Name:
Location: St. Vincent & Grenadines

You were driving home in the dark on one glass-slippered heel, window sliced open and bathing in the snowliquor of the night air. We heard you singing, and couldn't bear to wake you.

11 June 2005

The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls.

Today is the first day of summer vacation.

It's not the number one reason I decided to be a teacher, but I'll be honest: it's up there. What other profession allows you three months a year to relax and recharge your batteries? Pretty sweet, dude.

Today I slept hella in. I hella slept in. I slept in hella. Then I went grocery shopping. Then I ate some food and just kicked it with my shorty for a while. Then I watched a little Wizzest Wizzing. Then I ate some more food. Despite this hard core schedule, I have enough energy left over to post an entry to my blog.

In the last couple of weeks of school, having finished the textbook I was mandated to teach, I reverted to the writing workshop format that I had instituted back in the fall. For the final, I asked my students to submit a piece of writing. No requirements as to subject matter or length; I asked only that it be a complete piece of writing, with a clear beginning and end; that it go through at least one peer-editing session and a solid revision; and that it be something each student was proud of. I told them I would grade on spelling and neatness, so that they'd really try to make it good, but the truth is that I was just looking for progress and effort. They got a good grade if I observed them working hard at it, if it was legible, and if it demonstrated an improvement over earlier drafts.

Below are links to some of my favorite final pieces. I've left all spelling and formatting errors as they were when they came to me, for the sake of authenticity. The pieces below are ones that showed a spark of originality. They range from the tragic to the disgusting, and offer little windows on some varieties of the preteen Latino experience in my neck of the woods. Some names have been changed.

Look Through My Eyes

A Sureño Life!

North South Fight

Problems

The Camp

Don't Enter the Basement

My Dog Diarrhea

Street Soldier

I Love

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