Barney was really struggling at school, homework seldom done, wagging class, coming late, fighting in the playground. His teachers despaired of how to engage him.
When walking home one night Mr Burnett spied another kid spraying the walls. These graffiti artists were costing council a lot of money to blank out their undecipherable scrawls.
But as this one finished and turned to leave his face was surely Barney. Then Burnett saw the artwork that Barney had left … This was no scrawl this kid had talent!
Next day Burnett convinced the Head to supply Barney’s cans and work began.
Carrot Ranch Challenge, December 6, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about graffiti. It can be an artist, art or the medium itself. Get out your can of spray paint and go where the prompt leads you.
aroused 
I just stumbles across this post and recognised the piece which I saw and too this shot of in my 2016… https://theartblogger54.wordpress.com/2019/01/23/street-art-australia-lismore-artist-unknown-1/
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thanks, yours is definitely the better shot!
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What a wonderful story, And heartwarming as well. Well done (and all with just 99 words). ~nan
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[…] Engaging Students by kate @ aroused […]
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An uplifting solution. I’m a big believer in connecting purpose with strengths.
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yes that’s evident in your writing Charli … wish more parents and teachers would get into it
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Keep putting it out there for them.
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I love this, Kate, so positive.
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Teachers should be trained to spot students with special skill or talent. Unfortunatelu their are very few ones who can really spot real talent without having to show it off first…and sometimes an initially messy work could turn out to be a masterpiece if given the chance
My kids are creative writers and artists…and their rooms are always at mess but i always give them the chance to clear up the mess for me to see the masterpiece.
I remembered my then 5 yrs old youngest and 7 yr old 3rd daughter used to share a room. One day i was shocked to see their built in cabinets filled with paintings…the kind of paintings a mom would be furious for vandalizing an expensively painted wall and cabinet…turned out to be it was there first attempt to creating beautiful artworks..
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lol love this story of their art Mich … a great one to tell as they get older 🙂
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What a lovely positive story!
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thanks so much … follows on from my poem about needing curriculum changes 🙂
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This is such a much needed awareness and perspective my friend! Many a dreams get stifled because of lack of it at a very young age. I appreciate your posts for that reason.
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yes our system needs to be more flexible to encourage creativity and practicality … the academics will always achieve!
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Sometimes all we need is a gentle assist. 🙂
I am really behind on reading. I’m also not sure if I will post my Carrot Ranch rodeo pieces.
They are after all there in that compilation.
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seems like I’m the only one posting mine … but they are my work and I enjoyed writing them … no hassle to me that they didn’t make the top six 🙂
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Love this, Kate! It brought smiles! 🙂
We need more people like Mr Burnett in the world! 🙂
Personally, I love good graffiti, street art, murals, chalk art on sidewalks, etc.! 🙂
When we moved into our current house (years ago) the little kids in the neighborhood would talk to me on my walks and one day they asked if they could do chalk drawings in front of my house. (They did it in front of their houses.) I said Yes! and that I would love it! So very often I’d go out and find hearts, flowers, and other cool sweet drawings on my sidewalk. 🙂 The rain would wash it away or the kids would erase it and start over. 🙂 After they grew up and/or moved and quit doing sidewalk chalk fun, I missed them and their drawings.
HUGS!!! 🙂
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what a lovely way to express themselves on our very boring sidewalks or walls … this is from the same laneway where I took that fairy tale photo … got lots of shots that will adorn my posts over the week … I struggle to drawn on paper but to recreate images that size is real talent!
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Oh, you are right about that! 🙂 I’ve even seen some very large very good graffiti art on train cars. I’m sure the train company, or whatever they are called, were not amused.
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no they seldom are … I’m not a fan of tagging, but do love the artistic works 🙂
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School would be much more effective if students could concentrate 75% of their efforts on the area they love and 25% on a few core subjects. Engaging post!
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thanks Marie, seems we agree once more!
Or even 50/50 would be more engaging and useful for students 🙂
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We need this, reminds me of a couple of projects I worked on, so helpful.
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gets better results than forcing them into subjects they don’t excel at … far wiser to nurture their talent or interest to keep them engaged 🙂
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Yes, I was once part of a creative intervention in the school I worked in, a minor revolution.
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it should be compulsory!
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Well it is in some ways over here since that year, it has been taken on to some degree, needs more though.
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very glad to hear that and it maybe in some schools but I’d like to see it common practice
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Great story. People see graffiti and fail to recognise talent.
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you are so right about that GH … some of these are real artists, we are now paying some to decorate our large outback silos and it’s drawing tourists to visit small dying towns 🙂
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That’s my kind of story. I love it. So real and filled with hope for the future.
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