Teaching Writing

When I first teach writing early in the year, I tell my students to just write about anything they want.  They usually stare at me awhile, confused from years of "Today write about Fall".  I nudge them along with the advice, "Write what's in your head.  Did you get in a fight on the bus?  Did you see a movie over the weekend?"  When I got this paper back I was confused.  Calling the student back to my desk I said, "Honey, tell me about your writing."  She replied, "Well, you said to write what was in my head and all that was in there was "Uhhhhh....Uhhhhhh....Uhhhhhhh..."