7VWP Summer Institute History of Monday, July 15, 2013 in 3 Acts

7VWP Summer Institute History of Monday, July 15, 2013 in  3 Acts

Act 1:  Monologue

The morning started out like every other morning has.  Quiet start, people trickling in with computers being powered on, plugged in, searching for the power squid nearest you.  The slight hum of strong coffee brewing in the background.  Christine brought in lots and lots of natural sugar for us to consume.  Bananas, berries, yogurt and granola with no clothes on it lined the back table.  Slowly we got up to consume plates of sugar and ease into the morning.  We start, as we always do, with writing.  Kathryn read from “Writing Down the Bones” by Natalie Goldberg encouraging us to go for the jugular, and expose our souls.  Which, we did.  Thinking and reflecting on the weekend, our tired fingers began to type.  We stopped to share, once, and then twice in a form that was not rigid, but fluid.  Most of us shared poetry, there was an advertisement and one commercial thrown in.  The intensity of ideas splattered across pages, and we needed an additional 15 minutes just to decompress.  Well, Danielle did at least.  We also learned, and may rush to buy T-shirts of, BTFU.  

Act 2:  UBD Demo, a short play, performed by one person

Danielle:  Hi everyone, I would like to present this really great demo, and have you write about a bunch of stuff.

(everyone looks at her puzzled)

Kathryn:  What Danielle is trying to say, is that you will write these amazing things, and you will understand and answer all of the world’s questions, today!

(collective, ahhhhhh)

Danielle:  Write and share, write and share, three steps, blah blah blah

Kelley:  This is pretty cool, although I’m not sure I understand it.

Christine:  I love that I’m getting a chance to tease out problems in my classroom

Ellie:  I’m really frustrated and want to improve the relationship with my co-teacher

Bird:  I have so much to think about, this is magical

Haley:  What the hell is she talking about, I will try to write something down

Marissa:  So many ideas, what to choose

Kathryn:  I have my idea, how can I make it better?

Danielle: I have no idea where to start, my brain is filled to the brim

(everyone was really great and participated)

Danielle:  How is the notebook passing going?

Kelley: I love it!  Let’s keep going!

Danielle:  No one wants to shoot themselves in the face yet?

(Haley looks up, about to agree, then just smiles and goes back to writing)

Marissa: I loved that notebook share, thanks for the great ideas.

Kathryn: It was great, and long, and wonderful, and long

Act 3: Song, to the tune of “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”  Cyndy Lauper

Afternoon, demo time

Kathryn says wait till I finish in the bathroom

It’s demo time, and we are going to write

Cause writing, it’s really fun

Oh writing, it’s really fun!

You looked at your writing and read

You found hot spots that jumped out in your hread

You used your writing to meet in groups

Cause writing, it’s really fun

Oh writing, it’s really fun

Then we met and shared

Some writing

We wrote, and talked, and wrote and talked

Cause writing, it’s really fun

Oh writing it’s really fun!

After that, we got into groups

Made teaching posters that looked pretty

Together we learn, together we teach

Writing, it’s really fun

Oh writing, it’s really fun!

Empowerment leads to application

We’re all in it together

Zombie chickens and sleepy dogs

Oh Writing, it’s really fun

Oh writing it’s really fun!

Writing, writing,

It’s so fun

Writing Writing

It’s so fun!

Kathryn’s manicure looks amazing on the elmo

Writing is so fun!