Over the course of my twenty-year career, I’ve always given my seniors a gift on their last day of school.
One year I literally purchased a star and named it after our imaginary AP Literature mascot.
On another year, I hired an artist to make a paper-mache toilet bowl for the incoming class so that they could flush their bad writing (inside joke).
This year … I took 78 students out for ice cream.
Ordinarily, I have breakfast feasts on Harkness Discussion days and pizza parties on days that feel like they should be pizza party days, but Covid prevented me from doing these types of things this year.
David, perhaps one of most challenging students of all-time, wanted to share a few words with me:
“You know something, Mr. Kuhn – you never gave up on me. Thanks for that.”
And Samantha, a writer who struggled but gave her all said – “I’m super prepared for college. Thank you.”
The ice cream parlor is right on the banks of the Erie Canal … and little did I know that my students had something up their sleeve.
Sports coaches get a Gatorade bath after winning a championship.
I got heaved into the canal.
“For pounding the syllogistic method into our heads … for making us write our tails off … for ensuring that we’re all prepared for what’s next …”
Splash!
That’s the kind of baptism I’ll never forget
.
I carefully created a classroom of writers and we grew into a family this year.
I am confident that they’ll all do well in college if they stick to the basics – declare or invert the thesis … crank out the body paragraphs syllogistically … voice/rhythm/flow/nuance.
Works like magic every time.
If you want to swim in the waters with me, join me for my Masterclass which will begin on June 13th.
Here's my webpage for more information:
www.teachinghow2write.com
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