This final closure clip shows me reading Alexie's work so far. He did not want to read it, so he gave me permission.
This is a good example of how I try to use the closure time to boost the confidence of shy writers. Alexie did not want to share, so I gave him the option of letting me read it. I wanted him to get some positive feedback so that he would feel good about his writing. I also was hoping that some students would help him to take his topic to a deeper level of significance. Unfortunately, the interruption of the bells caused us to rush through it a little too quickly.
| TEACHER: | He went back to something he wrote about before. He's still trying to decide his topic and he went to something way back here. After all this writing, he's writing all these great stories and stuff and he still kind of going back to this. And he wants me to read it and then I want you to help him a little bit with the significance. I want you to see if you could help him a little to decide his significance. He says "I - what's that?" |
| TEACHER: |
That's okay. And that's why we're reading it to him so to see if he can help you a little bit with it. "I collect cars because I like them. They open things like the trunk or doors. When I grow up I want a Ferrari F50 or a Viper GTS or a Mustang GT or a Lamborghini or a Corvette or a Lexus GT or an 1800 Honda PTS," is that right, "or a Porsche 911 Turbo or a Mercedes or a Cobra. And if I'm rich I would ride in my limousine all day. I love cars because they are very cool."
So he has this passion for these cars, okay. And what do you think he's done well? What's a compliment you can give him about his writing so far? Somebody have a compliment for him? |
| STUDENT: | He wrote out all his favorite cars. |
| [A loud background noise makes it difficult to hear part of this] | |
| TEACHER: | So, you said he did a good job of listing his cars, listing his collection. Now he needs to get to the significance - thank you - [noise starts again] |
| [Laughter] | |
| TEACHER: | I shouldn't have said thank you. |
| CHILDREN: | Thank you. |
| [Noise starts again and all laugh] | |
| STUDENT: | Mr. White? |
| [All say thank you] | |
| TEACHER: | Okay - |
| CHILDREN: | Thank you. |
| TEACHER | Thank you. |
| STUDENT: | Very much. |
| TEACHER: | So the one thing that Alexi and I talked about - |
| [Noise starts again and all laugh] | |
| TEACHER: | - was and I better just give up on this but we don't want to take away from Alexi. Alexi talked about how these cars remind him of things. What do you think his significance could be if his cars remind him of things? Nathan? |
| STUDENT: | His significance could be what his life plan in the future is because he listed all these cars that he wants and then [noise starts again]. |
| TEACHER: | Did you hear that? I didn't think of that before. He thought maybe you're talking something about your life plan. Okay, so maybe in the future like what you're going to be. You were talking about the future. |
| TEACHER: | Good. Anything else you think he might be able to do to make his writing significant? |
| STUDENT: | Maybe he can tell all the different kind of cars because it seems like he knows a lot of different kinds of cars. |
| TEACHER: | Right. |
| STUDENT: | So maybe he can make a list and - yeah. |
| TEACHER: | Good, all right let's give him a hand. |
| [Applause] | |
| TEACHER: | So maybe he can use some of those ideas to develop your significance. Okay? Okay nice job guys. |