When I was young, I discovered that my favourite writers, Paul Jennings, started writing stories for his own son as he did not enjoy reading. It wasn’t simply that he found a story that some famous writer had written, but he wrote stories specifically for his child. It was a gift.
I think that is very special and something I have recently started to emulate in the classroom.
Now, there is nothing wrong with dusting off an old classic – there is a reason why we read Pride and Prejudice and A Tale of Two Cities. But to write a story for your students, I think is wonderfully personal. The stories in this section, were written specifically for my students to enjoy. You are welcome to read and use or discard as you wish. I hope that they inspire you to take your own experiences and turn them into a story. Students love stories that they can relate to. For them it is like looking into a mirror for their own experiences and context.
Paul Jennings is a very special man:
The English Classroom 