Voice

There has been a major focus on the 6+1 traits if writing in my life lately. Ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, presentation. Yes, I can recite them in my sleep.

I have determined that voice is my favorite because I absolutely love reading writing that sounds like the author. I give my students the example of reading my sisters' blogs and how joyful it is or was to read their words and hear their voices because the writing is so inherently them.

I think about the time I took a class with Gary Schmidt and about listening to him speak at the Teacher Commissioning Ceremony about his book, "Ok For Now". Now, when I read it, I hear his voice, his stories come out.

I spent most of the day reading my 7th grader's stories. Some of them just made me smile because they were so clearly THEM. It's exciting to watch this trait develop, and middle school is prime time for it.

Still, all this leads me to think about me, and my voice in my writing. Do I sound like me?

To some extent, probably yes. Nearly run-on sentences and bad grammar? Fragments? Sounds like me. And I talk about myself a lot, which is definitely normal for me, even though it probably shouldn't be.

So I'm thinking about my voice, and how to develop and grow even though I'm not technically a middle schooler (although, let's be serious; I'm awful close). I'm thinking about the words I chose both in speaking and writing. I'm thinking about the shallowness of my topics. I'm thinking about the emphasis on me, and the balance of excepting that, yes, the stories I tell are often my life stories and I happen to be the main character of my life, but also, yes, there is more to the world than me.

So I don't know. Still praying an working through that one, as I probably will be for approximately forever.

Exams happen this week-- I have one day left with each of my classes. Pray for them as they study and demonstrate their knowledge and abilities. Pray for me to be the best guide and steward of their time that I can possibly be this week and that the peace I've felt for the last week and a half will continue.