During the student program held on our recent Grandparents & Special Friends Day, three 8th graders read poems prepared for in Mr. Burns' History class and written in Mr. Hirsh's English class. 

The students' preparation for writing included discussing a Theory of Creativity, a Theory of Multiple Intelligences, taking four photos, writing a first draft, revising to focus on detail, and editing. To make their presentations, they practiced at the podium. In effect, they were learning life skills, and, at the program, receiving encouragement from the best audience they will ever have.

To write creatively can include gathering memories, reflecting on the past, the present, and hopes for the future. It's help-ful to know how the process of creativity unfolds, to have an underlying theme, and to be open to seeing in new ways.

In Mr. Burns' class, we explored writing poetry as a way of understanding the lives of individuals who affected, and were affected by, history. We also reviewed a particular theory of creativity. That theory includes focusing on a beginning, followed by research (while often experiencing distress or doubt), then insight, and, finally, using that insight to complete a scientific or artistic project.

Additionally, in Mr. Hirsh's class, we read a list of nine types of intelligences included in Prof. Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences.*
Prof. Gardner believes that we each have a special blend of these capacities. And that we experience some of the intelligences more strongly than others. 

 
To explore these ideas about creativity and intelligences, I asked each student to take four photos in an area of the school that could represent an intelligence they feel comfortable with. They began with a photograph of a long view of a hallway, or a classroom, or the courtyard, etc., then moved into the location three times while photographing to include mid-view and close up shots. With these photos, they were able to concentrate on descriptive details and emotional responses as they drafted and revised their poem. 

It's very important, in developing an authentic writing voice, for a student to have ownership over how her or his work is presented. For this article, Brittany chose her long view of the courtyard and the delicate beginning of her poem, which reflects on her Naturalist intelligence.