[For example: Food=Potato chips: 
The dripping grease of the chips sat in my stomach like a glob ofplaydough.]

Desert Journal:
Write a mouth-watering description of your favorite dessert.
[For example, Chocolate Layer Cake has Moist but fluffy layers joined together with thick, rich icing.

Menu Journal:  
Write the menu for your ideal meal. Use at least one adjective for each food.
[For example: Tossed salad with ranch dressing; Stuffed baked potato with sour cream on the side; Hot garlic bread; Baked chicken with mushroom sauce; Steamed, buttered asparagus; Chocolate cheesecake; Frothy hot chocolate]


Source: http://smallworldathome.blogspot.com/2009/01/smallworlds-wordsmithery-powerful-words.html

Sentence Stretching

We've talked about words.  Now let's talk about sentences.  In first grade, you probably wrote sentences like, "The cat ran up the stairs."  Now your English teachers expect you to write far more complex sentences filled with description and layered in with phrases and clauses.

Today we're going to practice stretching simple sentences to make them more detailed, vivid and specific.  Let's bring these sentences to life!

1.  The woman cooked dinner.

2.  He painted a landscape.

3.  The garden was blooming with flowers.

4.  The man went to the big city.

5.  We traveled during summer vacation.

Ask yourself questions:  Who?  What? When? Where? Why?  What do these details look like?  Taste like? Smell like?  Feel like?  Sound like?

Synonyms and Adjectives

I. SYNONYMS and ADJECTIVES  

A. Synonyms1. What is a synonym? Why are synonyms important?
2. If you can't think of a synonym, where is a good place to look? 

B. What is an adjective?
1. Write these three phrases in your notes: Clean towel. Dirty towel. Smelly towel.  Create a chart with three columns (one for each).
2. Let's think about synonyms for these words.   What tool can you use to help you?


Turn to page 63 in Hesse's Out of the Dust and read her descriptions of the dust, sand, and grit.  How do you feel?  What words does she use that help you place yourself their with her?


Read the following poem and think about the adjectives used.  For homework, find a poem that you enjoy that you believe uses effective adjectives.  Bring it to class tomorrow to share with your peers.  You will be writing your own in class next time!


Blood-Curdling Story

That story is creepy,
It's waily, it's weepy,
It's screechy and screamy
Right up to the end.
It's spooky, it's crawly,
It's grizzly, it's gory,
It's the awfulest story
(Please tell it again.)


~Shel Silverstein 


Source: http://smallworldathome.blogspot.com/2009/01/smallworlds-wordsmithery-powerful-words.html

Parts of Speech

To be a good writer, you do need to know the fundamentals.  A basic understanding of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs is crucial for making those WORDS we talked about more specific, more alive, more vivid.

* Noun (A noun is the name of a person, place, thing or idea.)
* Verb (A verb is a word that does an action, shows a state of being, links 2 words together, or helps another word.)  CREATIVE WRITERS TRY TO USE AS MANY ACTION VERBS AS POSSIBLE SO THAT YOU CAN VISUALIZE THEM!!
* Adjective: (a word that describes a noun or another adjective.)* Adverb: (an adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Words ending in LY are adverbs.)

EXERCISE:


In your journal, come up with as many nouns as you can that start with the letter "W."
Come up with as many verbs that start with the letter "M"
Come up with as many adjectives that start with the letter "J"
Come up with as many adverbs as the letter "L"


For fun:  try to make a fun sentence out of the words you came up with!


SOURCE: http://smallworldathome.blogspot.com/2009/01/smallworlds-wordsmithery-good-words.html

Words! Words! Words!

What is writing without words?  Words are gifts to us which give us the incredible ability to communicate with others.  The more words we know, the better at communicating we will get.  The more limited our vocabularies, the less nuanced our ideas will be, and without nuance and subtlety it is hard to get people to understand who we our at our depth, our core.

Sometimes when I want to remember a feeling or an emotion I experienced at a particular time in my life, I look to my journals because the memories are not enough.  The words I put to those memories help bring back the details.  What a tremendous power words have to change our lives!


Exercise One:  What are some words that you enjoy?  Pick words that you like the sound of, words that provide clear images to you.  See how many words you can come up with.

Exercise Two:  Read the following poem entitled "The Jabberwocky," by Lewis Carroll, out loud:  http://www.jabberwocky.com/carroll/jabber/jabberwocky.html

Reflection Questions:

1.  What did you think about that poem? 
2.  What were some words that jumped out at you? 
3.  Did you realize that lots of those words weren't even real words, but ones that he made up?  Why do you think this poem is so famous despite its lack of "real words"? (For "definitions" of the made-up words, check out this Wikipediaarticle.)




Now, you will become a words smith!  Write a poem in which you make up your own words!  Even though you are making up a word, you should be fully aware of what it means, and if you do a good job, readers should be able to intuitively know what you mean by the word because of the context you create for it.  Finish it and bring it to class next time.  Be ready to share your work.


Fun Fact:  Neologisms are words that have been "made up" by someone but are becoming part of the language. They have not been officially adopted yet, but enough people use them that they are recognizable.  Let's see if you can create some!!


Source:  http://smallworldathome.blogspot.com/2009/01/smallworlds-wordsmithery-good-words.html

Journal #2

Books!


The greatest writers are also typically the greatest readers.  We do not gain great vocabularies or even great ideas all on our own.  Writers read so we are going to talk about some of our favorite writers!

My favorite books include The Count of Monte Cristo, Pride & Prejudice, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Personal Discussion
1. What kind of books do you like best?  Why?


2.  Who are some of your favorite authors? What do you like about their books?


3.  Have you seen any plays? Do you realize that plays are written by someone? What about nursery rhymes? Do you realize that nursery rhymes are a kind of poetry?


4.  What was your favorite children's story?  Why?  Was it read to you by someone in your family or by a teacher?  Did you like the pictures found in the story?  Bring it in to share with the class!!


Source: http://smallworldathome.blogspot.com/2009/01/smallworlds-wordsmithery-good-words.html

Introduction to Creative Writing

Please answer the following questions in your journal & be prepared to share during class.


1.  What is creative writing?
2.  What are different kinds of writing? Why is creative writing different from research papers, for example?
3. Name some kinds of creative writing.
4. What are some specific types of fiction?
5. What are some types of nonfiction? 
6. What is your favorite genre of creative writing?  For instance, I love historical fiction and mysteries.


Source: http://smallworldathome.blogspot.com/2009/01/smallworlds-wordsmithery-good-words.html

Get a journal!

The key to becoming a good writer is to take the time to practice the art of writing!  Today so few students take the time necessary to actually improve as writers.  We want a "quick fix" to everything whether it's our electronics, the work we produce, or even sometimes our relationships.  Attention to detail, craftsmanship, has been, largely, lost in our civilization.  Food is fast, microwavable, and clothes are thrown out at the sign of a loose thread.  And between our computers, iPhones, iPods, radios, television and video and computer games, who has time to reflect, re-write, and redo anything.

I am always astounded when I hear a student say that he or she spent fifteen minutes writing a paragraph only to find out that it is "D" or "F" work.  They seem shocked.  Writing, to many, has been reduced to fragments, quick broken sentences via text messages.   "I <3 u" replaces the romantic love notes so treasured by couples in love in previous centuries who wrote each other five page long letters detailing their thoughts to one another.

Recently I gave students an assignment to write themselves a letter and then enclose it in a self-addressed, stamped envelope.  One student said he had never written a letter before, or at least not a real one--only ones for school that were never actually sent.  Over half the class did not know how to address their envelopes!  And still a third student did not realize that you had to lick the envelope to seal it!  Writing, pen to paper, is almost completely a lost art as everything has become digitalized.  But with digitalization often comes that lack of reflection.  Spell check quickly fixes errors, and when students can type 50 words per minute, it is no wonder that they hardly take the time to consider their choice of words or whether or not the way they are phrasing something actually makes sense.

And that is why I am asking you to get a journal--with paper!  I want you to be able to feel the page and see your handwriting.  I want you to personalize your journal.  It can be big or small, fat or skinny.  You can illustrate the cover or purchase one with a cover you like.  You can cover it in quotes that you like or images that strike you.  Make it yours because for the next few months it will become your friend.  I hope the experience will make you life long keepers of a journal and through that, reflective people who realize that rushing is not always what leads to a joyful experience of life.

Have you ever kept a journal before?  Why or why not?  Do you look forward to keeping one?  Explain.