The Introduction’s Super Power

Introductions can be boring. Super boring.

Young writers think they have to fight with a blank piece of paper for that first, amazing sentence before they write anything else, and so they get stuck.

Cue the tissues. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

A mom recently asked me to look at her son’s essay. He was entering a state-wide speech contest on the topic of responsibility and had written a solid essay—except for the introduction. He was going to put his listeners to sleep with it.

We were all sitting at his kitchen table. I turned to this teen and asked him,

Maya Angelou and Figurative Language

The world lost an important poet, writer, and human being in 2014.

On May 28, 2014, Maya Angelou, author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and other famous books, died quietly in her sleep. You can learn more about her here.

Maya Angelou wrote many memoirs about her fascinating life. One of them is The Heart of a Woman, from which the following two quotes are taken.

My Fellow Students: A Graduation Speech

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

It’s that time of year when everyone likes to give advice about the future—your future!

Yes, it’s close to graduation time!

Graduation speeches

Colleges and universities enjoy speeches from such luminaries as actor Denzel Washington, poet Billy Collins, documentary producer Ken Burns, actor Matthew McConaughey, Bill Nye (the Science Guy), and former President Obama during commencement.

Here’s a quote from actress Sandra Bullock at the Warren Easton Charter School’s graduation in New Orleans:

Coupons

SHARON’S BLOG

I recently cleaned out my purse and found seven expired coupons, most of them for clothing and craft stores. Now that you know how disorganized I am . . .

These coupons gave me an idea for a prompt you can do with your children.

Why do I suggest that you write with your children? When they see you writing, they learn that it’s a legitimate activity in which they can have success. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to read the results to each other. You might be surprised at what you learn about your kids.

Mozilla Ousts CEO for Belief in Traditional Marriage: Write the Dialog

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

What happens when the CEO of a large corporation supports traditional marriage? And what happens when he gives money to a political campaign to support traditional marriage?

FYI, we’re using the term “traditional marriage” to mean the marriage between one man and one woman.

Mozilla, a software company based in California, recently came under fire when some people discovered that their new CEO Brendan Eich had

Luck: Is it Real?

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Maureen Wilcox bought two lottery tickets in 1980, one in Rhode Island and one in Massachusetts. And she picked winning numbers. Was she lucky?

According to mental_floss magazine , the numbers she chose for the Massachusetts lottery were the winning numbers for the Rhode Island lottery. And the numbers she chose for the Rhode Island lottery were the winning numbers for the Massachusetts lottery. So was she unlucky?

You’ve heard of superstitions: don’t let a black cat cross your path, pick a four-leaf clover for luck, be on the winning end of the wishbone, a lucky stone or rabbit’s foot, and so forth. But do they work? Are they real?

Switch Roles with Your Teacher

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Have you ever taught your parents or other adults how to do something?

Most likely, you’ve helped them learn how to work their mobile devices because you find it easier to deal with the features of technology than they do.

In a University of Maine study, researchers found that when laptops were introduced into the classroom,

Let’s Eat! Choose from a Menu of Writing Prompts

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

This writing prompt is all about eating, so it makes sense to have a menu of choices for you to write about.

Choose one item from the menu below to write about. Here goes:

Characterization: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

King David. Slayer of giants. Hero to many. Kingdom builder. Writer of heartfelt psalms. Follower after God.

Adulterer. Schemer. Murderer.

What gives?

How could someone be so good and so bad?

This writing prompt is about creating believable characters, those that are a realistic mix of positive and negative traits.

Feel Inadequate as a Homeschool Teacher? You Might Be Surprised!

SHARON’S BLOG

Do you remember those organized desks and huge blackboards from your school days? And do you feel inadequate that you do your school at a kitchen table?

Did you use a large, up-to-date microscope in your old biology class but now feel scientifically deficient because you have a child’s version for your little school?

Do you imagine professionals teaching daily in your local school—and agonize over the educational experience you are giving your children?

Feeling inadequate

I homeschooled for eighteen years, and there was not one year in which I felt I was totally doing it “right.” I always felt inadequate. On some level I always wondered if my kids could have gotten a better education somewhere else.

With logic, I can look back and assure myself that I have given my three children a very good education and a safe and spiritual environment. I was not a slacker: All of my students scored higher than the national average on their SAT scores. My brain pats me on the back and assures me that I ran a good race, but my heart still stumbles with thoughts of inadequacy and failure.

Where I failed

And I did fail in some things. The following are a few areas in which I failed.

The Introduction’s Super Power

Maya Angelou and Figurative Language

My Fellow Students: A Graduation Speech

Graduation speeches

Coupons

Mozilla Ousts CEO for Belief in Traditional Marriage: Write the Dialog

Luck: Is it Real?

Switch Roles with Your Teacher

Let’s Eat! Choose from a Menu of Writing Prompts

Characterization: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Feel Inadequate as a Homeschool Teacher? You Might Be Surprised!

Feeling inadequate

Where I failed

Looking for something?

Sharon’s Blog

.