Writing Studio Part I

This is a tiny piece of a larger creative manuscript. Any kind of feedback will be helpful. There's really not a specific audience. I guess you can tell me if you would read more. Tra La

“A Plucked Leaf”

They never explain anything. No one speaks of my mother, Olivia; her nickname is Boo-Boo. I miss her.

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    Since I’m afraid of the dark, I hate to sleep.  There is nothing that quiets my active imagination. I fear that bad “people” from the stories will visit me once the lights are off. Either the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood or the witches from Snow White or Hansel and Gretel will make it to my closet or under the bed while I’m at school and torture me in the dark. I want to sleep in the room with my sister, September. Since I wet the bed now, I’m forced to sleep in my own room. My bedroom is first from the living room so if anyone breaks in, I will be the first to die.
    I really do not mean to wet the bed. Mom has done everything from waking me up in the middle of the night to cutting off my liquids at 4pm. Nothing is successful. I wake up at least twice a week with the faint sweet smell of urine on my one piece footed pajamas. In my dreams I see myself in the bathroom, on the toilet, with my feet swinging. So I release the warm liquid from my tiny body and feel the warmth against my skin. Well, I’m not on the toilet, because when I wake, there is a feeling of cold dampness on my legs, upper body and sheets. I rise and go down the hallway to the bathroom.
     The lights are off so I don’t wake anyone. Even though I’m afraid of the dark, I step out of my urine soaked pajamas. The neighbor’s light on the side of their house dimly shines into the bathroom. While I’m reaching for my pink washcloth, there’s a thump on the bathroom door.
    “Kimmie?”
I turn the knob as I wipe the tears from my face...it’s Mom.
    “Kimmie. Did you wet the bed again? Why do you keep wetting the bed?”
    “I don’t know. I be scared.”
    “What are you afraid of?”
    “Ummm. The dark...the witches...the bugs...and the Boogey Man.”
    “The little night light doesn’t help?”
    “No.The monsters turn it off!”
She turns on the water in the tub. It’s the middle of night so there are no bubbles or toys. I love to take baths. I swish around in the water and pretend that I’m captain of the ship, “Bathtub Boat.”
    “I can’t let you go back to bed smelling pissy.”
    “Okay, Mom.”
    “You have to hurry and wash up, because there’s a storm coming and electricity and water do not mix.”
    “Uh Oh..I hate storms just like the dark.”
She hands me my washcloth and walks down the hall with a can of Lysol in her hand. I hear her in the linen closet. I lean forward and see her with white ABC printed sheets for the bed.The sounds of crinkling plastic, spraying and flipping the mattress nauseates me; I will have to go sleep in my own room. Moms says that the covering helps to keep the pee from soaking into the mattress. The bed is almost ready for me again. While I’m standing and rinsing my body, a thunderous crack startles me; I slip and fall back. Mom runs down the hall.
    “Are you okay?”
    “Yes. I just saw a flash and heard a noise.”
    “That’s the storm that I was talking about.”
She dries me off and hands me the Johnson and Johnson baby lotion. She squeezes the pink cream into our hands and we massage it onto my skin.
    “I thought this stuff is for babies. I’m no baby; I’m almost seven.”
    “You’re my baby and always will be,” Mom said. “It’ll keep your skin oily and soft.”
I put on my pink frilly flowered nightgown with matching bottoms.  When I climb into bed, the weight of my eyelids causes me to force them open. Mother pulls the cover up to my neck.
    “Okay Kimmie. Should I sing or read?”
    “Can you please do both? Please. Please. Please sealed with a kiss and cherry on top.”
    “Alright.”
    “The Cat and The Bird. A cat heard that the birds in an aviary were ailing… “We shall do very well,” they replied, without letting him in, “When we’ve seen the last of you.”  The moral of the story is a villain may disguise himself, but he will not fool a wise person.” Mother said.
    “Can you read another fable?”
The flash of lightening and roar of thunder are in the background and I want Mom to stay with me. I wish she will sleep in my room with me. Mom begins to hum a tune and we begin to sing together.

        You are my sunshine
  My only sunshine
    You make me happy
    When skies are grey   
    You’ll never know dear,
    How much I love you.
    Please don’t take my sunshine away.

    Her voice carries me to a place; one that is safe where I play with the cherubim and seraphim in the clouds. Our family orchestra is present. September strikes her harp while I whistle my flute, and Mom sings, twirls, and dances. When Dad appears, the celebration ends. Dad pummels Mom and we come to her rescue. I wake up.

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Rewrite of Facilitator Training

During the training sessions, participants will need to master the following:

Note taking during studio sessions
Introducing conversation at the beginning of each studio session
Managing time during studio sessions
Monitoring conversation topics amongst group members
Emphasizing the importance of writing down their plans
Encouraging peer to peer feedback
Giving ownership to the writer
Asking students about their opinions, and concerns regarding their writing
Emphasizing the positive before addressing areas of concerns
Working with students who did not bring their assignment or draft
Showing students how to find answers, by direction of main ideas in readings
Introducing laptops and technology and debriefing process at the end of session



There needs to be some sort of introduction to the theories behind motivation and self-regulated learning.

How in SLR: students use their repertoire of  strategies to guide and enhance learning

Incremental learning encourages students to undertake, regulate, and motivate their own learning processes
Self Regulation: ways in which individuals regulate their thoughts and actions
Self Regulation is a component of interest development; interest plays a central role in focusing attention
Self Regulatory processes include-Goal setting, self-monitoring , self-evaluation, and  strategy use 
Self efficacy: an individual's perceived capability to perform at a level of proficiency

Reflection

Although we only met once with our group, I believe that there's always room for improvement. For myself I will maximize my learning by note taking and drawing connections from rewriting my notes.
In any type of group setting, it's important that discussions remain focused so that our goals can be accomplished by the end of class. I realize that tangents are beneficial to the learning process, but too much of anything is not so good.

Once we become and stay better learners then the material that need to be delivered can be done so effortlessly. Goals are always a solid place to begin any task. The model in place has specific goals for the training program. Maybe there are additional goals that may need to be implemented into this year's. So it's wise to revisit previous and see if any additional have come up. When you have a vision of what you want to achieve, the work can follow.

I feel that both goal setting and intention-harnessing activities work together. One may have a goal, but may possibly need solution to obtain it. In life we need to look at things from various angles. This is where your creativity comes in. Creative activities help enhance our creative spirits which is the source of our energy and passion.

Improve Facilitator Training Program

Since I was a part of last year's program, I thought of my own personal experiences as a trainer/supervisor of my former corporate organization.

The goals that hopefully can be improved/achieved through the training program can be as follows:
1.create an environment of relativity and support
2.engage facilitators with creative ideas
3.encourage unity

Other goals for myself and program
1.become an effective mentor
2.convey information to facilitators for lifelong use
3.promote balance between life skills and educational skills