My fifth graders finished their composition examination today. Cue huge sighs of relief. Well, I don’t know if they would do well or not, but I have given it my best shot.
I am enough.
Anyway, this preparation process made me realise just how hard it is for kids to enliven their writing with Show not Tell phrases. They are action beings, always on the move, ever ready to expend their energy. To get them to pause and think about the human condition might be a travesty against their developmental stages.
But, of course, this English teacher must persevere, not least because preparing them for the national exam is his job. If kids become more attuned to the body language and facial expressions of others, even through fictional writing, they would be more inclined to be more empathetic towards others.
In order to have these kiddos have a fighting chance for their exam, I focused on something familiar: the heart. Thus, I tried to get them to remember these phrases as part of their repertoire.
My heart sang/soared.
My heart sank.
My heart swelled with pride.
But, telling them these phrases is one thing. Getting them to apply this method in their writing is another. I venture it’s because out of sight, out of mind. They don’t see their own heart. How will they be prompted to think about how it feels? It’s not like we walk around, wearing our hearts on our sleeves.
Perhaps, I need to integrate mindfulness exercises into my lessons so that these young minds get sufficient practice, slowing down and paying attention to the affairs of the heart.
Only then will these more sophisticated SNT phrases resonate with them:
tugged at his heartstrings
a joyous sound that echoed in her heart
Just some authentic thoughts from the bottom of my heart.