ASSIGNMENT THREE: Sharing Your Writing Life!
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.)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
S. Ortega
ReplyDeleteI began this assignment by making a list of writing topics and ideas to use with my class of kids this next fall. I am excited about doing this portion of the assignment because I came up with some great ideas that I think the students can connect with and easily write about.
I also wrote two pieces that I could possibly use with my class next fall. Most importantly I took note of my writing process which has made me more aware as a teacher of writing. My first step in the writing process was to choose my topic and then decide what my purpose was going to be. I decided with my first piece that it would be persuasive and then I needed to decide how to make my point. It took me a few minutes of think time to make up my plan and from there the writing flowed quite quickly for the most part. At times, I ‘got stuck’ or lost my train of thought. I would go back and reread and ask myself what should I add to this paragraph or what else do I want to tell my readers about this topic. Another thing I noticed is that I would change my wording as I was writing my piece, but I didn’t worry about my conventions until the end. It was more important to have my writing flow, and focus on word choice first. As a teacher, I know I spend a lot of time focusing on their conventions first. This is something I will work to change. My last paragraph was also difficult for me. I wanted to have a strong ending, but it took some work and trying some different endings before I was satisfied. I did a lot of rereading and some reading out-loud before being completely satisfied with my ending. I have realized that I need to model this process for my students too. They need to see that the ending doesn’t always come easily and what I write down first isn’t always good enough. They need to see me struggle a little too.
I have always encouraged my students to read their work out-loud to themselves or a partner before turning it in, but they seem to want to skip this part so that the assignment can be done…. any ideas on how to remedy this situation?
I found that I don’t mind the writing when it is on a topic that I am excited to write about. When I have a fun story to share or information that I want to tell the words seem to come with ease. I hope that this is also true for my students.
I enjoyed this writing assignment. I write in front of my students some, but realize that I focus a lot of my attention on the conventions portion of my writing. I do this because I want them to be aware of these skills. As I did this assignment, I discovered I was more concerned about how my paper sounded. I focused on the words and whether I was painting a picture for my readers.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning I had a topic pretty quickly; "Best Friends". I immediately knew what I wanted to write about, but I had to take some time to think about how I would start my story. I also ran the story over in my head from beginning to end, to make sure I could remember all the details. This is where that oral sharing with another person (student) could help focus someone. I have students share in the middle and end, but will now have them share in the beginning to help them remember and focus their thoughts. Giving the partner the opportunity to ask questions about the story might jog and bring even more details to light for the writer.
During the writing process, I found I did a lot of rereading (outloud and silent). I did this for several reasons: to refocus, make sure it was flowing, words used, more details needed, sounds right, etc.
The most difficult part of the writing was the ending. Did it sound right? Did I end too quickly? This was the one area I spent the most time working and reworking.
After I was finished with the story I read it completely through. I corrected the spelling, capitals, and run on sentences.
The one thing that I really noticed was I wrote in paragraph form automatically. I know this will come with experience and modeling for my students. I believe paragraphing is one of hardest ideas to teach my students, but modeling and shared writing time should really help them with this concept.
I did create a good list of writing ideas that I am excited to share. I think working with my teaching team coming up with ideas would be a great idea also.
What made this activity fun was the fact I enjoyed the topic. There was no pressure to conform. This was a great activity that opened my eyes on how to better teach writing to make it real, instead of formula like.
Assignment 3
ReplyDeleteI brainstormed some ideas for several of the topics. I decided to write about a recent family trip to Mexico. I chose it because the memory is fresh and it was an important trip.
I was visualizing my surroundings in my head. I was remembering how I felt, what I smelled, and the sounds that I heard. I tried to focus on the essence of trip.
I used a web to help organize my thoughts briefly. I used the web to help direct my writing. I reread afterwards to make sure that it flowed. I added an extra detail and changed my word choice once or twice.
Endings are the most difficult. You want to state what has been said, but in a different way and have a strong closing. I imagine endings are tricky for students as well.
I began this assignment by making a list of some of the writing topics I assigned to my fourth-grade students over the past year. From there, I made a list of subtopics...focusing more on what they might want to write about instead of what I may have wanted them to write about. It was a different way for me to approach prompts and that in itself will be helpful.
ReplyDeleteI drafted two short pieces for this assignment. One was about a favorite memory from the summer. I chose to write that one about my son's graduation from Linfield College in June. The other, inspired by the yesterday's events as I was writing, was about a holiday that is special to me. It was obvious how much easier writing is when we are writing about something we enjoy or something important to us. However, as much as I'd like to give my students that freedom when they write, they would surely use the same topic or two over and over.
As for the observations of my own writing style, I learned a couple things as I consciously focused on my strategies. First, while I didn't use a web or outline, I organized thoughts in my head and pictured the images of what I wanted to put into writing. Second, as I wrote, I was constantly moving words and phrases within sentences and even moving complete sentences around. Finally, I don't write the way I tell my students to write. I want them to write what comes to mind and then go back later to edit. My style is much choppier than that as I make the corrections and other changes as I go. Realizing these things about my writing style emphasizes to me the importance of writing in front of my students so they get to see the process...even if it differs from the way they write.
I like the "What a Writer Does" box on page 48. I have a checklist I use with students and the state writing test includes a very comprehensive checklist, but this list is shorter and more straightforward. I can picture it as a laminated reminder kids keep at their desks during writing time.
Okay, this is the second time that my original post did not post, so I apologize if my comments on this assignment seem short and not too revealing, but it is the second time I am responding.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I found these assignments rather difficult, as I spend most of my current writing life only composing emails and lesson plans. I will be excited about possibly writing with the other teacher in my department to rebuild those writing muscles.
My Process:
Once I have determined my subject, I usually brainstorm ideas and thoughts that are affiliated with the subject. This gives me a list of places I might want to visit but don't have to include. I group those ideas and then set them aside as I move on to my next stage: identifying purpose and audience.
The topic I chose for the first piece was on family, specifically how I reacted to discovering that my grandfather was a Klan member and that some of my ancestors owned slaves. As you can imagine, there are many feelings and thoughts that go along with this topic and I had to decide what my point would be. Should I just talk about the history or include my personal politics? Expository or persuasive?
Once I decided the purpose for my audience, I went back to my list and organized it into a structure that would help me, and then I began writing from beginning to end. This is a problem with my process, I believe. I tend to start at the beginning and write straight through, re-working each sentence as I create. I will often erase an entire sentence just to correct one spelling error.
This causes me to sometimes have challenges knitting thoughts together, as I am always focussing on the sentence at hand. I also get a bit impatient sometimes and just move on, tired of attempting to find the perfect phrasing. I think all of that makes my writing staid and not as creative as I would like it to be because I am letting good thoughts evaporate while working on mechanics.
I changed this up a bit for the second piece and tried to let myself type and not correct every mistake as it took place. I focussed on the thoughts more and then went back to re-work after the whole piece was completed. I think this improved my writing for this short piece, making my arguments more connected.
I try to teach my students to let thoughts flow as they write, which I find a challenge in my own writing, so I definitely need to practice more writing. I think it will benefit my students to see me struggle with this, as many of them have commented that the few pieces I have shared with them seem creative and simple. Once they see that writers work on their pieces between first, second, and third drafts, I hope they will have more patience with their writing and give it more time.
Chuck Fall
ReplyDeleteAssignment #3
I reviewed the list of start up writing prompts for the beginning of the year and immediately focused on being an expert. I asked myself, how could I use this. I might say to my students, “Hey, we’re all expert in something; let’s celebrate something we know a lot about. Free write for 10 minutes about something you are an expert in. It can be something significant like speaking another language, getting a black belt, playing a sport or baking a cake. For example, I am an expert sandwich maker. Let me demonstrate how I quickly composed a quick-write.”
Then I might write:
Making the perfect sandwich has less to do with the ingredients and more to do with balancing the dryness of the bread with some kind of moisturizing condiment. Bread needs a compliment like mayonnaise and mustard to counteract the dryness of the bread. Some people who are hard-core vegan and don’t eat mayo because of eggs could simply do a balsamic/olive oil application to one side of the bread and apply mustard to the other side.
Take the following steps to make a dynamite sandwich.
Choose your favorite kind of bread. I like a country style French bread. I buy the Como loaf from Grand Central Bakery. Apply a coating, thick or thin, of mayonnaise to each piece of bread. Apply a generous coating of mustard to one side of the sandwich (or more if you wish). Now that fresh local tomatoes are coming to the grocers you must use tomatoes. Slice tomatoes 1/8” thin. Get your cheese ready; I use Swiss. Select your meat; I eat peppered turkey. Select clean lettuce; I like green leaf. Finally, a ripe avocado will define this sandwich as one of the best ever assembled.
Putting the sandwich together. Sandwich should be assembled on a clean surface. Apply avocado; use a fork to cream it into the mustard side of the sandwich. Place cheese (I like a thin layer) on avocado side, then turkey (again, not too thick), then the tomatoes; top it with crispy lettuce (I use a generous serving for a crunchy effect). Close sandwich; slice in half and voila! Bon Appetite.
Assignment #3 Part 2
ReplyDeleteWriting prompt: a trip I took this summer.
My wife planned our summer vacation trip to Hawai’i back in the winter; it cheered her up since she had someplace warm and beautiful to go to. Neither my wife nor I had ever been to the Big Island. She selected a house to rent on the dry side of the island north of the Kona airport. I won’t bore you with the details of traveling from Portland to Kona except to say the pilot almost flew completely around the island on the approach and we got see whole island through the clouds. Some parts we couldn’t see anything. The Kona airport is built on a not too old lava field. On the drive out of the airport and to the north to the town we stayed in, the landscape is complete dry, barren, and rocky brown with sharp volcanic protrusions. It was bleak. I felt a little disappointed. I forgot we decided to vacation on the dry side but the harsh volcanic environment made me wonder if we made a bad decision. Once we arrived at our home on the shore (for 9 ½ days), we knew everything was good. It was a beautiful with a full view of Kohala Mountain to the northeast and cobalt blue sea with shades of turquoise to the west. The trip highlight was snorkeling and swimming along side sea turtles. They graze on the sea floor like cows in a field. They are seemingly just as docile.
In conclusion, we want to go back. We had a number of highlights; one involving a moderately war sweet water pool on the ocean’s edge in the Puna district south of Hilo. Finally, there is a snorkeling spot off of Makalawena beach that is absolutely the perfect spot for a beginner like me. I’ll describe it in my next post.
In observing my writing process I noticed that I immediately looked for a way to start, to define an angle. In this Hawaii’ story it was the feeling of dread against joy upon our arrival. Then I started writing and telling the story. I was free writing and letting the story come out; as I was going along I was pausing, re-reading, revising even editing. I was trying to think about the order of events in my story telling. I was afraid of boring my reader, but I was also trying to convey with imagery the feeling of doubt. Of course, even now I am wondering about further revisions to sentence structure, transitions, to make it better. But I will stop here.
I think both of these prompts lend themselves to writing publicly with the students. I think I will have to be careful about using time and not letting the demonstration go on too long; also I will have to be careful to structure class time so students have ample time to complete their own stories.
Assignment #3 Part 2
ReplyDeleteWriting prompt: a trip I took this summer.
My wife planned our summer vacation trip to Hawai’i back in the winter; it cheered her up since she had someplace warm and beautiful to go to. Neither my wife nor I had ever been to the Big Island. She selected a house to rent on the dry side of the island north of the Kona airport. I won’t bore you with the details of traveling from Portland to Kona except to say the pilot almost flew completely around the island on the approach and we got see whole island through the clouds. Some parts we couldn’t see anything. The Kona airport is built on a not too old lava field. On the drive out of the airport and to the north to the town we stayed in, the landscape is complete dry, barren, and rocky brown with sharp volcanic protrusions. It was bleak. I felt a little disappointed. I forgot we decided to vacation on the dry side but the harsh volcanic environment made me wonder if we made a bad decision. Once we arrived at our home on the shore (for 9 ½ days), we knew everything was good. It was a beautiful with a full view of Kohala Mountain to the northeast and cobalt blue sea with shades of turquoise to the west. The trip highlight was snorkeling and swimming along side sea turtles. They graze on the sea floor like cows in a field. They are seemingly just as docile.
In conclusion, we want to go back. We had a number of highlights; one involving a moderately war sweet water pool on the ocean’s edge in the Puna district south of Hilo. Finally, there is a snorkeling spot off of Makalawena beach that is absolutely the perfect spot for a beginner like me. I’ll describe it in my next post.
In observing my writing process I noticed that I immediately looked for a way to start, to define an angle. In this Hawaii’ story it was the feeling of dread against joy upon our arrival. Then I started writing and telling the story. I was free writing and letting the story come out; as I was going along I was pausing, re-reading, revising even editing. I was trying to think about the order of events in my story telling. I was afraid of boring my reader, but I was also trying to convey with imagery the feeling of doubt. Of course, even now I am wondering about further revisions to sentence structure, transitions, to make it better. But I will stop here.
I think both of these prompts lend themselves to writing publicly with the students. I think I will have to be careful about using time and not letting the demonstration go on too long; also I will have to be careful to structure class time so students have ample time to complete their own stories.
Heather Dahlquist-Farnsworth
ReplyDeleteAssignment 3: Sharing Your Writing Life!
July 13, 2010
Topics:
Start of School
• Expectations
• Shopping Spree
• Being prepared
• Procedures
Special Memory
• Setting
• Why was it special
• Who was involved
Pets
• Name/Breed
• How you care for your pet
• Tricks and Talents
• Activities enjoyed
Favorite Place:
• Where
• Climate
• What makes it special
• Do you visit often
Have you ever looked forward to being in a quiet place where trees tower above and the smell of a roaring campfire lingers in the mountain air? Camper’s Hideaway in Washington State is just such the place. Nestled in the mountains about twenty minutes from Battleground, Washington, hides a private campground and my sweat escape from the hustle and bustle of life.
Capturing a Moment From the Summer
Thump, thump, thump, THump, THUmp, THUMp, THUMP! An offer? “What in the goodness gracious have I done! Am I crazy? I must be crazy! It’s going to be okay. This is going to be great. Everything will work itself out. OMG! How do I get out of this!
I wasn’t expecting my house to sell so increditably fast. One day I place a sign up in my front yard and three weeks later a signed offer. Living with my mother-in-law won’t be too bad until I find the perfect house on the perfect acreage in the wonderful small town I currently live in.
I will always remember the time I got that phone call. The realtor on the other end of the line expressed to me that his clients wanted to purchase my home and close within the month. Conflicting emotions raced through my veins. Happy and excited that it went sooooo fast; Scared and terrified that I have no place for my family to call home. The control lover in me was freaking out, and the rebel in me was about to throw a party. I realized that I was supposed to learn a lesson from this experience; It’s a part of life to throw caution to the wind sometimes.
I began this piece by just writing. I didn’t give it much thought I just concentrated on getting my ideas down on the computer screen. I have a tendency to lose my train of thought and I know this about myself as a writer so I needed to focus on getting the ideas down so that later I could go back and revise.
As I was writing this piece I found it challenging to choose just the right words to express the feelings I was experiencing. I like the onamonapiea I used at the beginning and the way I used language to help my expression. I think my piece needs some organizational guidance. Later lessons I will focus on improving this component.
After every paragraph I re-read it, but didn’t make too many changes then erasing repeated words or placing punctuation and correcting spelling.
Chuck,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your piece on your recent trip to Hawaii. I was born on the Big Island in Kona and so I know all about the harsh contrast between the lava flows and the gorgeous areas. I really liked how you shared your true feelings through your writing. I know that your students would respect your truthfulness and it could encourage them to open up in their own writing!
Thanks,
Rachael
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI always start the beginning of school with a unit that helps kids get to know each other and help build self-esteem. We do a lot of All About Me writing and read a lot of books to help them see what they can write about. I used this list of ideas to help me choose which topic I was going to write about today. Some books I read to introduce these writing assignments to my second graders are:
ReplyDeleteI Like Myself By Karen Beaumont
Just the Way You Are By Max Lucado
Something Beautiful By Sharon Wyeth
Just the Two of Us By Will Smith
I’m Special, I’m Me By A. Meek
Leo the Lightning Bug By Eric Drachman
Each of these books has a natural piece that can be written by each student to reflect about their own lives in a similar way that the author does. Kids get to choose any All About Me topic that they are interested in (not just the ideas from the books). Topics that we’ve used in the past are My Family, My Favorite Sport, My Favorite Activity, My Pets, Someone I Care About, My Friend, My Favorite Place, My Favorite Stuffed Animal… For second graders these ideas are simplistic, but can lead to great writing. The kids don’t have to even keep these titles- they are just starting points.
As I reflect on my beginning of the year writing activities, one stands out in particular for me: Someone I Care About / My Favorite Place. This summer I have already made two trips to be with my grandparents in Arcata, California. My Grandfather has Parkinson’s disease and has slipped into the final stages. I have an incredibly close relationship with my grandparents so my emotional connection makes it easy to write about! The only challenge is that I want to gear my writing today to about one short paragraph, so it would be a good example for my students.
Visiting my Grandparents at their ranch house is one of my favorite things. One eight hour drive and a long gravel road, is all that stands between me and the calm, slow life of the ranch. As I pull up that final bumpy stretch, around the apple orchard, and past the tall trees, I’m transported back in time. I feel the excitement and anticipation of a small child and 27 years of memories greet me. When I slam the car door and burst through the screen door I am wrapped up in Grandma and Papa. No matter how old I get, I’ll be able to hear Grandma’s voice crying out, “You’re here!” and have Papa shout “Hey Fireball!” Even though age has changed so much, I still know what Papa’s saying as he beams at me.
As I write this first draft I let myself fall into the world of the ranch. I try and think about how it smells and sounds. I want my kids to be able to experience the amazing feeling of “falling” into a piece of writing. When I write I think in my head about my main goal of the piece, who my audience is, and what I’m trying to do with my writing. Then my writing process is just to let the words fall out. I don’t stop to edit and I just let the words flow freely. If I get stuck, I’ll reread and go from there. I imagine that all of our writing processes are different, but this works for me. I truly enjoy writing. I feel powerful and in control for that one small moment. Whether the piece turns out “right” or not, the process has been valuable for me.
Hi Shawna,
ReplyDeleteI would say two things to help your students re-read their pieces:
First I would say modeling… You already said this, but it’s very powerful for the students to see their teacher working through the writing process.
Second, I would have many conversations about this from the beginning of the year to the end. As you said, children often want to skip over this part just to have the assignment finished. But, if you discuss this and point out that they are writing for an audience (even if it’s an audience of one) it is their job to make sure it is error free (as much as possible), says what they want it to (is not missing information or parts) and it makes sense (is in an order that is logical.)
Hopefully you can discuss this with the grades below you and those teachers can also work on the point. I would hope by grades 4/5 the students have heard this before and will start to internalize it. If the 2/3 teachers used the same language and process as the 4/5 teachers it would make it a lot easier for the students to improve their writing.
Another thing that I like to point out to the students is that book authors do not just sit down and write a book from start to finish (there might be one or two very successful authors who can do this but they are very rare so I don’t even mention them to help make my point.) If your school has an author visit, I’d ask them to discuss the drafts and revisions and the process they go through as professional author to finalize a book for publication. I’ve had author visit who have actually brought in their drafts and story boards to show the students the amount of work and effort they put into their writing to make it just right for THEM, their audience. Now this isn’t going to be a miracle cure, but I feel if students hear the same message over and over from their 3rd grade teacher, the 4th grade teacher, the librarian and a visiting author it will help the students realize the importance of revising and editing their work.
Hello Kirky,
ReplyDeleteWe’re glad you enjoyed the assignment and found it useful!
Yes, Jessica, powerful, effective endings can be challenging for students. What I suggest is using some really great picture books and sharing ways that author end their pieces. I think a lot of discussion and even using shared writing up on the screen to practice would be helpful. You could re-write the endings to other student’s pieces to make them stronger. (Maybe from another year or class so not to embarrass anyone.) Asking the students what they think about the piece, what are they still wondering about that they wish the author shared and how the piece could be improved are great activities to do whole class or in a small group.
I mentioned it before, but if you Google: “Writing powerful, effective or great endings” you should get a lot of hits for lessons and unit ideas to use in your classroom.
Hi Leon,
ReplyDeleteI’m not sure I’d agree that the students would pick the same couple of things to always write about, but I’m not in your class. : ) Having some mini-lessons about how to develop writing ideas throughout the year would be helpful. One thing that a consultant working with our school shared was that she pointed out to the children the format (framework) that stories followed. This then allowed the students to use the framework and apply it to their own story or writing piece.
I’m sure I won’t do it justice, but I’ll try to explain. If you don’t understand or want more details just let me know, I could send you my brief notes I have about this. Just let me know. I’m really fascinated by the concept and I am hoping Leah will write a book about it. (I told her so. : ) )
So first, Leah (Mermelstein) would have a handful of touchstone books she knew inside and out that she could use to teach pretty much any point. (Shortcut by Donald Crews, Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe, etc…) She would talk to the students about the framework first and ask the kids if they had any stories like this format. [A feeling story, a moral dilemma story, misunderstandings (Knufflebunny,) perseverance or achieving a dream (Dancing in the Wings or The Carrot Seed.)]
She would then make the story very simple and break it down to its format. For example she would say, “ This is a happy, sad, happy story” for a feeling story example. Or, “This is a happy, scared, relief story.” Or, “This is a sad, happy story” or “a sad, mixed feeling story.” Then she would ask them if they had a “happy, sad, happy story.” Or, “Has anyone had a happy, scared, relieved story like Shortcut?”
Once she broke it down, the possibilities were many for the students to follow the format and write a story that had happened to them.
Hopefully, this is helpful for you or others in the class. To watch Leah do this in class after class at our school was truly impressive.
Sorry James that the posts didn’t take the first two times. I know exactly how you feel!
ReplyDeleteIt’s interesting that you felt that your writing process improved once you let go of worrying about the mechanics. I would imagine this would be the case, but I wonder if you wrote by had instead of typing, how you would feel. I know it took me years to be comfortable writing important pieces on the computer; my comfort zone was to hand write. I still will print drafts so I can edit on the paper and not on the computer- this is just easier for me. With how pervasive computers are in today’s world, I wonder if students feel they write better on the computer or by hand.
Chuck, I agree that both of your prompts lend themselves to writing in front of your students. Though I can say, that your expert one made me hungry when I read about the sandwich, and it’s midnight right now! : )
Heather, I love the ending of the story about your selling your house! What a great line. Your audience can’t help applying it to their own lives and they times they through caution to the wind.
Hi Rachael,
How long did you live in Hawaii. I was there 10 years ago (Kauai) and can’t wait to go back. (I thought I’d have returned by now, but life seems to get in the way sometimes.) : ) I think your passion and excitement comes through in your writing and must be inspirational for your students. I enjoyed reading your story about your grandparents.
Wow, sorry about the typos. I did re-read and spell check.
ReplyDelete"the times they threw caution to the wind."
:-) Mary
Amy Jensen
ReplyDeleteWriting Essentials
Assignment # 3
I actually really enjoyed this assignment and reading chapter three. I can remember a time when I used to love to journal and I would write every night before I went to sleep. I have saved all my old journals and recently went back and read old entires. I NEVER write anymore. This chapter has inspired me to be a writer again!
I think about all the modeling I did last year with my kids and all of it was prompt based. I would show them the prompt and model out loud the entire process for writing a five-paragraph essay. Looking back, I never really modeled what goes through my mind as I prepare to write. Talking out loud about my thinking. Being meta-cognitive and allowing them to see and hear that is so crucial.
When I did this assignment, I totally experienced what my kids probably felt all year when they were asked to write. First, I had a difficult time picking a topic to write about. Then, I felt I was all over the board with ideas for my topic. (Many papers last year, were all over the place.) In order to narrow it down, I really needed to think in my head and talk to myself. I was writing about my family and I really wanted to share something meaningful that showcased my relationship with them. It was no easy task! Getting started truly is the hardest part. I kept thinking..what is the best way to start this? When I actually started writing, I was constantly writing and re-reading. (Kind of like what I am doing on this blog!) Thinking about how to present the information to my audience (students). I found myself correcting mistakes as I was re-reading, rather than getting it all out in one shot. It also helped me get more ideas, as I went back and read what I had written. I definitely did not think about all six traits, I just wrote what came naturally.
After the writing, I thought about keeping my paragraph as a reference to use in the fall with my kids. However, I won't do that. I love what Regie said about writing spontaneously in front of the kids. I was always planned ahead. I often had the polished paper all done and read that to students as an introduction to the assignment. That is the biggest a-ha for me... Show them the process of how to truly write a paper. Even if it is a struggle to find the right words. I love that!
I also need to share writing more often and celebrate my kids as writers. I was too caught up on their performance I lost the ability to appreciate their talents and writing. It bums me out that I have the pressure of the test. I'm really going to try and let that go this year.
Yeah Amy! We're so glad you are inspired to write again! Like you said and was mentioned before, getting started is often the hardest part, so work on that oral rehearsal with the kids! It makes a big difference.
ReplyDelete