ASSIGNMENT TWO: WRITTEN REFLECTION–Section One- The Essential Writing Life Chapters 1-3
BRIEFLY reflect on the following comments written below from Chapters 1-3 and any additional thoughts that you have after reading these chapters.
Chapter 1: Simplify the Teaching of Writing• Simplify our teaching
• Becoming more knowledgeable about teaching writing
• Examine your beliefs
Regie gets to the heart of her book Writing Essentials with this quote on the final page of Chapter One: “By reducing the clutter in our teaching lives-the over-planning, the unnecessary activities, the paper load, all the ‘stuff’ that takes our time and energy and does little to improve teaching and learning-we bring joy back into our work and the world of our students.” Many of us work very hard and spend many hours complicating our teaching lives. In this book Regie will help you simplify your teaching life for your benefit and that of your students.
One of the frustrations that teachers encounter regularly is the ever changing “latest and best” writing programs that districts or states force on them and their students. With this revolving cycle of programs, teachers are spending too much time learning how to use the program rather than becoming better writing teachers. Regie explains that in the districts where students are the best writers, they are writing for real purposes and audiences and publishing their writing; teachers are not using prescribed writing programs.
Look at Appendix A (page A-2.) Examine your beliefs about writing by reading the statements about the writing process and marking true or false in your book. (Go ahead and write in your book, it’s OK! You can even use a pencil and mark very lightly if you want to.) We found this activity very enlightening. Let us know what you think after you complete the activity.
In your reflection for Section One, please include your thoughts about the following questions or statements:
• Regie demonstrates how to use the Optimal Learning Model (shown on the front cover and page 11) throughout the book. Consider how the Optimal Learning Model fits into your own instruction.
• As you think about how to teach writing so that all students can become successful, effective and joyful writers, reflect on how you presently teach the “12 Writing Essentials” (as described on pages 13-14 in the text) during your daily writing instruction. As we continue to read through Regie’s book, hopefully you will begin to see how you might make changes in your instruction to better incorporate these “12 Writing Essentials.”
Chapter 2: Start With Celebration
• Make sure writing is meaningful not just correct
• Use stories as springboards and ensure that ALL students hear stories
• Write in front of your students and connect home and school
The title of Chapter Two simply states, “Start with Celebration,” and that’s exactly what we need to do for our students. The celebration of all students’ writing needs to be put into the forefront and be made our first teaching goal. Celebrations should happen school-wide, within our classrooms and with students individually. As children begin to see themselves as successful writers, they will take more risks in their writing and in turn will become better writers who enjoy the writing process.
Another key point that Regie highlights in this chapter is to “make sure writing is meaningful, not just correct!” Students need to understand that writing is “enjoyable and for a real purpose and audience.” She also reminds us “that teaching skills in isolation does not make student writers; neither does teaching to the test. And breaking writing into bits and pieces robs children of the joy of writing.”
Regie suggests using stories as a springboard for teaching and learning. Hearing and telling stories builds our students’ oral language skills and these stories are “an entryway into reading and writing.” Only when students are reading and writing real stories can they connect the “skills” based learning to their reading and writing!
Please include your thoughts about the following questions or statements in your written reflection of Section One:
• Regie explains how important celebrating student writing is. How do you celebrate student writing in your classroom? How might you add more celebration of student writing to your day/year?
• Consider what changes you could make in your writing instruction to make writing more meaningful and purposeful for your students.
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I liked seeing Routman’s visual of the Optimal Learning Model in chapter one. That is definitely the sequence in which I believe things should be taught. Young learners, especially, need guidance before we can expect them to do tasks independently. However, I realized after looking at the model, that I might be rushing through the two middle steps. I will often lead a shared demonstration or a guided practice, but not both. That may be because I feel time constrictions when teaching, but I’m sure my students could benefit from that extra bit of practice with teacher assistance before jumping into independent practice.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with Routman’s idea that “the skills and strategies that writes use are the same across the grade levels” and only the “depth and sophistication” change (p. 13). I’ve had past discussions with colleagues of mine about creating separate writing rubrics for each grade level. But mine opinion has been that the traits we assess in students’ writing stay the same, so we can use the same rubrics but score the writing with grade-level appropriateness in mind. After reading the list of 12 Writing Essentials, I can see how the 6+1 Traits that I’m familiar with fit into these. I also see some of the essentials that I feel confident teaching, like writing with an audience in mind, narrowing the focus to an appropriate topic, organizing the writing to flow well, and conventions. I also see some writing essentials that I’ve struggled to help my students master. I’ve found it very hard to get my young students to understand that writing is recursive, and it’s okay to go back again and again to make more changes. My students tend to approach writing in a more linear fashion; perhaps this is one place where modeling my writing for the students out loud would really benefit them. I’ve also found voice a challenging writing trait to help my students understand and use. Incorporating more great literature, and reading those aloud with an author’s focus, could help my students hear voice.
In chapter two, I immediately grasped onto the idea to “celebrate your students’ risk taking” (p. 19). I am generally a positive teacher who makes a lot of effort to praise my students. But the specific wording, “Who tried something new?” will be huge for my students. I have so many children this year who refuse to write anything they don’t believe will be perfect, and it naturally hinders their writing, I’ve spent a lot of time this year trying to convince them that it’s okay for them to spell as best they can, and I will help them to edit later. But they really get stuck on spelling and they lose all flow to their writing.
I was relieved to find that when I reflected on my own writing teaching practices, I can honestly say that I praise my students writing efforts and spend most of my teaching or conferencing time focusing on the content and not the conventions. With all of my second-language learners, I know what a big effort it can be just for them to form their thoughts in writing in English, and I don’t ever want to discourage their ability to produce writing by focusing negatively on the mistakes they might make with spelling or grammar; instead I want to celebrate what they are able to produce!
Chapter three was the hardest for me because I think it will force me to make the biggest change in my thinking and practice of teaching writing. I really don’t feel like much of a writer. When I think of my writing practices, a lot of my writing is for academic or work purposes. And though I take that writing seriously, I can’t say that I do it for fun. So I think I will definitely have to take Routman’s advice to “envision yourself as a writer” (p. 50).
Our rubrics started as assessing all writing the same. We have recently switched to assessing the genre differently. Voice and sentence fluency moved over for how well the students fit the genre.
DeleteHi Kelly,
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone! Many teachers rush or combine the two middle steps and you are correct in thinking that students would be well served by teachers slowing down and allowing students the time they need to practice helping the teacher and then practice with the teacher’s help before moving to independent practice.
I worked at a high school for a year before I had my last child. I was AMAZED/SHOCKED at how similar elementary students were to high school students regarding their writing (among other things. :D) I worked a duty in the writing lab helping students with their writing. I can tell you even the high school students are very linear with their writing and just want to be done with it. This is a message students must receive over and over. I agree that demonstrating and modeling for them will be helpful. I also like to arrange author visits where the students hear and see how many different versions and edits that professionals make. And also, that some pieces are never finished…which is ok…(I think teachers need to allow this also, in school. Students should have a choice if a piece isn’t working for them to be able to put it away for a time or forever.) (Of course, if NO pieces are being completed then we need to have a conversation and some goals.) :D
That’s wonderful that you are so positive for your student and focusing on content over conventions. Not all teachers are at that point! So, YEAH!
Trust us, the more you right, the easier it becomes! We want students to see us struggle, think, change, edit, etc… We want them to really see the real writing process and know it’s ok not to be perfect. :D
Assignment 2: Written reflection Section 1
ReplyDeleteI chose to take this class because my student’s are not writing the way they would talk. What that means to me, is that they are writing the way they think they need to in order to complete the assignment. They are funny and say amazing things. Maybe one or two of them write that way. I studied some of Routman’s writing while getting my masters before teaching. Now I am looking forward to going back with teaching experience to really understand what it all means.
The Optimal Learning Model
This is what our district refers to as The Workshop Model, or very similar to this model. I usually write in front of the students and think aloud. Most of the time, students are giving input on what I write or what needs to be fixed (punctuation). I wonder if I am directly instructing enough. When the students are helping me come up with ideas, they are more engaged.
My students are always talking at the carpet about their thinking. During my demonstrations, I give them a minute to discuss their thinking so that they are engaging. For a first grader, they mostly think about what is going on in their heads, so it is good to let that happen often. I am in need of help when it comes to guiding their independent writing. I get lost in the correctness of the writing.
12 Writing Essentials for All Grade Levels
• I do not usually set or ask whom they are writing for, nor have we talked much about it. (Needs change)
• The topic usually centers on the genre and the next writing prompt. (Needs change)
• Clear ideas: we are using so many sentence frames, I find myself asking students where their sentence starter is rather than listing to their writing. I would say we are over structuring the writing. (Needs change)
• Elaboration: past the first writing I demonstrate, we rarely return to it to think back over the draft.
• Language: we have talked about exciting words during writing. We discuss nouns, adjectives and other forms of language at a weird time during the day due to a tight schedule.
• Leads: At the beginning of a unit, we create a list of engaging topic sentences. By the end of the unit, the students feel confident to try new and unique leads. Some students get stuck using the same ones everyday.
• Endings are taught similarly to leads.
• Voice: hmm…? We don’t score it on the test so why teach it, right? (She says sarcastically)
• Revising. This is a killer for me. Many of my students cannot read what they have written. Others lose stamina to stay on the same writing for more that 1 session. (Needs change)
• Conventions: We talk too much about it while drafting. However, we stop periodically to check throughout the writing so that it isn’t all saved up until the last reading of the piece.
• Write like a reader. We love Mo Willems. My students’ favorite writing comes from the inspiration of his books. I want to bring more of this into our daily writing lives, not just the fun thing to do after an assignment.
Start with celebration:
My students read to each other. Students share writing after the session in over, if there is time. I am notorious for not watching the clock. That precious reflection time is often squashed.
When Routman talks about reflection being a public conference, it makes sense to also start writing in that way. Use a student’s writing during the mini lesson.
When I do meet with students, I always start with what they have done well. However, my lack of confidence in my writing, keeps me from talking more about content. We often go directly into conventions. While it is a positive comment, it overemphasizes the correctness of their writing, not what they have written. I have the right idea on celebration and encouraging the students. I need help celebrating their ideas and language.
Kelly, I'm glad to hear that it's not just my first graders who lack stamina or the ability/willingness to reread their own work. I taught second grade for four years before switching to first this year, and the difference in maturity and stamina has been a hard adjustment for me as a teacher when it comes to revising my expectations.
DeleteI wonder if putting more of an emphasis on having a real, authentic audience will help our students with being able to read their own writing? After all, if the author can't even make heads or tails of the words, then certainly no one else [intended audience member] can either. I know that for me as well, I need to do a better job of making sure the students write for an authentic audience so that it becomes an integral part of their writing process.
Yes, the OLM has a bunch of different names: To, With, By; I do, We do, You do; The Gradual Release of Responsibility, etc…
DeleteI would say you are ahead of the game at this point…many teachers share with us that they don’t write in front of their students and say they aren’t comfortable doing so. We absolutely want students engaged during writing and letting them “help” us is def. a great way to do so.
As you work through the text, you’ll see over and over to focus more on the content and meaning and ask students to think who their audience (or reader will be.) We want students writing for a purpose and knowing who the audience is.
You did a great job of writing down areas you are doing well and areas you need to work on. No matter what, even if we are veteran, amazing teachers well ALL have areas to work on or refocus on.
Hi Kelly S.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jackie and I both strongly feel that having the students write for a purpose and knowing who their audience is increases their quality!