Grandma’s Hands Taught Me How to Write

Sitting at my grandmother’s feet watching her write in her small journal is what I remember most about her.  She left this world on August 3, 2016 at 9:30 AM.  I found out at 10:03.

All I’ve been able to think about is her sitting in her brown or green recliner, picking up her small notebook from a flowery decorated tray table sitting on the left side of the recliner, and writing something in it.  She never wrote for a long time, though.  It always seemed to be no more than one or two sentences.  That is the memory that I see when I think of my grandmother.

She’s the first person I saw write.  She’s the first image I have of someone putting pen to a piece of paper and writing something on it.  That’s why I began journaling… because I saw my grandmother, Bertha Allen do it.  She was my introduction to writing.

I have writing in my DNA.  I was blessed with the gift on my father’s side as well.  He’s a writer.  Funny thing is… my father likes to cook, too.  The boys, my two brothers got the cooking gene, and my sister and I got the writing gene.  I laugh every time I think about that.

I have been writing since I was nine years old, when I wrote a poem for an Easter program at my church.  After that, I began writing almost every day.  I always had a pen and some paper, usually a small notebook like my grandmother had on her tray table, in my hand.  Jotting down and observing the things around me became a quotidian task.  I know I got on people’s nerves.

I still love to write today.  I still get excited when I get an idea for a story or poem.  I still get emotional when I experience the emotion of one of my characters.  I still feel a sense of pride when someone says they enjoyed my writing.  I laugh as I read an old story, poem, or essay I wrote.  Looking at my writing portfolio gives me pleasure, as I reflect on the skills I have learned over the years.  I get a moment of joy when I complete a writing job.

I’m a writer because God gave me that talent.  But, my grandmother is the person who opened my eyes to the gift that I had inside.  She started me on my path as a writer.

Prayerfully, one day, I can do the same for some young writer.

Why Creating Writers...

Here's why I call my blog Creating Writers One Semester @ a Time.  It's from my Teaching Philosophy.

"I want my students to know that I am a writer and that they are being taught by a writer. I want my students to know that I struggle at times with writing and that I have had to work my way through a writing task. I want them to know that I get writer’s block, don’t feel like writing at times, and sometimes dislike the writing tasks that I have been assigned.

Most importantly, I want to teach my students that they can be better writers by writing more. I feel that if your students know that you have experienced what they are experiencing, then they will believe in you more and be more willing to hear what you have to say."

When a student walks into my class, they are writers.  When they leave my class, they have a different view of writing, usually, a more positive one.

Posting Writings

I will be posting various writings that I do based on the assignments I give my Composition students.  I've always wanted to write the essays assignments that I give my students, but never seemed to take the time to do it, so, here's my opportunity.

It should be fascinating.  I wonder what grade I would give myself. :)

In-Class Essays

Each class meeting, I have my ENGL1301 students write an essay at the beginning of class.  It’s either a prompt essay or an explanatory quote essay (an essay based on a quote).  I decided to write each essay as well, and post them to my blog.

Welcome to My Blog

I've asked by Freshman English Composition students at Collin College to create and maintain a blog this semester.  I decided to posts just like I ask them to do.  It should be interesting because I will be posting to two other blogs.  My teaching adventure blog and my Technical Writing Blog.
#girlyoubeblogging