I Am a Pencil
A Teacher, His Kids, and Their World of Stories
by Sam Swope Mr. Swope went to do a workshop with third graders in Queens. By the end of the workshop, he had decided to stay and work with the class for the following three years. His intent was to teach the children how to write creative stories, and to write them well. This book is his account of those three years. He focuses on the methods he came up with in trying to teach, the students who intrigued him, and the environment he tried to teach in. The student he focuses on the most, Miguel, comes from a Pentecostal family. The dynamics of Miguel's religion and family intrigue Mr. Swope.
Mr. Swope's tone is at times critical, at times awed. His tone is depressed, and he does not depict himself favorably, with the end result that he was my least favorite character. The story does not seem to have a point- we don't know whether Mr.Swope made a difference, or if anything changed. The characters are interrested, and the writing itself is impeccable.
Happy reading.
