[PIBE-Division] Writing ideas

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>From the American printing house for the blind.



The “I Am” Challenge: A Positive Way to Start the New School Year

I am capable. I can do this. I won’t let what others think I can do
stop me from doing what I know I can do. What would it be like if
someone could really stand in your shoes? If they fully understood
your disability, your perspective, or why you believe what you do?
This school year, APH encourages teachers to assign an “I Am” poem.
It’s a creative way to get students to delve deeper into a topic and
stand in someone else’s shoes.

How it Works
 Engage your students in any topic, such as the Olympics/Paralympics.
Encourage them to consider the topic from a variety of perspectives,
e.g. an athlete, coach, or spectator. What unique point of view might
each person bring to the topic? Imagine the thoughts that might run
through the head of an athlete as he competes in his event, for
example. How might a coach feel as she watches her athlete compete at
the highest level?

Add Complexity
 Encourage students to research an unfamiliar Olympic/Paralympic event
and incorporate that information into their poems. What descriptive
details might be included in a poem about a table tennis or goalball
competitor? How about a gymnast?

Start Writing
 Have students complete each prompt in the “I Am” poem format (I am, I
see, I pretend, I dream, etc.), using information from their own
background knowledge and new information from research. Use the
example below from Kelly Kennedy Mimms to help your students get their
creative juices flowing:

I am a track and field athlete and Olympic/Paralympic hopeful.
 I wonder how it would feel to stand on the podium in red, white, and
blue; a gold medal around my neck.
 I hear the naysayers warn that the odds are stacked against me.
 I see myself running a victory lap, the American flag draped over my back.
 I want to be an example for all the underdogs of the world.
 I am a go-getter who won’t stop until I have accomplished my goal.
 I pretend to fly as the wind whips by me on the track.
 I touch my hand over my heart; the national anthem plays in my ear.
 I worry, sometimes, that I am not fast enough.
 I cry when my muscles burn from the constant grind.
 I am determined, still.
 I understand that the only way to make it is through hard work and
never giving up.
 I say thank you to all my family and friends who cheer me on from the stands.
 I dream of making everyone proud.
 I try to outpace the competition.
 I hope, like all the great ones, to see my face on a Wheaties box someday.
 I am going to get there.