News Archive
October 12th, 2004
Templeton Students request return visit
Being a guest in a high school class can sometimes conjur images of Cheech & Chong's comedy skit "Sister Mary Elephant." With a guest presenter in a classroom, students might erupt in a display of utter boredom, pandemonium, or clam up completely, having no previous history with the "drop-in" lecturer.
However, the 80 minutes flew by said numbers of students at Templeton High School in East Vancouver. The grade 12 psychology class of teacher Cathryn Parker, wasted no time as I put them through a variety of quick writing sprints to explore what journal writing meant to them, an overview of suggested exercises for getting started when using a journal, examining their own attitudes about life in the fall of 2004, and doing some creative writing about the life they saw themselves leading in a year from now.
Discussion was engaging between students in small groupings and there were always questions arising from small group discussion.
A return visit is planned in early December.
As many schools in British Columbia use the journal as a tool in psychology and english classes, I welcome the opportunity to provide motivation for students to enhance the time they spend in class to maximize their own efficiency, creativity, self-awareness and focus on goal setting.
