Will writing get me in trouble?
My students were hard at work outlining the first essays for their self-published magazines. They were writing about cars, gymnastics, football, teen fashion, traveling, music, cooking, skateboarding and whatever else grabbed their fancy. This project would carry them through the rest of the semester, and because they get to choose the topics for their magazines, they usually enjoy the work. Writing is an art, and the more freedom and power I can give my students, the better. Every year, though, there are a few students who struggle to find a topic for their magazine.
Jessi is one of them. A shy student who barely completes most assignments, Jessi appears uninterested in most of the work we do. When I try to talk with her one on one, she swings her black, stringy hair in front of her