I teach my students about the power of words， and I try to let them find release and expression through writing. We learn to trust each other in writing class because we learn how hard it is to write openly and honestly， and we learn that sharing your words takes courage. I see courage every day in my classroom， and I am always amazed at the words that come from my students' hearts.
One such example of courage took place during author' s chair， a sharing session at the end of our writer' s workshop in which students volunteer to share what they have written. We had a new student to the school， Al. Al was small and， with his dimpled cheeks and baby face， he looked younger than his classmates.