100 What if answers

I just took www.whatifbag on the road again for an all day presentation to a local Middle School. I presented to about 100 seventh graders. If you came by you would see a group of students busy thinking, writing, sharing ideas and having fun doing it. Go ahead and ask any 12 or 13 year old if they like to write. The majority of those you ask will answer a very loud "NO." As they did when I started my presentation. I got lots of sighs and groans as they anticipated a writing workshop.

My website is based around creative writing, so I knew going in I had a challenge with these students. My big question was how do you engage unenthusiastic students who think they don't like to write. Well the first thing I need to do is open them to the idea that they CAN do it!! Convince them that they all have the potential to be great thinkers and writers. I explain to them that it's a choice. I can honestly say it didn't take long at all to get them excited. Part of my secret is immediately engaging them in hands on right brain exercises. They are active and not just listening but doing. I do this to wake them up, turn the left brain off a bit and get their creative right brain going. I try to get them to buy into the idea that they just might be a good writer! That anything is possible if they are willing to try!

I believe one of the keys to making a writing assignment interesting, for students or anyone for that matter, is in the question being asked. So by virtue of my questions, all being "what if" questions, something magical seems to happen. Students open up! I xN actually see it. They don't feel restricted or bogged down. As a result they begin to imagine, to dream and create. I would say that 95% of the students had absolutely no problems being thoughtful, funny, serious and heartfelt in their writing.

Now there are always a few students that just aren't going to like it no matter what you do and their writing shows it! But I can honestly say not very many. By the end of the workshop, I saw smiles, deep thought, laughter, sharing, and fingers typing away on the computer.

If you're interested in what these amazing students had to say when asked, "what if they could open there own business, or what if they could ask President Obama to work on something for our country or what if they could change places with someone for the day!" Go to www.whatifbag.com and take a look at questions and answers dated 2/19/10. I think you'll be surprised and entertained by what you find. I know I was.

At the end of the presentation, I asked again... who likes to write?

The majority of the hands went up!! Success