My ABL Story.
Lee Krishnan
A teacher’s narrative is as powerful as a well crafted theory….
I attended the Andover Bread Loaf Writing Workshop in 1997. This workshop changed my attitude towards writing and the teaching of writing. I have always enjoyed writing and before ABL I wrote, occasionally, sporadically…now I write compulsively… regularly… and more importantly my students have begun to write and enjoy writing.
My students come from what is termed as ‘deprived backgrounds’.
English is not their mother tongue. In fact most of them speak it only when they are compelled.
Yet more and more of them sign up each year for my writing workshops although it means that they have to come to school during the vacations.
Before ABL, the teaching of writing was ‘a necessary chore’ writing that conformed and adhered to what was required by the state prescribed curriculum. Now these same writing periods are fun, thought provoking and creative.
The paradigm shift that ABL wrought has had a ripple effect and my school now has a vibrant writing program, that has become ingrained in the tradition at DJB and it goes far beyond the ‘state prescribed’ curriculum.
Some of the things we have been doing are:
The WWF workshops( these are bi annual student writing workshops since 1998)
The Photojournalism projects.
Writing for the Community projects.
Hope the school magazine.
Glimpses of XB ( my class magazine and my personal favourite)
Email exchanges.
Creative writing in the classroom… every day...
I also work with a couple of NGOs and conduct writing workshops for teachers and underprivileged children.
Experience is the best teacher and so, I returned to Bread Loaf last year, after 7 years because I believe that this experience will help me to grow personally and professionally. If I grow, my students grow as well. What amazes me is that all that I learn and have learned, is relevant, practical and useful even far away from the idyllic settings of Vermont back home in my overcrowded classrooms in Mumbai.
ABL helped me to rediscover the joys of writing, awakened a sense of pride in my students, has enabled them have faith in themselves and in their writing.
From hesitant, reluctant writers they are now confident, enthusiastic writers, willing and able to take on any task no matter how daunting.
I believe that the knowledge I gain here, and the bonds of friendship forged have enriched my life, made me a better person and most of all a better teacher.
Richard Bach said, “ You are never given a dream, without also being given the power to make it come true. You might have to work hard for it, however.”
I began to dream at ABL, of empowering my students, of giving them a voice, of giving them the chance to tell their stories…
I remember Lou Bernieri saying, “ Everyone can write and everyone has a story to tell.” This has become so deeply ingrained…that it haunts me, day after day, since ABL‘97.
To this I add:
Besides, Writing is fun and Writing can make a difference…
From 17 children in my first workshop in ’98 to more than 60 in some of the latest we have come a long way.
The way ahead…. is as clear as the light of day…
There are a lot of problems, technology, costs, time, space… fortunately for me I guess, like my mom says, stubbornness is my middle name….and I can never resist a challenge.
So I will keep doing what I do…. adding more layers as I go along… because I still have a dream….and because so many people, over these years have supported and believed in my students and me and most of all because Writing does make a Difference.
Lee Krishnan
A teacher’s narrative is as powerful as a well crafted theory….
I attended the Andover Bread Loaf Writing Workshop in 1997. This workshop changed my attitude towards writing and the teaching of writing. I have always enjoyed writing and before ABL I wrote, occasionally, sporadically…now I write compulsively… regularly… and more importantly my students have begun to write and enjoy writing.
My students come from what is termed as ‘deprived backgrounds’.
English is not their mother tongue. In fact most of them speak it only when they are compelled.
Yet more and more of them sign up each year for my writing workshops although it means that they have to come to school during the vacations.
Before ABL, the teaching of writing was ‘a necessary chore’ writing that conformed and adhered to what was required by the state prescribed curriculum. Now these same writing periods are fun, thought provoking and creative.
The paradigm shift that ABL wrought has had a ripple effect and my school now has a vibrant writing program, that has become ingrained in the tradition at DJB and it goes far beyond the ‘state prescribed’ curriculum.
Some of the things we have been doing are:
The WWF workshops( these are bi annual student writing workshops since 1998)
The Photojournalism projects.
Writing for the Community projects.
Hope the school magazine.
Glimpses of XB ( my class magazine and my personal favourite)
Email exchanges.
Creative writing in the classroom… every day...
I also work with a couple of NGOs and conduct writing workshops for teachers and underprivileged children.
Experience is the best teacher and so, I returned to Bread Loaf last year, after 7 years because I believe that this experience will help me to grow personally and professionally. If I grow, my students grow as well. What amazes me is that all that I learn and have learned, is relevant, practical and useful even far away from the idyllic settings of Vermont back home in my overcrowded classrooms in Mumbai.
ABL helped me to rediscover the joys of writing, awakened a sense of pride in my students, has enabled them have faith in themselves and in their writing.
From hesitant, reluctant writers they are now confident, enthusiastic writers, willing and able to take on any task no matter how daunting.
I believe that the knowledge I gain here, and the bonds of friendship forged have enriched my life, made me a better person and most of all a better teacher.
Richard Bach said, “ You are never given a dream, without also being given the power to make it come true. You might have to work hard for it, however.”
I began to dream at ABL, of empowering my students, of giving them a voice, of giving them the chance to tell their stories…
I remember Lou Bernieri saying, “ Everyone can write and everyone has a story to tell.” This has become so deeply ingrained…that it haunts me, day after day, since ABL‘97.
To this I add:
Besides, Writing is fun and Writing can make a difference…
From 17 children in my first workshop in ’98 to more than 60 in some of the latest we have come a long way.
The way ahead…. is as clear as the light of day…
There are a lot of problems, technology, costs, time, space… fortunately for me I guess, like my mom says, stubbornness is my middle name….and I can never resist a challenge.
So I will keep doing what I do…. adding more layers as I go along… because I still have a dream….and because so many people, over these years have supported and believed in my students and me and most of all because Writing does make a Difference.
