A group of second-grade students at West Side Elementary School became published authors thanks to their teacher’s creative approach to writing. Gracie Frank, a second-grade teacher in her first year, guided her students in writing and illustrating a book about their future aspirations.

“As a class, we decided to order the materials to write a class book and have it published,” Frank said. “Once the materials arrived, we began brainstorming ideas on what we wanted to write about. The kids came up with the brilliant idea of writing about what they wanted to be when they grew up!”

Each page of the book was written and illustrated by a different student, allowing them to express their dreams and develop their writing skills.

“The kids were able to discover what a rough draft and final draft are and how to correct mistakes in their writing,” Frank said. “I wanted a fun way for the kids to be invested in writing, and this did just that.”
Frank said her goal was to instill a love for writing in her students while showing them that their work could be published and shared with others.

“My wish for writing this book was to get the kids excited about learning to write,” she said. “I wanted to show them that they can have something they create and be proud of it. As their teacher, I am impressed with how much hard work they put into this! Things like this and the excitement on their faces make what I do so much more worth it.”

The project received overwhelming support from the community. The Picayune Rotary Club donated funds to help purchase books for students who had not yet received a copy. Club members also made a surprise visit to the classroom, delivering a king cake to celebrate the student’s accomplishments.

“We are so thankful for our community and our school for always making sure we are seen for our successes, especially our students’ successes at West Side Elementary,” Frank said.

The book-writing process, which took about two months from start to finish, taught students valuable lessons in brainstorming, drafting, and revising their work. Frank said she plans to make this an annual project in her classroom.

“This was my first time doing this, but I want to do it yearly,” she said. “It was a little overwhelming at first, but it was so worth it. Next year, I want to improve the brainstorming process by having students write out their ideas individually before we choose a topic as a class. I also want to introduce peer editing to help them improve their writing skills even more.”

The students’ career aspirations ranged from becoming doctors and scientists to WWE wrestlers and truck drivers. Frank said she enjoyed seeing each child’s personality shine through in their writing.

“I liked hearing their ideas and watching them take what they thought and put it on paper,” she said. “It was cool to see how different they all are.”

Frank was inspired to do the project after working as a teaching assistant in the Hancock School District, where a mentor introduced her to the idea. She later came across the publishing opportunity on social media and decided to bring it to her classroom.

“When I told the students we were going to do this, they were so excited,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud of them for what they’ve accomplished.”

The published book has been a source of pride for the students, who eagerly share it with anyone willing to read their work. Frank hopes the experience will leave a lasting impression on them and encourage a lifelong love of writing.