Terri White: Surprise!
May 4—Today, the tree trimmers arrived. They shimmied up the trees to remove the dead limbs. With four ancient pecan trees in our yard, it's a constant battle to keep them healthy. On this beautiful day, I brought my laptop to our back porch to write as they worked. It was fun watching them. One of them even asked for my husband's help. Oh boy! Steve preened like a peacock!
As time passed, one of the workers kept glancing and smiling my way. Friendly guy. But I kept focusing on my writing without giving his glances much thought. Time passed. He's busy. I'm busy. Then he climbed down from the tree and strolled over to me. "Are you Mrs. White?" he asked. Well, yes. "I took your writing class ten years ago."
What a surprise! He chatted about how my class instilled integrity in him, remarking that I was patient and kind. These qualities launched him into adulthood. When he starting working for a tree trimming company, he found his calling. He loves trees. Married with a couple of children, he glowed. Life was good. Knowing that I contributed to his character, I rejoiced.
What is better than instilling character in young people? Seeing them spring into adulthood, embracing the good life, warms my heart. In my twenty years of teaching writing skills, I never allowed my students to settle for less. I held their toes to the fire, expecting them to try their best. Although students moaned about those "rewrites", they learned to strive for excellence.
A "rewrite?" What is that? Each class featured a writing technique, and the homework required the student to practice that skill — along with what they had learned previously. I never expected perfection, but I did expect an earnest attempt. If students failed to practice the skills taught, I gave them a second opportunity to improve the essay — the "rewrite." As they kept practicing with ongoing homework, they honed their skills.
Most became adept at communicating — not only with the written word, but also verbally. They learned to appreciate good writing. They learned commitment. They learned what it means to be an adult.
When my husband ambled over to Gabriel, he commented, "I hear that you are a survivor of Write Right with Mrs. White."
Gabriel grinned, "And better for it."
Happy dance.
