Author visits GATE!

On Monday, November 14th, Alice Duckett ( who was MY gifted teacher in 6th - 8th grades at Alabama Avenue Middle School ) spoke to GATE kids about writing.  Mrs. Duckett is celebrating the one year anniversary of her children's book, One Step at a Time, with a book tour.  We were stop #8 on her tour!  She came complete in costume with safari hat and hiking boots!  Mrs. Duckett told my students about her writing process and how she began writing her first novel in the 6th grade.  She told the students that  you never know what you might be doing now that can become a career or hobby even as an adult.

Her first book was a workbook for kids and families to use to "dig through attics and basements" to find their family history.  When I was in her class in 7th grade, we researched about our families and studied genealogy.  I still have that notebook!  She encouraged the students to sit down with their grandparents and great grandparents during this holiday season and hear the stories about when they were children or about family memories and write them down!  Great idea!

The children's book she brought is about a centipede and includes factual information and a glossary in the back.  The illustrator is a lady who also lives in the Anniston area.  Mrs. Duckett brought actual chalk drawings that were used for the illustrations of the book to show.  

While she was with us, I reflected on several projects in my GATE class with her (we called it "resource" back then).  We had two 7th grade classes in resource.  During an archaeology unit, our class created a "country" with our own language, artifacts, customs, and traditions.  We actually rode in cars out to someone's farm and BURIED our box of "treasures" for the other class to find.  They had to follow our treasure map to find our box then figure out what it all meant.  We did the same with their treasures!  That was a great way to study archaeology!  I remember it so well!  Mrs. Duckett recalled another of our class events from my 6th grade year.  We went CAMPING for 3 days and 2 nights!  I had never been camping.....and she remembered how my tent sagged a little in the middle.  We did a little orienteering, journal writing, hiking, and storytelling during that trip. What an experience!  I hope that my GATE students can look back at our class memories when they are 42 and remember our class with the fondness that I remember my gifted class in middle school!

Thank you, Alice Duckett, for volunteering to speak to our students!