What I did last summer, not!

I never assigned the perennial "What I did last summer" essay to my students during the first week of school. I knew the topic would elicit a groan the size of a rhinoceros' roar, so I stayed away from that one. After all, if I'd fallen for that ploy, I could count on plenty of boredom while reading 140 takes on going to the beach, watching TV, sleeping in, working at a dumb job, hanging out with friends, etc.

Not too exciting. So, we used those first writing assignments for getting to know each other. One year, I made a bunch of "Survivor" style banners out of old shopping bags and doled one out to each kid. Each banner---about 5 inches tall and wide--and had been ripped from a Yoke's or Safeway sack, wet down and dried for that weathered look.

The kids were asked to decorate the blank banner with their names and basic information. They could also add whatever artwork they wanted. Once the banners came in, they were hung around the classroom for all to see and behold.

Along with the graphics assignment, kids drew names of someone else in the classroom to interview and to introduce. When the introduction speeches occurred, no name was to be given until the end. The exercise definitely promoted some good listening as the class tried to figure out whom the student being described happened to be.

We worked on this project for several days after "the rules" had been forcefully delivered by the old marm at the front and written down by less than enthusiastic students sitting in the chairs. Not a fun way to start the year, but the introduction speeches made up for that beginning drudgery.

Occasionally, I even acted as a guinea pig when our numbers turned up odd rather than even. Whoever the poor sap was that drew me usually dealt with the situation very well.

Here are the basics of what this kid might have learned and tried to craft into a decent speech:

Name: Marianne Catherine Brown Love

Age: old

Description: Varying from year to year, depending on trips to the Hair Hut and amounts of food consumed. The kids were usually pretty kind.

Idiosyncrasies: Holds chin with hand. Rocks back and forth in chair. Seldom stops moving. Chews on tongue while doing anything dextrous.

Favorite meal: Depending on how fat but usually: lasagne with tossed salad and lots of dressing, garlic bread, Lucerne chocolate marshmallow ice cream.

Favorite music: country western, easy listening, some classical, anything Neil Diamond, Vince Gill, Allison Kraus, Ann Murray, Joan Baez, John Denver, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson---is that enough?

Born: Sandpoint, Idaho . . . June 25, 1947

Siblings: Brothers: Mike, Kevin and Jim; sisters Barbara and Laurie

Parents: Harold and Virginia Tibbs

Husband: Bill Love

Kids: (of course, in most cases, this would give away the identity, but not always) Willie and Annie

Likes: Animals, traveling, beautiful scenery, meeting people

Dislikes: stuck up people, liver, rice, liars, phonies

Hobbies: gardening, photography, biking, horseback riding, hiking, fishing, geocaching (the old-fashioned way--without a GPS).

Fears: Heights, bears or anything unexplainable that makes noise in the woods, including older brothers, poor health or physical disabilities, public speaking (hard to believe but true).

Goals: travel to Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, write the great book, meet a real live President before I die, learn to relax.

Crazy things that happened: the time I sat with the Knights of Columbus (who took up five rows at the front of the church) when I was about nine. Only girl among the knights; really long Mass for me. The 4-H demonstration contest when cake batter climbed the beaters and women were much too amused; the great mail robbery at age five. Others, to be determined.

So, those were some of the topics my students had to cover. With that in mind, and since it's the first day of school, let's once again skip the "what I did last summer" and let's learn about some of you readers. Take those topics and fill in the blanks. It will be fun to hear from you. Now, don't be shy. Let's start the school year out right.