Most of us are on summer break. Even though our minds should be resting and relaxing as educators we can’t help to think about the next school year. As you think about starting the new school year and all the excitement that comes with it. You might be thinking about how to engage your writers at the beginning of the school year. Typically teachers will use the prompt “Tell me what you did this summer?” or “Write a story about yourself?” Both are narrative in nature. I used to be the same way! 

Then one Christmas Break changed it all. 

My grandma had recently moved from Indiana to Missouri to be closer to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. The whole family was thrilled to have her close. It wasn’t soon after that that we got some shocking news: Grandma had stage IV Pancreatic cancer. 

We received the news in November. Grandma kept a very positive attitude about the news. She was in great shape, led a healthy holistic lifestyle, and was willing to fight cancer with whatever means necessary. Fast forward to December Grandma’s health was deteriorating rapidly. She began making plans to check off some last minute bucket items. One of the items on her list was to take a family vacation to Colorado and stay at the famous Stanley hotel. As a teacher the only time we could logically fit in a trip of this magnitude was during Christmas break and of course we were going to comply with grandma’s wishes. Even if that meant using our savings, having a very small family Christmas, and driving hours away with a 2 year old and 4 year old. 

We made the most of it even though Grandma was sick most of the time, she was in a great deal of pain, and the indoor swimming pool that was promised for the kids was freezing! 

As I was preparing to go back to school after Christmas break I knew I was going to get the typical questions, “How was Christmas Break?” or “Did you do anything fun over Christmas Break?” 

I was dreading these questions. What was I going to say? “We went to Colorado because my grandma is dying and we drained our savings in the process?” or “Great! My son got violently ill every time we drove into the mountains?” 

I wanted to cry every time I thought about it. 

Instead I would answer with a smile on my face “It was fine. We got to go to Colorado!” then quickly change the subject to “How about you?” so they wouldn’t see my lip trembling thinking about how sick Grandma was and how much time she had left. 

She ended up making it only a few more months and passed away in early February. Now, thinking of asking my students at the beginning of every school year “How was your summer break?” makes me cringe. What if their summer break was as awful as my Christmas Break? What if they didn’t get to do anything because their parents worked all summer and couldn’t afford it? What if they lost a loved one like me? 

Instead I prefer to start the school year off with Write Whatever You Want! 

They will look at me with big bewildered eyes and ask, “Mrs. Johnson, you want me to write whatever I want?” I respond with a giggle and a grin, “Yes, whatever you want!” Then as a class we discuss what that could look like and make a list. Students start getting excited and are itching to go back to the seats to get started. Even my most reluctant writers, after some time, start writing. See, the reluctant writers don’t believe you. They are thinking, “Yeah right, teacher, in a day or two you are going to ask me to write about a certain genre or topic.” But I don’t. I keep up this Write Whatever You Want theme for a few weeks while we are learning the ins and outs of writer’s workshop. So after a few days even my most reluctant writers have bought in. 

My challenge for you is to think about a different way to start your school year.

Think about those students who might not have had an AMAZING summer break and how writing about it might be extremely challenging for them or even traumatic. 

Below is an example of a list of types of writing my students and I come up with to give them ideas before letting them loose on Write Whatever You Want!

Ideas for Writing Whatever You Want! 

• Comic Book/Graphic Novel
• Recipe
• Song
• Fantasy
• Realistic Fiction
• How to book 
• Nonfiction
• Script/Play
• Literary Nonfiction
• Poems
• Review
• Fan Fiction 
• Persuasive/Opinion