Jeanee Hoffman, who coaches at Berkeley High, tells this story, and nothing I can verbalize about WriterCoach Connection says it better:
"At the beginning of the coaching session, I told Khaleed that I had made a donation to the upcoming CAFL Read-and-Write-a-Thon in his honor. He seemed delighted to learn this.
"We started on the assignment--brainstorm on eight essay topics on the novel In the Time of Butterflies. I asked him, 'Of those eight topics, which one interests you the least, the one that you are unlikely to pursue?'
"After he pointed out his answer, I then asked him to pick out his top three. We brainstormed well on these. Feeling sufficiently 'warmed up,' I went back to the first one he had earlier eliminated and asked him what he now thought. Suddenly there was a huge smile on his face and he said, 'Yep, this IS the one I want to write about. In fact, I know already what the three body paragraphs will be about.' He continued to expound on his thoughts, while inside I was shouting, Yay!!
"We moved on to the rest of the topics and time was running low. I told him that I would not be at the next and final session, as family matters called me out of town. He seemed hopeful that he would be coached again next school year, and I remained non-committal, since I do not think we coach Juniors.
"I then pointed to a graphic of a butterfly and said, 'This is you. You are flying.' The bell rang, and I asked him, 'Can I shake your hand?'
"With an emphatic, 'No,' he stood up and gave me the biggest hug.
"As he left the classroom he said, 'Write a book about me someday...okay?'
"While these few paragraphs hardly constitute a book, I do have to write about him. I write this both to share with others and for myself as a reminder as to the difference that one person can make in another's life."
If Jeanee's story doesn't make you want to join the rest of us in WriterCoach Connection, or stay if you are already part of the family, I don't know what will.
Bob Menzimer
