(WSVN) - When 16 students were told, “No, you can’t” one teacher told them, “Yes, you can.” And now those students, who go to one of the roughest schools in Miami-Dade County, are book authors! 7’s Robbin Simmons has their story of Hope and Healing.
Inspiration comes to us in different ways. For these Miami Norland Senior High School students, inspiration comes from hardship — a hardship they learned to embrace.
Glenda Moton, Miami Norland Senior High: “Good afternoon, everybody.”
Students: “Good afternoon.”
Glenda Moton has been a teacher for 18 years.
She has a kind and encouraging voice, and a mutual respect with her students.
Ms. Moton was reading a book in class about three African-American teenage boys who made a pact to beat the streets and become successful doctors. That’s when she realized…
Glenda Moton: “My students were experiencing some of the same challenges that they experienced when they were growing up.”
So she had an idea. She would encourage her students to write their own book.
Glenda Moton: “I said, ‘How would you all like to write your own personal narratives in the form of a poem or a short story?'”
Trachell, student author: “I was really excited when she proposed the idea to write a book.”
But it wasn’t easy.
Sunsurray Wyn, concerned parent: “They need to find a better solution to keep the guns out of school.”
These students have faced gun scares at the school. They’ve also had classmates gunned down in some of the roughest neighborhoods in Miami-Dade County.
In addition to all that, Rodney lost his father last year to a deadly disease.
Rodney Vaughn, student author: “I really thought this was a great way for me to open up and show others how I felt.”
Other students struggle with how others treat them.
Shanice, student author: “Being told you’re a failure.”
Alisha, student author: “I am constantly reminded that I could be a failure.”
But Ms. Moton encouraged students in this class to turn their failure into success by facing criticism head on.
Breanna, student author (reading): “She really loved him, and with her happiness came mine as well.”
She told them to dig deeper into their troubles, put it on paper.
Allasia, student author (reading): “But things must die before they turn beautiful to the max.”
And what they made was beautiful.
Asayah, student author (reading): “Live life and be proud of who you are, and not who people want you to be.”
Ms. Moton was so proud of what her students created, she got a grant and threw in some of her own money to publish their work. The book is called “iRead, iThink, iWrite.”
Glenda Moton: “I always tell my students, even though we’re in Miami Gardens, that they don’t have to become a victim of your community, but that they can become a success.”
Proceeds from the book will be used for other writing projects and for scholarships for the students. If you would like to find out how to purchase one, click on the link below.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
iRead, iThink, iWrite
https://www.lulu.com/
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