Guest Post by
Meg Medina
When I’m
working with high school students, I like to help them experience the power of
their own lives and memory as a source of inspiration for their work. Juniors
and seniors are about to leave childhood behind – the joys of it as well as the
hurtful parts. What’s ahead is unknown. They often feel ambivalent about what’s
ahead, and they are almost always exhausted by the tasks of junior and senior
year. It’s the perfect time to have them take a look back.
Depending on
my time constraints, I ask students to bring a sample of a favorite toy/game from
childhood. (Sometimes, we just make a quick list.) Basically, we
spend some time in a free write, allowing our toys to unlock a memory. There is
no stopping or crossing out. Just a stream of consciousness about this toy and
a memory of how they played with it and with whom. I ask them to consider why
they think they remember this event or person. I let them write for about 8
minutes, and then we share (on a volunteer basis, of course).
It’s always
amazing to see what young people remember about the people and events that have
shaped them. For me, the gold is always when they begin to name what it was
like for them to grow up.
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