I'm back home again and working on final edits of work from the schools. The last three days in Opotiki were hectic, trying to take as much of the writing from a last draft to final manuscript. About half made it. From now on we'll work using email transfer. With Track Changes turned on in Microsoft Office, and frequent use of the Add Comment feature, I'm certain that the learning process can continue. While it is not as personal as sitting beside the writer and reading the work aloud, it is closer to what happens in reality. I hope to have all work completed before the end of term.
In the days since the final visits to schools I've had a chance to reflect on the last two weeks. Of course, some of our efforts have been more successful than others. Almost all students can be justifiably proud of the work that they have created. I know that some are entering their writing into competitions. Others will gain satisfaction from seeing their work published within the schools and local community. I like to think that all have gained something from the experience. With a small few, the work achieved was below my expectations and it is worth looking at possible reasons.
The size of the groups were 8, 12, and 15. It was the group of 15 that I found awkward to work with. These 15 represented a quarter of the school, and hence a wide range of writing abilities. I am sure that a smaller group would have achieved more. That group also worked in a classroom. Both of the others worked in libraries; the group of 8 had sole use of the library with enough room for the students to isolate themselves from each other; the group of 12 had to share the space with others which was a little distracting. Most writers have a special place where they write, and while replicating that in a school is difficult, I think that should be the aim.
The balance between morning and afternoons also affected performance. The group of 15 had four afternoons and two mornings. Not only did that reduce my time in the school, it also meant that for two thirds of the visits we were trying to be creative after lunch, which rarely works for me. On the other hand the group of 8 had four mornings which was brilliant.
In all three schools we made changes to our initial aims, particularly the theme for the writing. I see no problems with this. That's what happens when I'm writing. The main aim was to develop creative writing skills; if the theme was restricting their writing, then we allowed it to be modified. I think the final product was better for the flexibility.
I was a little apprehensive about the residency when it was first suggested five months back. My feeling was that being good at something, doesn't necessarily mean that you can teach that something. I would happily teach science and computing, but creative writing? Where do you begin? In the end I began with a presentation that covered what I do as a writer and how I fashion an idea into something worthy of publication. It worked! Most of the students started by attempting to mirror my processes. As they progressed many made changes that suited their style. Most of all, they recognized that there is much more to the creative process than putting words on paper. I now see that as a strength of the residencies. They allow the students to have contact with someone who has 'been there, done that'; someone who tries to make a living out of writing. An All Black might be a lousy coach of rugby, but he's sure to be listened to when he speaks to a team. I was listened to, and I like to think that I made a difference. If nothing else, I hope that I have helped some seeds to germinate and push their leaves out of the darkness into the first light.
Des Hunt
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