When Erin was in the fourth grade and we were living in Hawaii, I asked her teacher, Miss Kinch (rhymes with Grinch), if I could guest teach a class in creative writing, specifically figurative language. For some reason I just got it in my head that by sharing my love of language, I might inspire the kids to enjoy it in turn.
For some reason I just got it in my head that by sharing my love of language, I might inspire the kids to enjoy it in turn.
True to form, I planned the lesson obsessively.
I brought a huge cardboard box to class and placed it on the floor next to me. That piqued their curiosity right off.
I talked briefly about metaphor, simile, and personification, reading aloud examples from a selection of Dr. Seuss books I’d brought and tagged with yellow Post-its. For example:
Metaphor: “You’re a bad banana, with a greasy black peel!” (The Grinch)
Simile: “Ahaha! To the top of Mount Nool, as fast as lightning, away I go!” (Horton Hears a Who)
Personification: “Then the big machine roared…” (The Sneetches)
Then I focused on two types of figurative language that are fun to say, fun to hear, and fun to write: onomatopoeia and alliteration.
I explained that onomatopoeia refers to words that sound like sounds, sounds made by superheroes you see at the movies and in comic books — POW! and BAM! — and animals — the HISSS of a snake, the WHOO-WHOO of an owl — at which point I asked them to join me in singing Old MacDonald — ”…with a MOO-MOO here and a MOO-MOO there…” and, well, that got a little raucous.
Then I talked about alliteration and rattled off a couple tongue twisters as examples — She Sells Seashells… and Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers… — reciting them as fast as I could which brought a lot of laughs and goofy imitations. Again, a little raucous, but they were kids and I really did want them to have fun. And then I pressed PLAY on my boom box and, voilá, a song I figured they’d heard many times but not really paid much attention to:
Finally, I gave each student a chance to spend a minute or two inside the box with the flaps loosely closed. And then I gave them a homework assignment: Write about how it felt to be in the box using as much figurative language as you can, maybe even write a short poem. I assured them it didn’t even have to make sense, to just let their imaginations run wild. And then I made one up on the spot and recited it in a sing-song voice so they realized it could be fun and silly and something they could do, too. Not exactly Wordsworth, but oddly enough, I still remember it:
“Curled up in a carton like a cat
I could hear my heart thum-thum
Snug as a bug in a rug
I almost fell asleep ho-hum.”
Lots of fun! I wonder if any of them became writers or poets — and maybe even remember their volunteer teacher that day.
Barbara BucklesArtist, writer, storyteller, spy. Okay, not a spy…I was just going for the rhythm.
I call myself “an inveterate dabbler.” (And my husband calls me “an invertebrate babbler.”) I just love to create one way or another. My latest passion is telling true stories live, on stage. Because it scares the hell out of me.
As a memoirist, I focus on the undercurrents. Drawing from memory, diaries, notes, letters and photographs, I never ever lie, but I do claim creative license when fleshing out actual events in order to enhance the literary quality, i.e., what I might have been wearing, what might have been on the table, what season it might have been. By virtue of its genre, memoir also adds a patina of introspection and insight that most probably did not exist in real time.
Simply marvelous, Barb. I want you to come volunteer to teach me! What fun we could have together.
Did the kids enjoy the assignment and let loose? Or were they self-conscious and constrained? Or some of each?
Thanks, Betsy! As I recall, the kids really enjoyed the class, but I have no idea if they enjoyed or even completed the assignment because there wasn’t any followup. It was really just for the fun of it.
I’m sure they remembered you, Barb. So creative. Loved that you used Helpless Hoping by Crosby, Stills, & Nash to teach alliteration, as well as Dr. Seuss for other examples of figurative language. When I taught HS English, I often used mimeographed sheets of song lyrics to teach elements of poetry. Simon and Garfunkel worked well for this.
I can just smell those mimeographed sheets, Laurie…and S&G were a wonderful choice for teaching poetry to kids! “I’d rather be a forest than a street, yes I would, if I only could, I’d rather feel the earth beneath my feet.”
Wow! Best volunteer or sub teacher ever (what I would have said if I was in that class)! As an educator (and a teacher educator) I really appreciate how much depth you brought to constructing the various steps of your plan, and I especially admire that you let the kids out of their seats and incorporated multiple intelligences: linguistic, musical, intrapersonal, visual-spatial, and kinesthetic.
P.S. You had a more mature view than I would have of what recording artists they could relate to in fifth grade–both in style and substance, that Crosby, Stills & Nash cut (no Young, right?) was VERY sophisticated. Then again you’re a big city gal whereas I’m from Hoosier land.
Thanks, Dale…you have all the right words for what I did purely by instinct, and now I feel even better about it!
As for CSN — and you are correct, no Y — I assumed they’d probably heard it on the radio or stereo at home when their parents listened to it. It’s a catchy tune I like to think they might have even hummed along with or mumbled the words to without even thinking about it.
Barb, this was such a creative and approachable way to teach language to children and convey the joy! I’m sure it made an impression on some. It’s always distressed me that teachers, especially in middle and high school, strip all the joy out of reading. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tutored professionals who hate Shakespeare because of this. They are flummoxed when I use his sonnets and other poetry to teach them about writing and language structure and ways to use the information to improve their prose for business purposes.
Thanks, Mare. I feel the same way about so many subjects that teachers taught without any flair or sense of excitement (especially history). I would LOVE to have you teach ME about writing and language structure using Shakespeare!
You know Bebe, they just might!!!
Barb, you are incredible! I would have loved to have a teacher like you, even for just one day! So imaginative! “Helplessly Hoping” is one of my favorite songs – my college roommate and I used to walk around campus singing it in harmony, trying with our two voices to sing all three parts. The lyrics are such a delicious example of alliteration. Thanks for the fabulous earworm. I hope you will teach me how to do a short clip like that.
Thanks, Suzy! I’d love to show you (and anyone else that’s interested) how to do a short clip any time!