A colleague of mine mentioned that she was going to attempt a shared writing using the current suffix we were studying. It sounded like a great opportunity for my students, so we also composed a shared writing together using words with the suffix -al. After, my colleague and I discussed our experiences with the shared writing. She had a tremendous experience and mine was good but not outstanding. I was a bit disappointed and wondered how I could improve upon the experience.
After reading Chapter 5, I realized that I had a different understanding of what shared writing was all about. When I taught second grade it was impressed upon teachers that when students share ideas you should always write exactly what they shared, so I used this technique with my shared writing and did not implement the part where I as the teacher expand on the students ideas and paraphrase their thinking while demonstrating cohesive writing. I am excited to try shared writing in my classroom soon.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Chapter 4 Raise Your Expectations
I have to say, I found some of the statements the author said offensive. I have taught in a variety of school environments: small enrollment, large enrollment, disadvantaged and advantaged, etc... Yes, I have felt empathetic to many of my students over the years, but I have never and will never have low expectations for my students regardless of any extenuating circumstances. I have plainly and simply never given up on a child! There may be times when it is more difficult to connect with a particular student, but all the teachers I know find that connection.
However, I whole-heartedly agree with the author on the fact that students know when we think they are smart and capable and that high expectations must be accompanied by close, trusting relationships in which students bond with the teacher and feel safe to take a risk. This is key to not just writing, but to all areas of the educational environment.
However, I whole-heartedly agree with the author on the fact that students know when we think they are smart and capable and that high expectations must be accompanied by close, trusting relationships in which students bond with the teacher and feel safe to take a risk. This is key to not just writing, but to all areas of the educational environment.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Chapter 3 Share Your Writing Life
It's almost as if the author could read my mind. I used to enjoy sharing my writing with friends and family, but sharing my writing is very hard for me now. You wouldn't believe how many times I edited my first two blogs. The anxiety of clicking the Publish Post button was just too much. I almost immediately clicked Edit Posts. However, it is reassuring to hear my fellow teachers admit they feel similarly.
I do model my writing with my students, but only once in a great while. I am much more likely to model revising techniques with my class. Which seems funny, because you couldn't ask for a more compassionate audience then your own students.
I recently asked my students to write a 100 word story. They could choose the topic, but it had to include 100 of something in the story and had to have exactly 100 words. I thought this would be a perfect time to model my own writing with my class, so I got out my computer and not one word processing application worked. Just ask Bill! More surprising is that I was genuinely disappointed. I think that's a good sign. As for my students, I could tell that only a few found the writing to be too broad and needed more control. We discussed how they problem solved if the words were more or less then 100. Here were some responses: I made a contraction, I changed several words to this, I added more to my story. What a great way to have students learn to revise.
I agree with the author about connecting reading and writing. As we read a novel in class, we will discuss the language the author used. I feel I need to take better advantage of modeling my own reading more when my students read.
I never gave it much thought about why I teach writing the way I do. After this chapter and taking note of the author's suggestion to pay attention to my own writing process, it makes sense to me. My daughter always struggled when her teachers asked her to brainstorm using a web. Her web always became linear. I would reassured her that that happens to me. We both like to write and revise as we go. If we do, then surely my students have their own style. I now approach the traditional writing process as one model I teach my students, not the model.
I do model my writing with my students, but only once in a great while. I am much more likely to model revising techniques with my class. Which seems funny, because you couldn't ask for a more compassionate audience then your own students.
I recently asked my students to write a 100 word story. They could choose the topic, but it had to include 100 of something in the story and had to have exactly 100 words. I thought this would be a perfect time to model my own writing with my class, so I got out my computer and not one word processing application worked. Just ask Bill! More surprising is that I was genuinely disappointed. I think that's a good sign. As for my students, I could tell that only a few found the writing to be too broad and needed more control. We discussed how they problem solved if the words were more or less then 100. Here were some responses: I made a contraction, I changed several words to this, I added more to my story. What a great way to have students learn to revise.
I agree with the author about connecting reading and writing. As we read a novel in class, we will discuss the language the author used. I feel I need to take better advantage of modeling my own reading more when my students read.
I never gave it much thought about why I teach writing the way I do. After this chapter and taking note of the author's suggestion to pay attention to my own writing process, it makes sense to me. My daughter always struggled when her teachers asked her to brainstorm using a web. Her web always became linear. I would reassured her that that happens to me. We both like to write and revise as we go. If we do, then surely my students have their own style. I now approach the traditional writing process as one model I teach my students, not the model.
Chapter 2 Start with Celebration
The idea of celebrating student writing is not a new concept. Most teachers firmly agree that all student work should be celebrated. It just seems to be too easy to loose this element within the time constraints we are under and standards we must teach.
I had recently been presented with the idea of creating "Valentines for Veterans" but put it off to the side because I wasn't really looking forward to taking time out of my curriculum to have my students make a card. Then Vicky shared with me that she was going to have her students write a poem and publish it by adding a graphic from the internet as part of creating the Valentine's card. Since I had used poetry to model my writing in the past. I decided that I would take this opportunity, but was concerned with my students' limited connection to the topic.
Routman suggests using stories as a springboard which is something my students and I both enjoy, so I shared a personal story about creating a valentine when I was in Brownies and how the Veteran's hospital had given my card to a vet with the same last name as mine and how we became pen pals.
As a class, we brainstormed vocabulary we might use in our writing. I gave my students the choice to write using any poetic format they wished, including free verse. This seemed to ease some of their concerns. I did not model my writing on this particular assignment. Most of my students conferenced with me at some point in the assignment, but none were at a loss for what to say.
Some of the topics we conferenced about were teachable moments, like: appropriate word form, tone for the chosen audience, fluency and concise writing.
I was absolutely amazed at how well my students wrote for their audience.
I had recently been presented with the idea of creating "Valentines for Veterans" but put it off to the side because I wasn't really looking forward to taking time out of my curriculum to have my students make a card. Then Vicky shared with me that she was going to have her students write a poem and publish it by adding a graphic from the internet as part of creating the Valentine's card. Since I had used poetry to model my writing in the past. I decided that I would take this opportunity, but was concerned with my students' limited connection to the topic.
Routman suggests using stories as a springboard which is something my students and I both enjoy, so I shared a personal story about creating a valentine when I was in Brownies and how the Veteran's hospital had given my card to a vet with the same last name as mine and how we became pen pals.
As a class, we brainstormed vocabulary we might use in our writing. I gave my students the choice to write using any poetic format they wished, including free verse. This seemed to ease some of their concerns. I did not model my writing on this particular assignment. Most of my students conferenced with me at some point in the assignment, but none were at a loss for what to say.
Some of the topics we conferenced about were teachable moments, like: appropriate word form, tone for the chosen audience, fluency and concise writing.
I was absolutely amazed at how well my students wrote for their audience.
Chapter 1 Simplify the Teaching of Writing
I can honestly say that at one time or another, I sounded like the teachers described at the beginning of this chapter that complained about their students' writing ability. As if by magic, my students should become good writers. When I became a 5th grade Language Arts teacher I formed new beliefs and found a new passion for writing. I didn't have much guidance and it was definitely not a simple process, and I might have even used a little of this from 'a program' and a little of that. In so doing, I also formed the belief, "Teaching writing well is like giving our students a lifetime gift." I actually feel that my expectations for my students' writing increased in the process. I enjoyed conferencing with my students on their writing and watching them when they found just the right way to communicate what they wanted to say. No, not every student was at the same level or wrote with the same amount of easy, but my students became more confident writers with an increased joy for writing.
I now struggle with the fact that writing has taken a back seat to other subjects in my 6th grade classroom and I don't know why. I have struggled with feelings of being an inadequate teacher of writing for about a year. I ask myself, "Is it because of all the state assessments, changing of grade levels, time or the fact that I don't just teach Reading and Language Arts?" So I am thankful for this class. I don't necessarily agree with all the author has said, but I hope that it will inspire me to take that first step again to improving and refining my instructional practices so I can give writing the central, meaningful, enjoyable place I believe it deserves in my curriculum.
I now struggle with the fact that writing has taken a back seat to other subjects in my 6th grade classroom and I don't know why. I have struggled with feelings of being an inadequate teacher of writing for about a year. I ask myself, "Is it because of all the state assessments, changing of grade levels, time or the fact that I don't just teach Reading and Language Arts?" So I am thankful for this class. I don't necessarily agree with all the author has said, but I hope that it will inspire me to take that first step again to improving and refining my instructional practices so I can give writing the central, meaningful, enjoyable place I believe it deserves in my curriculum.
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