The last lesson of the year

It is the last lesson of the year in my writing unit. The students have a chance to pick their favourite piece of writing that they have done in this unit. It could be a poem, a short story, something they’d researched or a family story or an excerpt of one of these. Some found their favourite blog entry. We sit in a circle and each student reads her selection. There are memories here. Each piece that is read has its echo in each other student’s own folio. There is genuine appreciation here of others’ writing. Because I’ve read each piece they read, and some more than once, there are no surprises for me. However, this is the first time that the whole class has heard a piece from each other student. This was certainly an oversight. Next time I will definitely do this more often. After this there was a chance for the students to fill in a report from them on the teaching of this unit. And that will be the subject of another blog. But, as one student said, the public sharing of the writing was a way to see another aspect of each of these students. It was a privilege to be there.