Today I was helping out in one of the bilingual kindergarten classes during their Writers' Workshop time. They were planning out a three page book that they will soon write and illustrate.
I was working with an adorable little girl, who I'll call K. She had decided to write a book about princesses. We had the following exchange about what she should write on her three pages. (For your ease, but most of all for my ease, I'm going to record the conversation in English rather than Spanish.)
K titled her book Princesses. Then on her first page she wrote, "Princesses live in a castle."
But then she was stuck. She had no idea what else she could possibly write about princesses.
"Well, what do princesses do?" I asked.
"Wait."
"Okay. Um, what else do they do?"
"Nothing. They just wait. That's what princesses do."
"Um, well, think about what they're doing in the castle."
"Just waiting."
"What are they doing while they are waiting?"
"Oh! I know! They sit in a chair."
"Okay.....What else?"
"Nothing more. They sit in a chair and wait."
"But your princesses need to DO something."
"Princesses don't do anything. They just wait!"
"Well, let's think of something more interesting about princesses for your book. Maybe they leave the castle?"
"No. Princesses are always inside the castle."
"What if a visitor comes?"
"Oh, yes! Like a dragon!"
"Good idea!"
So K wrote, "A dragon comes," on her second page.
This was an interesting a development. What would these passive waiting princesses, sitting on their chairs, do now that a dragon had come to the castle?! Fight? Trick the dragon? Run away? Use a magic potion? Tame the dragon?
I left to help another student, and when I returned, this is what K had written on the final page of her story:
"A prince rescued them."
Ugh.
Mary, grow up to be a teacher. Grow up to be a worm if you so desire. Just don't grow up to be a princess.
