Design a handout with the following headings (the boldface words). The headings can be designed creatively on the page in different typefaces and fonts. Pass out a handout to each student and then read each of the sentence starters that go with the headings. Pause between sentence starters to allow the students to think of a memory and to write down a word, phrase, or symbol that reminds them of the memory.
My Success Stories
- The first time I knew someone was very proud of me was . . .
- My greatest accomplishment this school year was . . .
- My most recent success is . . .
Learning the Hard Way
- A lesson I had to learn the hard way was . . .
Childhood Favorites
- As a kid, my favorite thing to do with my family was . . .
- As I kid, my favorite outdoor place to play was . . .
Family Summer Fun
- The best vacation experience I had was . . .
Grown-Up
- I first realized I was no longer a child when . . .
You Are My Hero
- My childhood hero was . . .
- My hero today is . . .
Special Gift
- The most special gift I ever received was . . .
God’s Presence
- A time I recognized God’s presence in my life was . . .
Disappointed
- The greatest disappointment I ‘ve ever had was . . .
After you have read the sentence starters and the students have marked their papers, ask them to pair with a partner for sharing. Read a category. Tell one person in each group to begin sharing, uninterrupted. Allow a few minutes and then call “time.” Tell the other person to share. Repeat the process for each category, alternating between the two partners to begin sharing.
At the end of the discussion, call on volunteers to share one interesting memory they heard from their partner. Alternatively, have each person write a short summary of the favorite memory they heard from their partner.
