Brave Writer spotlight: Maya
Our students are not just Brave Writers, they’re Brave People. Take nine-year-old Maya, for example. She’s making friendship bracelets to raise money for her uncle’s medical treatment. Her mom writes:
Dear Julie,
Since purchasing the Writer’s Jungle and following your tips/tricks, I’ve been thinking about writing in a whole new light. I cannot begin to tell you how Maya has grown in her writing abilities. Not only that, she’s so verbal now. To me, to friends, to strangers, she’s no longer timid. She realizes now that she has a voice. She appreciates direct eye contact and notices right away if she’s getting full attention or not, and she lets me know about it. Thank you for making me understand that conversation is a first step in writing. I never thought of it that way until you showed me the light.
Our relationship has grown so much just by having great conversation. SHE is growing by having conversation. Over the weekend, she expressed an interest in raising funds for her Uncle Josh. (My brother, who has a severe traumatic injury, in need of Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy.) So we went to my mom’s and made a video to start an online fundraising campaign. I don’t think she would have had the courage to do this just a few short months ago. But because of your encouraging and uncomplicated writing advice, she is gaining valuable skills. Skills that I wouldn’t have recognized before. Like organizing her thoughts to make cohesive statements and becoming a confident speaker. I’m sure you can think of many more.
I thought you might like to see the video (silly as it is) and to thank you for your practical, no-nonsense, simple yet profound advice that is turning my little nine year old into a deep-thinker, with compassion and determination. Who would have thought that talking could do all of that?
Thanks again,
Misty
Thank you for sharing!
Misty