Chapter 3: Share Your Writing Life
• Write together as a staff
• Note your writing practices
• Tell students why you write
Chapter Two of Regie’s book segues right into her third chapter, “Share Your Writing Life.” In this chapter Regie drives home the importance of teachers sharing their writing process with their students. She encourages teachers to become writers in front of their students, on their own and with their staff, and also to share their daily writing practices with their students. The purpose of the assignment below (Assignment #3) is to get you writing.
ASSIGNMENT THREE: Sharing Your Writing Life!
For many of us, writing is not enjoyable and/or is very difficult. Perhaps it is because we ourselves were never celebrated as writers. Or perhaps we only remember the “skills” based comments written in various colored pens on our papers…that always sliced deep (and turned many of us into “non-writers.”) These comments never really helped our writing become any better. As a requirement of a summer writing institute (which I was conned into attending “so that I could become a better teacher of writing”) I (Jackie) bit the bullet and wrote extensively throughout the course. What they say is true: the more I wrote, the more I enjoyed it, and I believe I grew as a writer. The goal of this two-part assignment is to get you writing.
Part One:
For the first part of this assignment you need to think about topics for your own writing (ideas/stories that you can share to excite your students) and then actually write a short piece (ideally in front of your students.) If you do not presently have the opportunity to write in front of your students then please complete the activity on your own.
1. Use the topic idea list from Regie’s “Try It and Apply It” on page 26. Choose several topics, and then create a list of sub-topics for each.
2. Choose the sub-topic that most interests you and write a short piece that you can use to model writing in front of your students.
Part Two:
1. On pages 45-46, Regie gives suggestions for writing exercises for the start of school (or really anytime you need to get writing started.) Follow her criteria for “Capturing A Moment” (from the summer or any other time ) and draft a short piece. Follow the directions in the chart on page 46.
2. After completing the draft, which should take no more than 10 minutes, take a moment to write down some of your observations of your writing process. Again, use the suggestions from the chart or the bullets below:
o What are you thinking about as you are composing?
o What exactly did you do to plan, to get started writing, when you got stuck, or when you completed your piece?
o What does your process look like? Do you write straight through? Stop to re-read? Revise as you go? Look up information? Edit?
The goal of this activity is to get you to write - which will hopefully get you more comfortable writing in front of your children! Complete this activity and let us know how it went by sharing your answers to some of the bulleted questions above.
Please post your comments to the course blog. (We don’t need to see your writing piece. We are more interested in your thought process as you completed the exercise.)
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Michelle
ReplyDeleteAssignment 3
The first piece of writing I tried was the topic "the start of school". I had looked at the list on page 26 and knew that there were many topics that interested me and that I had a lot to write about but using the start of school appealed to me the most because it was the one that was most on my mind. It was the topic that I had the most emotional connection with. Just thinking about the beginning of school really brings up so many different types of feelings. I have been feeling both excitement and apprehension for what lies ahead in the fall.
I then had to think about how to organize my thoughts so that they are clear and make sense. I made a list of my thoughts and then selected just a couple to write about. I think that will be an important piece to share with students in the fall when I model writing.
The second writing piece about capturing a moment from summer was a bit easier for me. Looking at the chart that listed the criteria made it easier to organize. I also think that writing about a moment that you have experience helps put things in a more chronological order and it almost writes itself. The important piece to share with students would be how to revise my writing so that it is precise and yet still descriptive.
When writing I actually wrote straight through and then reread to see what was important to keep and what I could get rid of. So my revisions were after I had written the initial piece and then I would let it “sit” and then go back to it again. I do a lot of editing while I am writing. If this was a piece that I would be sharing with others I would probably have someone else read it to help me edit. I think a second set of eyes is always helpful when editing a piece before publishing it.
Michelle, I'm not sure if you're one that needs a push to write, but I know I am. It is very powerful to be able reflect on your own writing process and be able to share that with your students. It comes so naturally with reading for me, but I needed the extra shove to transfer the same thinking over to me being comfortable enough with my writing to share. Both of your pieces will be perfect to share with your 4/5/6 split next year :)
ReplyDeleteI’ve always been drawn to this kind of writing—capturing a moment. When I think back to creative writing I’ve done for assignments and for my own personal life, mostly poems and journal entries, I find that capturing a moment gives me a goal as a writer, and usually through the description of the moment, especially “zooming in” on the sensory details of the moment, I’m able to express a bigger, deeper idea. For instance, for the writing exercise, I wanted to capture the feelings of contentment and peace and timelessness of a summer night, and though I have many summer stories that I could write about, I chose one that was small, and recent—a campfire experience from last weekend.
ReplyDeleteIn my own writing process, I do a lot of stopping and thinking. I am not the kind of writer who dives in and does stream-of-consciousness writing. I like to have a really good first sentence, and I will often think and think and think and think and play with words in my mind before I write the lead. For me, that helps me set the tone of the piece; it gives me some direction and confidence as a writer. During the writing, I will also stop mid-sentence or mid-paragraph and think about what I want to say next. This part of my process makes me realize that some children might have the same needs as a writer—they might not put pencil to paper immediately upon sitting down, they might stop and think many times in the middle of a piece.
I do a lot of rereading—to hear how the words fit together in a sentence, and how the sentences fit together in the piece. I also reread to remind myself of the direction and focus of the piece—I guess to help myself stay on topic.
Several years ago, I read an interview with Bruce Springsteen, and something he said about his own writing process struck me. I am paraphrasing, but he said something like if he can have even just one great line in a song, then it’s a good song. Of course, I think he has many great lines in each song, but what he said resonated for me! I usually have one or two lines in a writing piece that I’m really proud of—sometimes they get written in the first draft, and sometimes I revise and edit and cross-out until that line sounds just right. This sense of pride about what I’ve written—even if it’s just one line—this is what I would like to help my students recognize when they feel this about something they’ve written.
I got stuck on the ending—usually by the time I get to the end of a piece, I’m ready to be done, and I rush the ending. In rereading it, I wasn’t happy with it, so I put it down and came back to it later. I was able to see that I wanted to add more sensory images—that would help capture the moment better than explaining why I felt contentment around the campfire. This part of the writing process is important for my students as well—coming back to a piece the next day, rereading, and putting time and effort into the ending.
Meghan - thanks for sharing your reflections on your writing process. I loved your comment about Bruce Springsteen...and your own about being proud when you have that really great line or two in your own writing. That's what we have to be able to celebrate in our students writing. Long story short....but as a colleague reminded me years ago (as I was sitting depressed one year after reading some pieces my students had written after a Cynthia Rylant unit of study), "they're 4th graders, NOT Cynthia Rylant." We have to celebrate and acknowledge their small accomplishments throughout their own writing processes.
ReplyDeleteI wrote about meeting my husband which happened 4 years ago this week. As I was writing, I didn’t so much re-read until the end of it but I do a huge amount of stopping to choose a word, back up and delete/erase to clarify meaning, and to think through what I am actually trying to say. I have always know this about myself but sometimes am more aware of just how much I think through writing. I realize new things that make me stop and think. For example, as I was writing, I realized a few details of our meeting that I had either forgotten or simply never noticed before even though I have certainly thought about this moment many times. The process of writing it out brought details to my attention that I would have otherwise never been drawn to consider. The moment itself doesn’t change but my awareness of it is definitely impacted by the process of writing.
ReplyDeleteAs I write I tend to write straight through, except for the word to word/phrase to phrase changes that I make as a type. I know that when I write by hand I make fewer of these which is probably due to the fact that I slow down and savor words a bit more. (I’m not the most computer-friendly type person so usually I still do things by hand first.) To get started I don’t spend a great deal of time planning what I will write. I start in with something that is not so much of an organizing sentence as something that sets context. I do this more for myself than for a reader but it probably helps a reader as well. When I am writing something very lengthy like an article, I almost always write what I call a “faux” introduction…something to just get me to answer the question of what am I actually writing about. I usually delete this whole section after I finish writing because by the end, I have a better sense of what I actually am thinking and need to make the intro fit. I also revise conclusions quite a bit. My editing comes as I transfer from paper to typing sometimes but I also do quite a bit based on feedback if I am lucky enough to get some. It is quite true that when a friend or peer spends too much time “red-lining” my work, I get VERY discouraged. I crave feedback on ideas. Sure I need help with proofing sometimes because I miss my own mistakes, but I like to focus on idea revision and clarification more. Those are the things that seem to matter most to me which makes sense, I think.
I don’t so much look up information as I write because I am such an avid note-taker and I have everything right at hand. I know which quotes I want to use if it is a scholarly piece but there are times when I get a new idea as I am writing and have to dig through to find supporting evidence or a reminder of where that idea comes from. In my “fun” writing, I don’t really look up anything at all. I get caught up in the writing itself (as you can probably tell from these reflections). One idea leads to the next and I don’t feel satisfied until I have explored the directions that they might lead.
Now that I think about it, this kind of reflection on the writing process is much more engaging than the self-reflection prompts that I give my students for their own writing (or the peer reflections also). I don’t see why I couldn’t model this with my students right from the beginning of the year as I am getting to know them and they are getting to know each other. If the classroom community is strong and safe, this would be a wonderful way to ask students to think about themselves as learners and writers even in the first weeks. Hmmmm…
Joelle Beget
ReplyDeleteAssignment #3
Writing
I wrote about how I used to do multiple Easter egg hunts as a child. As I was composing my piece, I was thinking about trying to use descriptive words and I was visualizing what I think I looked like then. I visualized the Easter eggs and the candy. I was trying to tell the story clearly as I saw it in my head.
I got stuck once, because I didn’t know best how to describe appropriately what I wanted the reader to get from my writing. I stopped and thought about it, and I found the right word after pausing for about 30 seconds.
I wrote straight through, but I did stop about three quarters of the way done, and I reread. I didn’t revise at all as I wrote; I just wanted to focus on telling my story clearly.
I felt happy just thinking about this childhood memory, and I liked my final sentence, because I felt like it tied it all together.
Annarose and Joelle- thanks for sharing your writing process with us. It's so interesting to hear how everyone processes their writing differently (which is why we need to share all different authors with our students!). Just as you stated how you crave feedback, so do our students. I love how you commented on wanting your feedback to focus on idea revision and clarification, NOT the mechanics. This is an important point for us to think about as writing teachers...yes, the mechanics are important and our students need to be responsible for the mechanics we teach...but its the ideas and the message that our students are trying to get across to their readers that are so much more important!!!
ReplyDeleteHello Jackie and Mary,
ReplyDeleteAs I developed my sub-topic list I decided to write about a special memory; what it was like when I was young, specifically a 5th grader. My starting place for modeling was to make a list with the heading When I was Young and I told my students I did a lot of sports so I wrote sports as a sub topic. Next I told my kids that I lived in many places when I was young so I scribed places I lived and last I put the sub topic being a 5th grader. And I told them that I really wanted to tell them what it was like way back then so I put a check next to being a 5th grader. At this point is where I set the timer for 10 minutes. I shared with my students why I set the timer and how I am practicing developing my writing muscle. On the same piece of paper I wrote and briefly talked about how I think of the where, what and who that would get my writing started. So I wrote where/CA, name of school/LaVeta, things I did, friends and pets in a list format. Then I started to write a paragraph and continued to practice thinking out loud in order to model the writing process. In making observations about my modeling I found that I write differently on the computer than in free hand. I do a lot more editing and revising as I go along when I’m on the computer (it’s so easy and tidy). When I wrote for my students I kept writing the ideas down and kept going with little stopping for editing and revision. I would stop and refer to my where, what and who list to keep the ideas coming. I also modeled using abbreviations (CA for California) so I didn’t have to stop and worry about the spelling until later. I didn’t reread much as I wrote this first exercise.
With my second writing exercise, I modeling a similar way of starting but found I needed to model rereading as I wrote. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t have my where, what, who list but used the criteria from page 46 in the textbook. Another habit I used is putting parentheses around words and phrases that I might want to revisit, modeling once again how to keep writing. My process sounded something like this, “ I’m not sure if that is how I want to say it so I’ll put parentheses around this part so I can come back and reread later.” Sometimes a word will just evaporate before I have a chance to write it down so I modeled rereading and putting a line where that invisible word needs to go and kept writing.
This was great fun and I wanted to keep writing and revisiting my process. I hope my students will feel just as enthusiastic when I try it next school year.
Talk with you later, Katherine
I enjoyed this activity as well as reading what some of the others have written after I had already reflected. I could relate to some of you with things you noticed. It is interesting how we all noticed and took this assignment differently - just like our students do!
ReplyDeleteI started by making a list of various topics and then looking at the sub topics I could write about from there so that I would have a small moment story. I also tried to pick a subject that I knew my students could relate with. I wrote about a bike ride that my mom and I took together. One of the teaching points in 2nd grade seems to be zooming in for that small moment.
Even after choosing a small moment, I still found myself rambling through my story. Before I knew it my beginning was so long and I had not even left for my bike ride yet! I find that I stop constantly and keep re-reading. This seems to help keep me some what focused. I also was able to go back slowly and add some detail or take out things that got too off topic. I tend to write like I talk! =) Putting my ideas onto a graphic organizer helps keep my ideas for my story in that focused state. It also helped me as I wrote this to be in a quiet environment so I didn’t get distracted.
I also realized how my second graders are a lot better at writing than I give them credit for always! This is hard and I think I've forgotten that! It shows me how even more importantly it is for us to keep writing to become better writing teachers. I still need to go back and fix this ending ...and maybe the beginning. =)
Thanks Katherine and Kelley! It's great to read how differently we all process our writing and each of you had powerful things to share with your students. You both were able to see what a powerful tool re-reading is and hopefully see how important it is to share that information with your students!
ReplyDeleteFor my writing piece, I ended up choosing a summer childhood reflection of swimming at a lake. It was interesting to read other people’s writing process where they had more planning involved prior to beginning. I still remember in high school being asked to formally outline my writing plan before doing it. I didn’t like it. I wrote my story and then went back to fill in the plan.It is funny to reflect on that because I do teach graphic organizers to my students to help them write.
ReplyDeleteThe main thing I noticed when I write, is that I constantly revise. In my personal writing, if it is on paper, I will have many lines through my work because I wanted to change something. My preference is to write on the computer as I can add and delete as I go.
For planning I really tried to visualize myself in that moment what did I see, hear, and smell. The introduction was easy for me to write but it was more difficult to write the conclusion. That was the only time I paused and reread my piece.
One of the things about my writing that bothers me is it used to be so much better. Now since I write IEP’s all the time my writing is much more technical and less creative.
Tamara - maybe this course will be the springboard for you to find your "inner creative writer" again :)
ReplyDeleteI think it is fascinating how we all approached this assignment just a little bit differently. I think I also "write" differently when it is on the computer versus free hand. Interesting to notice the differences.
ReplyDeleteI chose to write about my first day of first grade because it is such a vivid memory and I think my students would be really interested in it. I spent a good amount of time getting started because I wanted to hook my reader with a good opening sentence. Once I wrote that, I wrote straight through. For that memory, I didn’t need a lot of planning. It was easy to come up with the content, and get my ideas on the page. I reread several times and made quite a few changes. I had a lot of “voice”, but as with everything I write, I had to stop and think about my sentence structure. I struggle with stringing sentences together correctly. I second-guess myself and always want to find a better way to say something. I realized that when I write I always have the same process: free write straight through, then go back and try to make it sound better. Thank goodness for computers, which make this easier to do! I am the queen of deleting and cutting and pasting because my writing is usually so disorganized the first time.
ReplyDeleteThe capturing a moment paragraph was much harder for me. I chose to write about a walk I went on with my mom when I was about 5 or 6. It’s one of my only memories of my mom, and I only remember just a short flash anyway, so it was perfect for this assignment. I remembered small details here and there, so I made a list to brainstorm ideas before I started writing. This really helped with the organizational problem I have. I just wrote down key words quickly to get my ideas flowing. Then I put them in order. This also really helped me in that I tend to get confused when I write because my head is full of ideas that I don’t want to forget, and I’m also trying to clearly articulate those thoughts. Jotting ideas down first gave me the freedom to focus on the latter.
I spent a good amount of time thinking of how I wanted to begin my paragraph. I also spent more time constructing each sentence so that my writing would convey the beauty of the moment. The ending was almost impossible! Unlike a story, there really wasn’t an “ending” to this moment, so I had several different closing sentences before I finally got one that worked best. I reread it several times and tweaked it until it was just write. From both activities, I’ve learned that as a writer, it is really important for me to jot down ideas before I start writing, to organize my thoughts. I also need to reread several times to correct mistakes in my sentence structure, to add details, and to choose more descriptive words or phrases. It also helps for me to walk away from it for a while and then return to it with “fresh eyes”. I found myself asking my husband over and over, “Which sounds better…”
Thinking of my students, I know now I need to give them more time to plan their writing, discuss their ideas, and read their writing to a friend. I also should designate more time for them to reread their writing so that they can make any changes, as well as giving students a break so they can return to their writing with “fresh eyes” (especially if they are getting frustrated from not knowing what to say next). When I demonstrate my writing process in front of my students, I think it will be valuable for them to see how often I reread and make changes. It will also be helpful for them to see that I often debate over two different ways to structure a sentence with the same idea. Finally I see how helpful it is to be able to choose from a few different ideas. Some of the choices would’ve been difficult for me to write about. It was nice to be able to choose a topic that I had a lot to say about.
I've always been a fan of listing multiple topics before settling on one to write about. It's so much less oppressive than having a blank sheet with one topic staring at you. I have students use a graphic organizer before writing to brainstorm at least 5 topics. Usually students pick the third or fourth topic they brainstorm, not the first!
ReplyDeleteMs. Routman's metagnition approach is so simple, but highly effective. It's amazing how much goes on in our minds as we write. I found myself impressed (!) with my level of multitasking. While imagining the memory/story I was also keyboarding, noticing the tomato plant moving in the breeze, thinking about chores for the day, stopping to daze off and compose the next idea in my head, rereading what I already had, doing some editing, and mostly just getting the ideas down.
-Elin Kordahl
Assignment # 3-Sharing Your Writing Life!
ReplyDelete-As I was writing, I kept on thinking about wanting to get all of my thoughts on paper so I could share them with someone else (my husband who was on the trip with me).
-I had a general idea about what I wanted to write about but I wasn’t too concerned about organization, correct grammar, etc., knowing that I would catch that at the end. Often when I am writing, I will make a quick list of things that I want to include but his time I didn’t do that. I just started writing. When I got stuck, I re-read what I had already written and then that spurred me on to revise or write more. When I was finished, I re-read my piece again. Due to the nature of what I wrote about, I will also share it with the person who shared the experience with me. I enjoy sharing my writing which is a good reminder for me to give the students those same opportunities to share their work each time they write.
-My writing process changes with what I am writing. I am a list maker by nature but I didn’t do that for this piece. I stopped to re-read and revise as I went along. If I am writing an informational piece I would look up information at the beginning and then throughout to check for accuracy but I didn’t need to look anything up for this writing. I caught a few editing issues as I wrote but I like to focus more on what I am writing rather than how I am writing it.
Also, I noticed how distractions while I was writing made it difficult to get my brain back into my piece. That was a good “note to self” about when I interrupt my students’ writing to say something that I could probably wait until their writing time is over to share.
-Kim Fast
I really enjoyed this assignment!!! I think that it so important for students to enjoy writing and to feel free to free write. Just get the ideas, thoughts, etc. down on paper without worrying about mechanics.
ReplyDeleteAs I was writing about the meaning of my name I was thinking about my 5th grade teacher and how for the first time I enjoyed writing because she is the one who first really introduced "free writing" to me. I was also thinking about how I can I better teach/encourage my students to free write. I find that so many times they just sit there...even when I say write whatever comes to your mind, let your ideas, thoughts, etc. flow onto the paper...this is something that I really want to do.
I was pretending that I was modeling this for my students and that I am connecting the writing to talking about world culture and personal culture. Encouraging students to interview their parents/famililes about the meaning of their names. Coming up with questions...origin, history, why did their parents choose that name, what did relatives think when they first heard the name, nicknames, middle names, etc.. So, as I was going through all of this in my mind...I realized that this would be a 2 part assignment...brainstorm interview questions one day and then the next day begin writing.
So...I didn't need to interview but I thought about stories I have heard from my parents about my name, the origin of my name, some of my nicknames and I jotted these things down and then began writing. I am old-school so I wrote on notebook paper, skipped lines and would go back over each paragraph as I finished. If I got stuck I went back to the beginning and read through and that usually got me back on track. At the end I went back over, proof read, added, worked on mechanics and even moved a few paragraphs around (skipping lines really helps with this). Overall I really enjoyed taking some time to journal and look forward to working on modeling my writing in front of my students and also journalling along with them next year!!!
Again…it was so interesting to read about Sarah P.’s, Kim’s, and Elin’s writing processes. As you can see, you each processed your writing very differently, and I think that’s important for students to see also. There are different ways that writers process through a piece, and many of your own students in the class will each do it differently, and that’s OK! I completely agree with Sarah’s comment about the importance of time for students to work through the process as well as how important it is to be able to talk about your writing. I also think it’s important for the kids to see, as Kim mentioned, that our writing process might change depending on the genre of the piece. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMy Writing Life
ReplyDeleteFor this assignment I dug out a beautiful beaded journal that was given to me 5 years ago and has been sitting on my shelf collecting dust ever since. I always felt like I needed some grand adventure or fabulous life event to begin writing. I’m glad I was forced to just open it up and begin with small moments.
Part 1
I made a list of topics and chose to write about my new kitten. When it came to sub-topics I only had a few and knew what I wanted to write about after only listing a few things. This made me think of my class and sometimes I would tell kids they needed a certain number of items on their brainstorm or topic list. This is really not authentic and seems to be forcing it.
Like Meghan, I spend some time before writing going over first sentences in my head. It takes me a while to start writing, but once the pen starts to flow, I am on a roll. I enjoyed writing a very short piece and found myself revising as I went and stopping every few sentences or even mid-sentence to reread my piece out loud. Even when I finished I reread it several times after leaving it for a night. I also have to have quiet in order to think and would prefer to write privately without anyone watching me as I read to myself over and over!
Part 2
For “capturing a moment” I found myself drawn to the example in the text and finding it difficult to come up with a different idea than hiking. I eventually decided to write about closing the deal on our new house and walking in. I used the example as my model for jumping write into the action, paying close attention to sensory details, and not putting the topic sentence until a few sentences into the paragraph. It made me think about the modeling I do in front of my students. It seems critical to not only show your thinking process as you plan, write, revise, and edit, but also point out one or two key elements that make the writing special. If we want students to replicate a writing craft like sensory images or inviting leads, we need to model it over and over and give students examples they can use. I used to think kids were copying if their writing followed the same pattern as my examples or those in books, but now I see it is part of the learning and growing process.
Observations of my writing process:
ReplyDeleteI noticed that I don’t really do an official brainstorm on paper. I usually think for a minute then start writing and my ideas just come out. I do a lot of re-reading and fixing as I go. Sometimes I want to include something that comes later so I skip a line or two and go on. Then I return to add whatever I skipped over. As I wrote, I was thinking about making it funny and picking the “just right” words for the story.
In one piece, I wrote about going rafting on the Clakamas River on a chunk that we shouldn’t have been on in our little raft. I think I will use this piece with my students this fall. It is a good example of a piece that is started but needs finishing and perfecting. The kids will also enjoy hearing all about me on the river getting soaked! The first piece I wrote was about my favorite children’s book from the summer The 39 Clues (my kids last year were hounding me to read it and it was great!).
Thinking about my writing process makes me wonder why I always force kids to do a pre-write. I will definitely model them and have students practice using them, but a formal pre-write doesn't need to be required if you don't need it.
While I was composing I was thinking about my opening sentence, which was the most difficult. I had to reread it numerous times after each cross-out and change made in order to accomplish my goal of trying to capture my audience. This is a personal preference when I read anything, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that I do this when I write; however, it still was. I continually reread what I write and I do so aloud. Each sentence or sentences I wrote were thought out as I organized where I wanted my writing to go and made sure I included the essentials of my moment. All of the skills and rules of writing were in the background of my mind while I was focused on truly capturing my memory that would inform and entertain my audience.
ReplyDeleteI used the criteria from page 46 to choose my moment. I thought about family, then my brother, then my being suckered into dog sitting for him, and finally how it impacted my life. To get started I got my journal, pen, and thought of some of the most important events I wanted to make sure I included. Then I went about revising the opening sentence for half of the ten minute writing time. Each time I got stuck I kept what I liked and searched for key words that I wanted to try to see if it fit what I wanted to say. Once I got it down and was satisfied, the rest of the writing flowed much out of me. It was almost like once the tone was set with the first sentence to my satisfaction the rest of it was there in my mind. All I had to do was think of the word choice that matched my voice I started in the beginning. I did revise as I went and continually reread what I wrote after each sentence or two before I thought of what to write next.
This was fun and a great learning experience for me. I have not been metacognitive about this aspect of my teaching and I'm surprised about that.
One additional comment: I did not do any planning for this writing, but when I write with my kids I always do some sort of planning in front of them and I DO use it when I write and I DO find it helpful. It settles my nerves and allows me to focus my thinking. I'm curious to see how I feel about that practice at the end of this book.
Typically when I start writing anything, once I have a topic in mind I just jump in and start writing. I usually I start out in the middle of an event that is occurring and describe what is happening, or open with an explanation of what is happening at the moment my story begins. Like any story you what to give the reader more details that leads them trough your tale. Generally, if I'm telling a story that I feel has an interesting plot or twist (and it usually does otherwise why tell a story?) it just flows out of me. When I'm feeling like I'm done I put a fairly generic ending at the end like a feeling about the event, or weather my expectations were met, or a hope for the future and so on. I reread my story and if it flows I'm satisfied with the result. It's not the length of a piece that is important but the message. If the message is there you are a successful writer.
ReplyDeleteI feel like writing is like painting. If you're not writing a paper for a class or a report for work, you should enjoy it and you can always improve your technique or try other methods, but you should stand back and enjoy the final product like a piece of art you've just created.
Christina – I’m glad that the assignment encouraged you to write (and especially pull out that beautiful journal) . I hope you continue to write along your “grand adventure” that IS LIFE! It is definitely powerful when you realize how important it is to provide all different sorts of modeling from your own writing, other students, to published authors….! Krista (and Sarah also) made a good point – some writers might not need that pre-writing activity, and it can actually detract from good writing for some. I think I write very similarly to Sarah…Sometimes I think I’m hyper aware of my audience, and actually need to write more for myself, and not get so hung up on audience (especially first draft). I need to shoot for Lily’s style and loosen up a little bit .
ReplyDeleteOkay. What started as a 10-minute writing activity soon became 30+ minutes. I couldn’t help myself.
ReplyDeleteKatie
I sat on the bench inside the square 6’x6’ wooden booth in the back of the pet store amazed that this little eight week old tri-color Australian shepherd whimpering at my feet would momentarily be my dog. A little boy of about six starring and leaning over the side of the booth asked me if the dog was mine. At first I was hesitant. The words sound so new and foreign, but then I answered, “Yes, she is my dog.” I knew my life was going to be different from that point on.
After the paper work was completed at the cashiers’ desk. I picked up the bright red nylon leash and collar. My fingers felt clumsy as I attempted to adjust the collar so it would fit snuggly but not too tightly around the squirming puppy’s short, furry neck. The puppy kept trying to lick and bite my hand with her small but playful needle like teeth. The puppy’s attention and mouth soon was attracted to the leash once it was attached. To her everything was a game and a play toy.
We exited the pet store and out into the bright southern California afternoon sun. The outdoor mall was filled with people of all ages. I could sense people starring at this cute, black, brown and white fur ball that bounced around crazily at my feet. Children cooed and adult looked at me with knowing smiles. Up ahead I could hear and see a young musician playing on the steel drums creating a feeling of a tropical fairyland. What a magical moment!
All the sudden my arm holding the puppy’s leash was yanked backwards. I looked back to see the puppy stubbornly sitting and refusing to go any further. “Come on,” I coaxed soothingly, but the dog refused to respond. Then I realized she was scared of the sound emanating from the steel drums. Realizing that she was not going to move forward on her own, I bent down and picked her up. As we passed the musician and his drums, her paws clawed to climb further up my chest and onto my shoulders. I repositioned her and pet her back slowly while whispering softly in her small, furry ear. She relaxed, and we quickly made our way out of the mall and to the safety of the car.
As she laid all curled up in a warm, snug ball in the middle of my lap, exhausted from the trip to the car, I thought of names for my new best friend. For reasons I can’t readily explain, I knew I wanted a name that was short (no more than two syllables) and ended in a long “e” sound. First I whispered the name Lucy a few times, but there was no reaction. Then I tried Maggie, and Winnie. Finally I uttered the name Katie and she stirred and began licking my hand. It was settled.
As I was composing this story, I was thinking about wanting to express the details of the moment with my readers. What mental picture was I creating for them? Would it be similar to the one playing in my mind as I put the story into words.
ReplyDeleteMy planning was quite brief. I looked at my short list and then saw Katie laying down at my feet. I realized describing the afternoon I got her would be very easy for me to do. The experience would be more finite and concise to describe in words than trying to decide what to say about a family member or my best friend. I was originally planning to just focus on the pet store, but then I remembered the incident with the drums and decided I wanted to share that with my readers. Then I wondered how best to end the story. Describing how I came up with her name seemed like a good conclusion to the piece.
My process is based on orally telling the story. I hear my words being spoken in my head. As I typed up my thoughts, I go back a revise a sentence as I wrote it. To keep the flow and tempo, I would reread a few of my past sentences. All the time I was thinking of my audience, in this case my students, and be thinking how they would react to certain phrases and words. I also was debating if I would share this with my husband. When beginning a sentence, I was conscious of what words I was using in order to avoid starting with “I” too much. Sentence variation was important to me as I heard the words in my head.
This writing activity gave me a great deal of empathy towards my students. What emotions are they feeling when writing. Are they thinking of the story and what they want to convey to their readers, or are they just wanting to complete the assignment and appease the teacher?
Kelly Rolwes
ReplyDeleteI started thinking about my summer and special moments. It seems like I always have something I can talk or write about for my students. My life is pretty action filled and my students have always loved learning a little about myself.
Getting started on writing pieces have never been my issue. I can get it down pretty easily. The problem has always been finishing the piece and best organizing it. I always like to go with my first instinct as to what to write. I feel that will probably give me the most information. It also must be what I have the most passion about. I have never really done the whole pre-write planning with webs, outlines, etc. So because of the habit I have put myself in with not organizing that way, it has been hard for me to encourage my students to really get into pre writing.
I do enjoy writing. I am strong when writing fictional or personal narratives. Even as an adult, I do not enjoy writing non-fiction. This is probably because I am not very confident in my research and knowledge of many non-fiction topics and how to best organize a great paper. So this is what I would like to focus more on with my students. I find that I actually teach better things that are or were very hard for me personally (example: math)
I like to write through and go back after I get all my thoughts down to revise and edit. My revision process is probably my weakness. I just don’t see a lot of the problems with my writing and it often takes another eye to look my writing over.
Really, I think teaching writing will now have to involve understanding and accommodating the different styles and needs of writers. Some writers need quite time to write or get excited if they can talk about their writing as they go through the process with a friend. I need to try to be more sensitive to that. It is hard though with classroom management. That is why this year I will be trying a fully involved writing workshop time and area. I have had other students tell me if they listen to music that will help them write. That style of writing would drive me crazy. I am also hesitant to allow this because of school rules and not really knowing if this is effective to the student. Again, I believe I have to take my thoughts and feelings about how I like to write out of it. If I didn’t then I would only be allowing and teaching one style of writing, and all students can not fit into that small box.
I never really felt like I could write, or write well until I was forced to to get my degree. I would never sit at home and write. Sometimes I used to think it would be great if I could, but never did. I needed the push, (Do it or don't pass), to allow myself to let go and pick up the pen.
ReplyDeleteThis summer my family went on a long road trip to visit family in Nevada. We concluded our last few days with another long ride to northern Idaho to go to a wonderful amusement/water park. What to write about???? Roller coasters. "The Aftershock" made me cry as I dangled nearly 200 feet in the air! This was the moment I captured from the summer.
Knowing kids love to hear about when teachers are scared or embarrassed, I felt like this would be a good topic to use. I love to use topics that evoke a lot of emotion for me. Just writing about it, thinking about it, put butterflies in my stomach again. I can see my feet dangling so high in the air. I can hear myself crying, "I don't like this! I don't like this!" I can literally feel the drop as the monster that pulled us up into the sky let go of us to a free-fall at 70 mph into corkscrews and back up the other side to do the entire ride again, but backwards. I got nervous writing about it.
Before I begin writing, I try to visualize the event and think about how I was feeling, what I was hearing, saying, doing, smelling and/or thinking. I jot them down in a list. Last school year I tried so hard to stress using the senses as a means to get more interesting and detailed writing. So, I tried to follow my own advice. I also like to write down phrases or words that come to mind that I know I want to include.
I know that I have to start with my feet dangling. That was such a powerful moment for me. I was terrified. As I'm writing, I'm thinking about how I want my readers/students to almost feel what I felt. Details, descriptions...Hook them in with the fear.
For me the topic was "juicy" enough that I didn't really get stuck. I was excited to tell the story because I knew the kids could relate to it and would have stories to tell just like it.
The process for me is almost always the same. I get down those words, phrases or complete sentences that jump in to my head right away when I begin to consider the topic. The introduction is always crucial to me, so I spend a good amount of time on that making sure my readers will want to keep reading. The body and conclusions just seem to come when I have a topic I am excited about. My problem, as evident in my writing here, is my knack for writing too much. I have to finish the piece and go back and take out what I feel might detract from the impact of the story. I reread and edit, drawing arrows and crossing out entire sentences. In the end, once I've read it aloud and hopefully received the affirmation I hope for, I can feel it's done.
In doing an assignment like this I can see the importance, or necessity in allowing students to find the topics that draw out emotion or experiences like this one does for me. You have to love it to get into it and write it well. I try to tell my students that authors are not forced to write certain stories. They get to decide on something they want to spend time writing! (Well, usually.)
I want my kids to be excited to write. I want there to be a certain freedom of choice in their work, yet still meet the high expectations I have and the standards the State has. It can be a tough balance. Again, it comes back to clutter and what we allow to get in the way of teaching writing well.
Assignment 3
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this assignment! I hated writing as a child and that continued throughout my educational career. I was one of the few of my friends that would much rather take a test than write a paper for classes in college. Writing was definitely the most intimidating subject for me to teach my first year. I’ve come along way the last couple years and actually wrote a few stories in front of my students last year. I found that it is so important to write what you know about and students love hearing your personal stories.
I started this assignment by listing possible topics to write about- starting with a category and listing things that go in the category. Under pets, I listed 2 different stories about my dog, Frankie. I also listed many stories from trips and family traditions. This process really helped me get excited to write about something that I want to write about and to see all the possibilities and ideas I have! It showed me how beneficial this could be for students. I’m now planning on brainstorming some ideas as a class at the very beginning of the year, then having students write the ideas they like and any others in the front of their writer’s workshop spiral. This way they will have the list to refer to throughout the year.
I ended up choosing to capture a moment from the summer- a hike up Misery Ridge on Smith Rock. I knew from the beginning what I wanted to be my main point, but figuring out how to write it was so hard! The hike was pretty difficult and I had been talked into doing it- not something I was completely looking forward to. Throughout the hike, I was just ready for it to be over and not enjoying the scenery or company. However, as we finished the hike and were walking back up to the picnic area, we saw two men in wheelchairs looking out into the canyon. I wanted my reader to feel the sense of that moment and feeling so lucky to be able to do the hike. I had a really hard time finding the right words and did constantly reread my writing. It was difficult to find words that felt good enough to describe the experience. I finally decided just to write and that I would go back later to revise. Thus, I agree with Routman when she mentioned that it is better to revise after waiting a bit. It is nice to go away from your paper for awhile, think about it and then spend time revising and editing.
Throughout the writing process, I was reminded by how important it is to build your students’ confidence in writing. Writing brings about a sense of vulnerability that other curriculum subjects don’t have. Students need to be positively reinforced to build confidence in their writing.
I have always had a very difficult time writing without a specific question. I am quite the storyteller in class, but the moment I have to write it down for anyone, I freeze up. I have figured out a few standbys that I use for demonstration, however, and just keep using them over and over :)
ReplyDeletePart one--
I had a tough time coming up with subtopics to write about, so I ended up writing a story that I have used several times before to demonstrate purpose.
When I was in middle school, my family had a pet cocker spaniel puppy who became sick overnight After a visit to the vet with my step-father, it was determined that she needed to be put to sleep, as she had a very aggressive cancer. The purpose of the story, however, is to show the bond between myself and my step-father, and how big boys do cry sometimes.
Part two--
I also had a tough time thinking of a topic for this writing. I decided to write about my experience stepping off of the plane in Costa Rica for a family vacation.
I made the following observations of my own writing process:
-Deciding on a topic-yikes! I freeze up when I am not given a topic and have to choose for myself.
-I jotted down just a few notes to plan, mainly to be sure I included the "why I remember it"
-I wrote way more than was needed and it took forever
-I had to speak it all in my head before i could write it on the paper(I am very verbal)
-I didn't revise-simply stopped until I found the right wording
-I wanted to write choppy sentences-like notes or bullets
-I have difficulty putting words on paper until they are perfect in my head.
I think this assignment showed me that, while choice is necessary for some, there are many students that need to have a given, specific topic, at least for the first go-round.
Also, a quite room, at least for me, was essential! Any other noises distracted me from the sentences in my head, and I would have been far too self-conscious as a child to go through this thought process out loud in class.
ReplyDeleteAfter writing down several possible story topics for the writing exercise, I decided to write about the first minutes of school where the students meet me for the first time. Beyond the initial brainstorming of topics, I didn’t plan what I was going to write since I am familiar with the topic.
ReplyDeleteIn these short free-writes, I find the writing process to be relatively easy. I write straight through and just get my thoughts on the paper. I don’t let myself worry about spelling and conventions because I can always come back and fix my mistakes later if I want to publish the work.
Ray Bradbury describes his writing process in an amusing way, he says “I throw up in my typewriter every morning, and clean it up at noon.” I always share this with my students because during free writes, I just want them to get their thoughts on the paper. Several times every week we will do free-writing exercises similar to the one I just did. One of the main things we work on with free-writes is bringing in sensory details and writing short (we call it “Expand the moment”). My goal is to get the students to focus on all the details and really explain what they are writing about so it doesn’t have any holes. The only requirement is that the students write and show me that they are trying.
As I mentioned earlier, I find writing to be tedious. That is less true for unstructured writing, but for formal letters, essays, and even some lengthy emails to a parent, I find the witting process to be more difficult. It’s not as free and there is much more pressure to have a polished piece. During those situations, I find it more difficult to just write straight through. I will go back and revise, edit, and check spelling as I go.
I’m sure if I were to write more, the writing process as a whole would be easier for me. If I were to flex my writing muscles, I would become a stronger writer and hopefully the words would flow out easier. Unfortunately, with so many things competing for my time, I generally only write out of necessity.
Thanks Kristin, Kelly R, Angela, Kelly B, Leslie, & Brad! Kristin – thanks so much for sharing your actual writing…great elaborating detail…it definitely got me wishing for a puppy ! It was wonderful to read about each of your unique and individual writing processes. Hopefully this will give those of you who need it, a little more confidence when it comes to writing in front of your students.
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