Creative Writing 101

So we’ve started another year of Secondary School.  I’m teaching math and biology to Form 3.  But I’ve added a little something-something to my personal curriculum for my own amusement.  Every week (or more than once a week if I don’t feel like actually teaching) we will write for 20 minutes on whatever prompt I choose.  This little exercise will work on a number of levels.  It’ll encourage them to write their thoughts and think about things they wouldn’t usually think about – these guys are in desperate need of critical and creative thinking practice.  It’ll also require them to write in English, which I can then correct and help them with on an individual basis.  And it is a perfect excuse to get them to tell me everything I’ve been so unbelievably curious about but can’t ask in any normal conversation since I’ve been here.  For example, I can’t wait till they trust me enough to honestly answer the question “explain local initiation ceremonies and how you feel about them” or “why don’t you think men and women are equal in Malawi” or “do male teachers really take advantage of their position with the female students” or “write about a rumor you’ve heard about someone with AIDS” or even just “tell me some Malawian sayings or proverbs”.  I know I’ll get at least a few honest answers out of them.  And I told them that I’ll be only one reading them (unless they expressly tell me not to read a particular entry), that I’ll keep them locked in my house when we aren’t using them, and that I won’t post anything they say online without their permission.

This week’s was a tame prompt, to get them used to the idea.  The question was “what do you want to do with your life after you finish Secondary School”.  I got a lot of “I want to be a doctor” or teacher or car mechanic.  But I also got one girl saying that she wants to be a medical assistant in a hospital.  However, she is worried she is setting her goals too high because she is an orphan living with her aunt and many other children, all of whom depend on her aunt’s single income.  Even if she can pass her national exams and get into University, school fees will be unattainable and she’ll have to stay in the village and get married.  Another guy in the class had very realistic expectations, which I really appreciated after ten future doctors couldn’t spell “doctor”.  He wants to become a soldier, have a good family, and then he wants to build his own house.  If he has money left over, he will buy a bicycle to ride to work.  Solid.  Way to go, kid.

Any prompts you’d like to suggest??