Welcome to Essentials of Writing! We look forward to working and learning with you. In order for everyone to get the most out of the course, please be sure to read and respond to each others comments. Please try to keep your responses within one allotted "comment" space to ensure that the blog remains manageable for all participants.
Also, you may want to type your comments in a Word Document and either copy from Word and paste onto the blog or save it in a folder on your computer and then post it to the blog. I have written a couple of lengthy comments that I lost before I was able to post it to the blog. This extra step may save you some frustration later on this term.
Last of all, we will write our comments to your posts on the blog, so you will need to check back to the corresponding week for feedback (and to make additional comments if you wish.)
Let us know if you have any questions. You can email us, but please put the words "Question for Essentials of Writing" in the subject line so that we can respond in a timely fashion.
ASSIGNMENT ONE: Post your Introduction to the course Blog.
Introduction Post- Tell us about yourself. Where do you teach? What grade do you teach? How long have you been teaching? How many students are there in your class? Do you have instructional support? What does your current literacy program look like? (If you aren’t currently teaching let us know.) What is your knowledge/training in the area of literacy (be specific about your experiences teaching writing?) Does your district provide training in literacy –especially writing? If so, what exactly have they offered? Has your district been bogged down with getting students to perform well on state writing assessments – prompts? How do you feel about teaching? Are you happy at work? Also, let us know a little about you outside of the classroom: Interests/ Hobbies/Family Life? What do you hope to get out of this course? Post your reflection to the blog.
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Hi, my name is Eileen Wali and I teach at an Islamic School in Tigard. This is my first year teaching Second Grade. I was a Kindergarten Teacher for three years. I have 14 students in my class with no instructional support. I have been having a Writer’s Workshop every week and it usually takes the whole week to 10 days (start to finish about 3 to 4 hours total). We end it with the Author’s Chair where the student reads to the class. In between the workshops the students write in their journals free choice or I have a fun prompt for them. I never correct their journals-I only write back to them. I want them to write freely and not to feel pressure. I have been doing a different workshop each time ( for example; Explanatory, Biography, and Narrative)
ReplyDeleteI am not trained in the area of literacy although I have taken a reading literacy course. I learned a lot about the different stages of writing and I learned some ideas on writing but I was a Kindergarten Teacher at the time so I applied my learning to their level of writing. My school does not provide literacy training; it’s up to the individual teacher to ensure our students are great writers. Personally, I think it’s a lot for the students to learn a language, religion and all of the main subjects plus be a great writer. I do have a few great writers and everyone else falls in the middle.
I love teaching and I am very happy at work. I am stressed and tired but that comes with having to balance raising my own children while working full time.
Outside of work I love to spend time with my family. On my breaks from school I love to go back home to Boston to spend time with my parents and brothers and sisters.
I hope to learn how to teach my students how to be great writers. I want their creativity to flow and write with excitement. I also want them to move on to Third Grade with the proper tools to grow as writers.
Mary Posting for Jennifer:
ReplyDeleteMy name is Jennifer Cooper. I have been teaching Language Arts for 10+ years. For most of that time, I taught high school students, but I have spent the last two years in the middle grades at a K-8 in the Archdiocese of Portland. I have a roster of approximately 80 students. I currently teach Language Arts (grades 6-8), Social Studies (6), Religion (6-7), and Speech (6-8). I am currently earning my Master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Portland State University; a majority of my coursework outside C&I has been with the ReadOregon program (although I will not be earning that additional certification). Students read and write across the curriculum, and teachers in the middle grades at my school work together to reinforce literacy behaviors and skills in all courses. As the Language Arts instructor, I help the other teachers to create rubrics for papers/projects that not only take into account the ideas/content from the specific subject area but also incorporate instruction in reading/writing from my class. Together with the elementary level teachers, we have created K-8 standards for the research process. My training in writing, specifically, has come from teaching experience and through post-graduate work. As I teach at a private school, we do not take the same tests as those in the public sphere. Our students do not take an essay exam or OAKS. Our students, for the most part, go on to academically rigorous, private institutions for high school. They test very well on the Stanford Achievement Test, but we as a school are not so focused on testing as the development of skills in all areas. With smaller classrooms and a focus on standards, not tests, we are more able to work individually with students and more closely monitor growth. I am extremely happy at work and really love teaching. The factors that make me love my job are also the ones that bring stress. Middle school is a hard time for a lot of kids academically, socially, spiritually, and emotionally.
I am the proud mother of a nearly five-year-old daughter and have been married for eight years. Graduate work at the university and reading/writing for personal growth and enjoyment are fulfilling interests/hobbies. Spending time with my family is very important to me. My husband and I are food and wine lovers who enjoy the delicious offerings of the Oregon culinary scene. I like to socialize with friends and participate in cultural activities like visiting a museum. I adore shopping -- shoe shopping, dress shopping, online shopping, even grocery shopping.
Hello Eileen and Jennifer. Welcome to class!
ReplyDeleteEileen, we think you will find this text very useful in supporting your writing instruction. Regie is very flexible and teacher friendly and realizes that we all have different constraints that we are working with.
I think you nailed it when you said you don't correct your students' journals. Students need a lot of practice to become better writers (just as with reading) and not everything has to be corrected or remarked upon. (Again, think of reading...we don't correct every single mistake students make when they learn to read, nor do we frequently comment on their reading. Rather we give them many opportunities to practice and develop their love of reading. (Now this is not to say that published word does not have to be correct...there will be more on this later, when we discuss having students consider their audience and purpose for writing.)
Jennifer, you also raise another important point. Teaching across the curriculum is truly the only way to try to cover everything we want to in our jam packed days. (Plus it just makes sense.. don't you think??? ) :D
I was at a high school last year and the 9th grade science teacher tried having the students create their own rubrics AND it was a huge success. They were actually much harder on themselves developing the criteria than the teacher would have been and they were more invested in the project. You might want to try this with some of your teachers or students. I bet it would be a success at your school as well!
Both of you are lucky to work in private institutions that allow you more flexibility with your instruction and curriculum.
I look forward to working with you this term. -Mary
Hi,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Ann Berton and I teach 1st grade at a K-8 in PPS called Roseway Heights School. I have been teaching here for 5 years and did some long term subs before that for a year or two. I have come to teaching later on in life. I started grad school at Lewis and Clark when I was 41. I really wanted to become a Reading Specialist as I am a little bit of an introvert. However, as soon as I got into the classroom, I realized what I really wanted was to be a teacher. I have taken all the extra classes to become a Reading Specialist but have never taken the test since I am going to stay in the classroom. I live about 7 blocks from Roseway with my partner, my 2 boxers and a kitty cat. I feel very fortunate to be able to teach in the community I live in.
I have struggled with Writing Workshop every year. Well, I guess struggled with whether I am being the best writing instructor that I can for these kids. I have to remind myself often that they are only 6 and 7. I have high expectations for all of them but sometimes my expectations are not the same as those of PPS. I am of course teaching them about punctuation and capital letters, their handwriting and their spelling as those are benchmark areas. However, I am more interested in the content and their ability to tell a story. I feel that if they don’t get the thrill of creating something that they can share with others, they won’t love writing and they need to love it in order to keep putting effort into it. So, it’s always a fine line about where to push and when to let things go. I think I do a pretty good job of keeping a workshop atmosphere but what I am really looking for are better ways of teaching the basics.
I do not have help during my writing time. This year I am trying the technique of walking around to every writer as they are writing and prompting them to work on certain skills as I see the need. For example if someone isn’t capitalizing the beginning words in sentences, I am there to remind them right then rather than having them go back and fix a finished product later. They are hopefully getting more and better feedback on their work than having them turn in their papers and I look at them and then talking to them later about corrections and giving them goals. I struggle with having 25 kids to keep up with. I track their output to make sure that everyone is turning in some work periodically. It is easy for kids to fly under the radar about their product if I don’t track it. PPS does not have a required writing curriculum; however they have a reasonably decent curriculum that was put together by teachers of PPS at each grade level. There are some nice lessons and units put together and teachers are allowed to pick and choose. Looking forward to my learning!
Hello Ann!
ReplyDeleteGlad you are joining the course. You are indeed lucky to work and live in the same community...though at times it can be a little tricky. (:) I've lived in the town where I taught twice.) I think you will also enjoy reading Regie's text. Her philosophy and yours seem to be similar. I agree with you 100% that students need to enjoy writing and find it meaningful.
Talk to you soon.
My name is Niji Riegler. I grew up in Japan and was raised by a Japanese mother and an American father. My parents were both teachers and inspired me to teach. I have always loved children and had a passion for learning new ideas and developing effective education skills for teaching others. Also, I love being in a community; I am a part of a dance community, practice yoga 3-4 times a week, and enjoy connecting with others as I travel the world . It has always been exciting for me to learn about how other people live and discover something new about myself through being immersed in another culture. This year is my sixth year teaching in the public school system; I've taught fourth grade for two years and third grade for four years.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, I teach 25 third graders at Raleigh Park Elementary in the Beaverton School District. I love my school because I have an amazing group of students, colleagues, principal, and parents who all work together as a team. As a teacher, I utilize a variety of different educational strategies. Most of the teachers at Raleigh Park use the Daily 5 and Café system of assessment and instruction for reading. I don’t use a lot of programs for writing, but I have used Step Up to Writing as one approach to teach structure in writing paragraphs and teach different modes of writing such as: narrative writing, which works wonderfully for acquiring details from third graders, expository writing, research project writing, and imaginative writing. Our district had several writing workshops, but unfortunately I was unable to attend any of these seminars.
Recently, writing was included on our school's improvement plan to raise our percentage of students meeting the state writing test for fourth grade. We've been successful in the past because we made sure our building's writing instruction was consistent, in order to encourage our students to continue using familiar strategies and systems for writing. Every grade level gives a prompt writing sample every semester to assess each student's writing level. My students look at the scoring guide on a regular basis to evaluate how they are currently executing their prompt writing. I love teaching writing, because I enjoy telling stories and encouraging my students to share their stories. However, I am still learning to become a better writer, and with this desire for improvement, I'm excited to learn new and effective educational strategies through taking this course that will assist me in helping my students become confident and successful writers.
Hello Niji!
ReplyDeleteGlad to have you join our class. I love to travel also, but since having my children, ages 7, 6 and almost 9 months, that has been on hold. It sounds like you have a wonderful support system at school and I truly believe that this is so important. Jackie and I LOVE The Sisters. Regie is one of their inspirations so we think you'll enjoy this text and find many ideas to incorporate into your classroom.
Hello! My name is Sarah Thorud, and I’m currently in my 12th year as a public school teacher for the Clatskanie School District. I spent the first seven years of my career teaching grades 6-8, mainly Language Arts, before transferring to the elementary school and teaching 2nd grade for two years. Currently, however, I am our district’s K-6 Reading Specialist/Title I teacher/Title I Coordinator/Building Test Coordinator/Data Team Leader…and so on, and so on, and so on! In my role as the Title I teacher, I, with the help of two educational assistants, serve approximately 75 of our school’s 380 students in a Targeted Assist Title I reading program. In my role as our building’s Reading Specialist, I work with all teachers and all students, coordinating progress monitoring and planning and carrying out interventions. When I’m not seeing students, I am working to learn everything there ever was to know about the world of Title I, and all the mandates that go along with such federally funded programs. Though it’s maddening at times, I love my job!
ReplyDeleteWith my struggling readers, I use a variety of programs, including: Recipe for Reading, Reading Mastery, Read Naturally. I’ve never found a literacy program that I didn’t feel had to be enhanced in some way. So, I’ve spent a lot of my professional development dollars and time arming myself with a wealth of strategies to target my students’ individual needs. I’ve found that I’ve learned more about literacy instruction in this position than I ever could have imagined possible when I was getting my Masters degree and reading endorsement several years ago.
Though I don’t teach writing specifically, I am often asked by classroom teachers for guidance and ideas in all areas of literacy. It is my hope that this course will further my knowledge of the teaching of writing and allow me to be a more valuable resource for the teachers that I work with. (I’m also really interested in getting to the top of the pay scale…and this gets me one step closer!)
I feel blessed to be married to a teacher who understands what this profession is all about! Outside of work, my husband and I stay quite busy raising our two sons, Connor (14) and Gavin (11). We love to spend time at home, but we also really love to travel. We have been on two family trips to Europe, the most recent being this past summer when we spent 3 months “off the beaten path” with a leased car and a tent exploring Ireland, Scotland, England, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Craotia, The Czech Republic, Hungary, and Croatia. Our love for travel and other cultures has also prompted us to host exchange students (one from Brussels, the other from Prague) who, along with their families, have become very important “members” of our family. Though the travel bug has bitten and we’re feeling a little bit restless, we plan to stay home this summer to try our hands at raising chickens and growing vegetables!
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to class! We think you will find this text a useful resource when you are supporting your teachers!
And as a side note, we're all for getting to the top of the pay scale. ;-)
Hello my name is Brad Thorud and I am a 5th grade teacher at Clatskanie Elementary School in Clatskanie, Oregon. I am currently in my twelfth year of teaching, all of which has been in the Clatskanie School District. This year I have 26 students in my class. I have taught many subjects and grade levels, from 5th grade self-contained to high school social studies. My wife, who currently is the Title 1 Reading Specialist at CES, and I are both graduates of Clatskanie High School. We returned home after graduating from Western Oregon University in the spring of 2000 where we currently reside in Clatskanie with our two boys, Connor and Gavin. When I’m not teaching I enjoy spending my time with my family, traveling, and coaching football.
ReplyDeleteHi Brad,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to class as well. How great to not only be back in the community where you grew up but to be able to teach with your wife at the same school!
Assignment #1: Introduction
ReplyDeleteHello! I am a latecomer. My name is Jordia Blumenstein, and I am a language arts teacher at Pacific Crest Community School in Portland. I am excited to take this continuing ed class mostly because I always like being a student and keeping fresh, but I also need to re-up my license with good ol’ TSPC.
I teach students in the 6th through 12th grades. Our school is a very small private school that serves a wide-range of abilities. We have 80 students total, and my class sizes range from eight to 15 students. I am currently teaching a literature and writing class called “The Short Story” to high school students (9th-12th grades) and a public speaking class to high schoolers. Last semester I taught the middle schoolers in a creative writing class called “Fiction as Experiential Art” and a high school literature class called “The Hero Myth.”
I feel supported in teaching at Pacific Crest, and I get to teach what I know best and offer courses of my own design. I work with two language arts colleagues to ensure that we are covering state-mandated standards and that we are offering our students many opportunities to add to their work sample portfolios. I have an MAT in middle-school/high-school language arts education from Lewis and Clark College, and have been teaching professionally since 2005. I took a continuing education course through the Northwest Writing Institute last fall called “The Gift,” which I enjoyed. I have taken many other CEED courses in order to connect with other teachers, learn more, and retain my certification. I do not have district-supported literacy training, since I work at a private school, but I do receive tuition for continuing education.
Teaching has been satisfying and also frustrating, as it is for most teachers. Generally I am very happy at work. I enjoy being given the freedom to be creative with my curriculum. I feel our school encourages me to be a learner as well as a teacher, so I can teach books that are new to me and explore topics that are personally intriguing. This personal investment helps me stay engaged and less-prone to burnout. Of course, I try to choose materials, topics and themes that are relevant to students and to their needs as well.
I also spend half of my time at school coordinating the service learning program. This is rewarding because I get to work with students outside the classroom.
PS. I did exactly what you warned me against and posted to last year's blog! Doh!
Hello Jordia!
ReplyDeleteIsn’t it great to feel supported in your profession and to have the freedom to design courses the way that you think is best for your students? Service Learning is a wonderful opportunity for students to become engaged in their community and to feel good about helping others. No worries about blogging to last terms comments, we would have figured it out. :D
Hello there, I am an even later comer! My name is Don McKie. I teach second grade at Ainsworth Elementary in Portland Public Schools. This is my 13th year teaching in public schools and I have 21 students in my class which does not have extra support. Our district actually has a very detailed writing binder that outlines writing instruction for the year. It is fairly comprehensive although I don't always stay on the same page when other ideas come up. We are using Scott Foresman Reading Street for Language Arts.
ReplyDeleteDuring writer's workshop, we begin whole group shared write about topic (ie. How to), review resources available (charts with transition words, amazing adjectives, etc.), and begin independent writing. Students move in and out of conferencing with teacher and students. We also refer to our editing marks once we have revised our work. Published works are shared although not always. Our school improvement plan addresses writing in the areas of revision and sentence fluency so I try to augment and focus in these areas. My training in writing is varied. Nike has worked with our district in the area of writing. Last year we dedicated our late start days to writing instruction, specifically in the area of sentence fluency and revision. Staff presented lessons and were given the opportunity to observe colleagues teaching writing. Recently (last summer actually) I took a class on poetry through Linda Vanderford (highly recommended). Our district is struggling with upping writing scores. Currently I enjoy teaching although I think writing is the most difficult subject to teach. I am happy at my new assignment and school. Outside the classroom I have a wife and two kids (9 and 6). They take all free time (well not really, but it seems that way!) but we have fun! I like to ride my bike and hit some tennis balls when I get the chance!