May | 2008 | TeacherWriter

One of the wonderful things about teaching is that you have a bank of several weeks at a time to work on your writing. For me, that time is now.

I’m working on a story which until now, has gone wonderfully well. The characters are likable, the plot is funny and entertaining, and my creativity tank is full of gas. Now the deadline is looming over me, like a tree falling across my happy highway.

(Reader insert sound of brakes squealing here. Breaking glass is optional.)

I have only a few thousand words to go, and suddenly, other matters of great importance are appearing in my life. For instance, my windows desperately need cleaning. How can I write if I can’t see out my windows? I get a bucket and rags and wash all the windows in my house, inside and out. There goes one day of writing out the window. (Another thing that happens when one procrastinates is that one starts to write bad punnies.)

While working on the windows, I notice that the valances and curtains are dusty. Of course, they must be cleaned immediately.

The carpets look a bit drab and dusty as well. I hurry to the store to buy carpet cleaning solution and promptly the next morning, clean all my carpets. After which I am so tired that I can barely focus to read, let alone write. Second day of writing gone. Whoosh.

Since the school year is now over, it occurs to me that my classroom website needs revamping. It’s not a huge job, but I take my time tweaking all the minor details. As every writer knows, it’s all in the details. Okay, third day of writing successfully used up.

Why am I procrastinating so close to my deadline? What psychological trickery is my mind up to, causing me to inflict stress in my life?

I pick up a motivational writer’s book, full of quotes designed to keep one on the literary path. The first quote I read is this one attributed to Agatha Christie.

“The best time to plan a book is while you’re doing the dishes.”

Thanks, Agatha.

She’s right, you know. My sink is full of dishes that need to be put in the dishwasher. While I’m in the kitchen, I may as well look up some recipes and decide what to do for dinner.

As I plan my meals for the week, I think of even more important things to do. Pay a few bills, for instance. I may as well balance my checkbook, while I’m at it. It hasn’t been done in so long that it should kill at least two hours. Then there’s always laundry. Oh, and I just remembered that I need to critique my writing partner’s work. I’ll do that as soon as I get home from my son’s school, where I’m sure the teacher must need help with something.

I decide to stop this nonsense right now. I pick up the motivational book again and look for a better quote. This one is by John Dufresne.

“Just pick up your pen, put down a word. Any word.”

Thank you Dufresne. I think I’m back on the writing highway again.

We’re heading into the last two weeks of our school year now. The grading period is closing next week, and I’ll have eight days to keep my fifth grade class busy with academics that won’t count toward any grade.

This is the time of year for fun projects.

My students are going to jump into the world of graphic literature by designing comic books. For the highly motivated students, it may be a book of a few pages. For the lesser motivated, it may be a simple comic strip of four to eight panels.

The benefits are many. I routinely use comics and graphic novels in teaching reading and writing. It helps create better writers, because a comic strip forces them to show and not tell. Most of what is read in a comic strip is dialogue or onomatopoeia. Since the number of words in a comic strip is limited, they learn how to choose words that carry the most impact. Students learn about tight plotting, and creating satisfying endings.

First, we’ll take out our Wednesday papers and read the comics. The students love to do that, so it won’t require any coercion on my part to get them involved.

Next, we’ll discuss what makes a comic strip work. We’ll discuss action, plot, focus, and characterization.

After that, we’ll brainstorm ideas for comics. This is an essential part of writing in my class. Once the ideas start flowing around the room, most of the students come up with creative ideas of their own.

We’ll write the dialogue and action for the strips. Once that’s completed, we’ll make a storyboard. Last of all we’ll put in the dialogue bubbles. Students may color the strips or not, as they wish.

For those of you who are concerned about standards, creating comic strips meets the teaching standards in Language Arts and Visual Arts. What better way to get students engaged in learning than by doing something they love? So tell your students they can take their comic books out of hiding and celebrate this literary art form. Have fun in your closing weeks of school!