The Declamations Program is a chance for our 8th graders to become authors. They demonstrate their mastery of storytelling, of an author's craft and purpose, and share their work with an authentic audience - you.
As the author Catherine Burns tells us in her introduction to The Moth Presents All These Wonders: True Stories About Facing the Unknown: “The number-one quality of all great storytellers is their willingness to be vulnerable, to tell on themselves in front of thousands. Each story told is a gift to the listeners. But the audience brings a gift of their own...Bearing witness to a stranger’s unfiltered story is an act of tremendous compassion...When we dare to listen, we remember that there is no ‘other’ there is only us.”
Her words encapsulate our hope for the 2024 Declamation Program.
As the audience, we celebrate with our storytellers at the final step of the writing process they’ve worked through over four weeks. The task was to be a great storyteller by crafting and sharing a personal narrative, collection of poetry, or original fiction. Students began by researching personal narrative mentor texts, videos, and podcasts to find inspiration in authors’ crafts and storytelling techniques they could apply in their writing. Then, they carefully conceived and pitched story ideas, planned, drafted, conferenced, revised, edited, and rehearsed their stories for you. They are both vulnerable and brave; we ask you to enjoy their stories, be compassionate, and listen not for the “other” but for the “us.”
Warmly,
The 8th Grade English Teachers
Ms. Tobler & Mr. Wieland