I know it’s supposed to be the kids having fun (and of course, learning!) when I do a school visit, but I must say I MAY HAVE HAD THE MOST OF ALL at today’s visit to St. Matthew’s Elementary School in St. John’s, Nfld and Labrador.
I’m in town for Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Book Week – and I was lucky enough to be picked to come to Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s my first time here and I feel like I fit right in! People are open and funny and they love stories!
Also they’re super friendly. To prove that point, I’ll begin by explaining how I made a friend named Caroline on Saturday morning – she’s a writer working in the film industry – and she CAME WITH ME TO ST. MATTHEW’S THIS MORNING and afterwards we went out for a yummy lunch at Bidgood’s Supermarket, where I bought FLIPPER PIE to bring home to my neighbours in Montreal. (I will have to try a slice before I give it to them!! haha!!)
Okay, time to tell you about the kids at St. Matthew’s. I worked with three Grade Five classes, so about 60 kids in all. A group that large could be hard to manage, but these kids were WONDERFUL. I never had to shush them even once! And they had so many questions, it’s a miracle I got to share my writing tips (I did, being somewhat of a miracle worker!!) and have them do a writing exercise.
How about for today’s blog entry, I share some of their amazing questions with you?
Matilda, an enthusiastic student sitting in the front row, wanted to know, “How many sheets will we need?” (The answer was one – one side for my tips; the other side for the writing exercise.)
When I showed the students my journal and explained that for more than 30 years I’ve been writing three pages a day every morning, Olivia asked, “How do you pick out what you write?” (I explained that it’s as if my subjects PICK ME! I write about whatever I’m thinking about, or grappling with, or have observed, or dreamt about… you get the idea!)
Cooper asked, “What if you can read really well, but you can’t write?” (I explained that if you’re a good reader you are halfway there to being a good writer. We can ALL write. You just have to make writing a HABIT – one of the tips I shared with the students.)
Jack asked, “What would happen if you’re not good at reading?” (My answer is that some kids need more support to help them with their reading. I happen to know a lot of kids – and even some adults -- like that. And it also helps to find the RIGHT BOOK. Which is one of the many ways librarians come in VERY HANDY. Ask your teacher or librarian for book recommendations! I told Jack to try reading some books by Heather Smith, who comes from Newfoundland – but now lives in Ontario -- and is one of my favourite writers!)
Grace (hey, it was Grace’s birthday, and at the end of my visit, I sang her Happy Birthday in Dutch – I need to mention that the Dutch version of Happy Birthday ends with “Hip Hip Hoorah” repeated three times – this information will be important at the end of today’s blog entry!)… so Grace asked, “What do you do when you’re stuck and you have no more ideas?” (I answered that I almost always have ideas – keeping a journal helps with that – but that when I do get stuck in my writing, I just KEEP WRITING, even if it’s only to complain. For instance, I might write, “I need a good idea NOW! This story is not going very well today and I feel upset with myself.” Of course, I delete all this before I hand it in to my publisher!!)
Here comes my favourite question of all, perhaps because it was delivered in such a delightful way. It came from a student named Emmanuel, who asked, “Is it possible I can become a writer? I am a really big writer. I know how to spell. I know how to make up ideas. I can write! I can draw! But my problem is – ” Emmanuel paused here to catch his breath and perhaps also for dramatic effect “—my problem is MY HANDWRITING!”
I assured Emmanuel that he can DEFINITELY BECOME A WRITER. In fact, just from the beautiful (and rather dramatic way) he asked his question, I decided he is ALREADY a writer! So get to it, Emmanuel! Follow those tips I shared with you today and WRITE! Same goes for the 59 or so other wonderful students I met today.
There were even more kids who had questions, but I couldn’t get to them all! So as I suggested to the kids, post your questions in the comment section here and I promise to answer every single one.
Thanks to the CCBC for making today’s visit possible; thanks to librarian-teacher Ms. Mayo for organizing everything and welcoming me to your library; thanks to Miss Morgan, Mr. Barry and Mr. Taylor for sharing your students with me – and for being part of such a fun audience. Thanks to the kids for being THE BEST.
And I have one last thing to tell you. When I left, the kids shouted Hip Hip Hoorah! for me three times (Mr. Barry may have been behind this scheme!). This has never happened to me before (except on my birthday!). I will never EVER forget today’s visit to St. Matthew’s School!