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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What are you thinking about as you are composing?
ReplyDeleteIt took me a few minutes to figure out what to write about. I really didn’t have anything “exciting” to write about. Once I decided on what to write about I was able to just start retelling the story.
What exactly did you do to plan, to get started writing, when you got stuck, or when you completed your piece?
I didn’t plan, I just started writing. When I was about halfway through I decided I had to break my writing up into paragraphs so I went back and did that and continued writing.
What does your process look like? Do you write straight through? Stop to reread? Revise as you go? Look up information? Edit?
I did write straight through. I would stop and see a word misspelled and go back and fix that, fixed the paragraphs, but mostly I just wrote, wrote, wrote.
I will admit that I do not like to write because I always thought I was a poor writer. But let me clarify that. I always thought the mechanics were off and never quite got that part, and I never liked to have anyone read my work. But I love to write in a journal and blog that I keep. BUT no one ever reads them they are just for myself. So this is an interesting exercise in that I had to think about writing something that someone would read. I find I’m not that afraid to do it in front of students. But I still don’t want to write in front of my colleagues. This should be an enlightening class.
What are you thinking about as you are composing?
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about the moment I was describing, reliving the sights, sounds and emotions I was feeling.
What exactly did you do to plan, to get started writing, when you got stuck, or when you completed your piece?
My planning was simply looking back over my summer to think of what I wanted to write about. I didn’t get stuck with my writing because this was something that had just happened to me, so my memory of the details were fresh. I also didn’t feel the need to meet any requirement of length, word usage, etc., so I felt free to write whatever came to mind, trying to give my story a beginning, middle and end. I realized when I ended my story that I had a really lame ending, but I couldn’t think of how else to finish it.
What does your process look like? Do you write straight through? Stop to reread? Revise as you go? Look up information? Edit?
I used to work for a newspaper, where typographical errors were easier to catch as you wrote, so I generally make those kinds of corrections as I type. As I write I’m thinking through my story in my head, and then typing it out. Sometimes I’ll type what’s in my head, then realize it would sound better if I rewrote or rearranged the sentence, so I’ll do that on the fly. If I need to look up information, I’ll do that when the need arises or leave dashes, or highlight my writing, so I know I need to go back and add or edit information. Depending on what I’m writing, I will generally go back and edit after I’ve written several paragraphs. I often find that paragraphs need to be moved around to make the story flow and be clearer.
Hi MyrtlePoint. I'm sorry I'm not sure which student you are in the class. I think you might be using a different account from which one your originally posted with. I want to make sure to give you credit for the assignment. Could you either post here your name or email me, if you'd rather not post your name again? Thanks! Mary :)
ReplyDeleteSorry, Cindy here. I didn't realize I had logged into another Google profile. I'll correct that before my next post. Thanks!
DeleteNo problem at all! Thanks for letting me know! :)
DeleteHi Patricia,
ReplyDeleteStudents are often very forgiving when we write in front of them. Usually they get pretty into it and want to offer suggestions.
I had a principal at a staff inservice have us all write on demand without any of us knowing ahead of time. It was a GREAT exercise and so interesting to see how all of us reacted and then who was comfortable sharing their writing and who absolutely wouldn't. :D
I would suggest that all administrators do this once a year so we can experience what it's like for our students to be told to write on demand. It's good to walk in their shoes once in a while!
Hi Cindy!
ReplyDeleteDo you think you'll plan to write in front of your students or with your students next year? I bet they'd love to offer suggestion in how to spice up your ending. Also, you can share examples from children's books of different ways to end writing pieces. Here's a lesson from ReadWriteThink (a wonderful resource if you don't know about it yet.)
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/once-they-hooked-reel-995.html
You can Google, search Pinterest or YouTube and find a ton of information about how to write strong endings.
Here's one site that I just found that looks pretty good. I like how she lays out her plans and provides examples of anchor charts here students created.
http://youngteacherlove.com/writing-narrative-endings/
There is also a TON of lessons about writing interesting leads on the internet. :) It's easy to get lost in cyberspace as you search. I have Pinterest boards where I save different finds. You might want to ad a few boards if you do have a Pinterest account to organize your searches and finds. :)
Yes, I plan to write in front of, and with, my students. I'd never thought about doing that before, but I think it shows them that writing is important and enjoyable.
DeleteThanks for those links - they look like great resources! And I do have a Pinterest account - is there any teacher who doesn't :) ? I love how easy it is to keep ideas. The only problem with Pinterest is it can be a time sucker if you don't restrict yourself to searching for just the topic you need information on. I'm trying to be more diligent about that, and more mindful of what I pin.
I know! I've just added 3 new boards in the last few days! :D
DeleteI did not plan anything before I started writing but I did take a few minutes to think about the story and reimagine it. As I wrote I was thinking primarily about how I felt in the story I wanted to tell. I also began to set the scene. I thought about where I was seated and described my posture. The sequence of events was another part of my focus. I did not want to add too many unnecessary details, but there needed to be enough details so the story made sense.
ReplyDeleteI did not write straight through, but instead stopped to reread and revised as I went along. I went back and added details and even whole sentences. I wanted to capture a certain mood or feeling. I changed the verb “tossed” to “shove” to add some intensity and then added more adjectives. I stopped a few times and had to read over the piece again before I thought of exactly how I wanted to write the next sentence. At the end I also took out a few words that were unnecessary. Finally, I struggled to decide when and how to end the story.
This was a very helpful exercise to remind me to be more aware of the writing process. It makes me want to do more to emphasize the natural trial and error process of writing. I tell the students to reread their own writing pieces, but showing the students an example of how my writing improved when I continually reread and revised would be more meaningful.
As I composed in front of my class, I found myself into thinking mode more than teaching mode which was wonderful! I was thinking aloud and sharing my thoughts with the kids. I told the story out loud first to get my thoughts in order, I told my class, and then wrote it down. The story changed of course and it was eye opening to see the "magic" involved in simply sharing my thought process. When I got stuck I would stop, reread, think out loud again and continue I guess before going on. My process was a stop and re-read, sometimes an edit here and there, revising as I reread, it was very eye opening and the input I received form the kids after was incredible. They were engaged as I wrote and thought aloud and there weren't any interruptions. When then sent off to start their own writing, they started right away! What an empowering technique for us all.
ReplyDeleteo What are you thinking about as you are composing?
ReplyDeleteAs I began my writing I struggled with how to start my story. I then remembered that I should just start it and then go back later to edit. This helped me kick off my writing. As I wrote, I thought about my audience and how the story would come across. I wanted to give enough detail to make it interesting, but also wanted to keep it brief.
o What exactly did you do to plan, to get started writing, when you got stuck, or when you completed your piece?
To plan I just made a quick list and went with the first one I knew I could write about easily and quickly. I did not make a graphic organizer or do any other pre-writing activity. When I got stuck I would cross out the sentence I wrote before and think of another one in my head first and then write it down. I would then re-read a few sentences to see if I liked the improvement and then moved on. When my piece was coming to an end, I paused briefly to think about what kind of ending I wanted. I realized I could have ended the story in a few ways, including a cliffhanger.
o What does your process look like? Do you write straight through? Stop to re-read? Revise as you go? Look up information? Edit?
My process was more linear than I thought it would be because I was very comfortable with the topic and the information I was trying to get across. I know that if I was writing a research paper it would be a lot more complicated and a longer process. I only stopped and re-read small sections when I was stuck, I then re-read the entire piece once I was finished. This is when I did most of my editing and polishing. I did notice that as I was writing I almost avoided words I couldn’t spell, instead of finding other simpler words I took my time to sound out the word and gave it my best attempt.
Excellent. So glad you all found this a beneficial exercise. :)
ReplyDeletePart One:
ReplyDeleteI write in front of my students often. I need to get better at sharing my writing process out loud with them and say out loud what I am thinking in my head, that way they can see the process that I go through every time.
Try It and Apply It List
-First Day of School Jitters
-Favorite memory from the Summer
-Family
-Pets
-Favorite Book, Movie or Video Game
-Sports
-Favorite Restaurant
-Things you like to do outside of School
-Weekend Memory
Sports
I played volleyball from the 4th grade all the way through my Junior year of high school. I loved playing volleyball so much! My Dad and I used to hit the ball back and forth to each other in the street and that is such a great memory for me. I also used to bump the ball onto the front of my house until the sun came down. I would love to get back into volleyball as an adult and maybe play on a team.
Part Two:
Capturing a Moment from the Summer
I couldn’t wait for the 4th of July. In fact I thought about it all the way from Christmas Break, it’s my second favorite Holiday, Halloween being my first. I knew I wanted to invite a few people over for a BBQ and some fireworks so I went about asking a few friends if they wanted to come over and then preparing a list of the things I needed for the party. First I needed to think about what I was going to cook for the party. I knew I wanted to BBQ because that seems to be the American thing to do on the Fourth of July. I decided to prepare some Chicken Skewers in a olive oil, garlic and lemon juice marinade, yum! I also wanted to make a salad to go along with the skewers. I prepared my list of ingredients I needed to take with me to the store. All the preparing for the party makes the party more fun to me, I love the thought that goes into throwing a party, especially a laid back one like the Fourth. My favorite party of course is going out to buy the fireworks and for me I like to go to two places, Costco and the local fireworks stand, so fun! Costco sells a huge pack with about 50 or so legal fireworks in it, it’s monster sized. I like to buy sparklers and a few other little fireworks at the local stand, can’t be a Fourth without sparklers can it? My friends came over, we sat outside in the backyard, BBQ’d, ate our food then sat next to the fire pit and roasted some smores. After that we moved to the front of the house and watched to show! We like to set the legal fireworks onto of a ladder, that way they look like they are cascading down. The show lasted about an hour and I loved every minute of it! 2017 Fourth of July can’t come soon enough!
Observations of my process:
-Reread as I went along so that I could make sure it made sense
-Reread to add some details or changes to the writing
-I decided to add a Closing sentence at the end to wrap up my writing
-I didn’t focus on the spelling at first, I went back and fixed that at the end.
Yes, adding your thought out loud will not only interest the students, but help them as well.
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI had fun with this assignment - can''t wait to do it with my students!
What are you thinking about as you are composing?
It was really hard to come up with an idea – I tend to put too much pressure on myself (is this right? Interesting?). I’m already putting myself in my students’ shoes – “I don’t know what to write about!”
That was the hardest part by far; once I got an idea, I jotted down memories in just words, phrases, and images to create a quick outline of ideas. It’s funny, the beginnings of any story for me starts out looking like a poem. Sometimes I just leave it that way and start working on poetry rather than prose! Once I get started, I try not to overthink, and just let the words flow. I’ll worry about cleaning it up later!
What exactly did you do to plan, to get started writing, when you got stuck, or when you completed your piece? What does your process look like? Do you write straight through? Stop to reread? Revise as you go? Look up information? Edit?
My prewriting is just jotting down ideas and images. I’ll use bullets or numbers for an expository or research piece sometimes, but most often I start with fragments and then go back to create the whole. When I get stuck, I need to look up! Sometimes your eyes and brain just need a break. I’ll take a quick stretch (just did one) or even get up and move around a bit. I reread many times – sometimes you need to be reminded of the point you are trying to make. I usually complete the middle section first, then go back to revise the introduction and conclusion. If I’m using the computer, I revise as I go, since cut and paste is an amazing tool! If not, I circle sections and use arrows to indicate moving passages. My final step is to read aloud for flow and adjust conventions and sentence fluency as needed.
This was really helpful – I’ve never really tried to dissect my own writing process. It’s something I’ve always taken for granted, and I realize now that I’ve been teaching my students methods that I may not even use myself. I’ll still offer those tools, but make it clear that everyone’s process is different.
I also never thought of my own writing process to teach my students but it's a great idea. I just wrote my story in front of them without thinking of my own process, it just happens automatically. So now I'll be jotting down my own process and creating a chart with my students on how I write.
DeleteHello Shelley,
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty interesting that the beginning of your stories look like poetry. :)
I think your comment "sometimes you need to be reminded of the point you are trying to make" would be a great mini-lesson. What a good strategy for students to learn to help keep them focused on what their point is suppose to be. (I know we have all seen many students go off on a tangent or off topic--well, now that I'm thinking about it, I've seen many adults do this as well. ;))
Yep!! That's the big take-away point we wanted to with this assignment. We often teach or require students to use strategies or methods that we don't really use ourselves. But just as you said, it's good to teach them as a possible tool, because everyone's method differs somewhat.
Hi Julie, Glad you also found the assignment useful! :D
What are you thinking about as you are composing?
ReplyDeleteAs I was writing, I was primarily thinking about which details to include to give a complete picture, but also not give too many details so that the story doesn’t quite fit together. Because I did not write this in front of my class, I was also thinking about how to balance using word choice that I would normally use, but also writing it in a way that first graders would be able to follow along easily.
What exactly did you plan, to get started writing, when you got stuck, or when you completed your piece? What does your process look like? Do you write straight through? Stop to re-read? Revise as you go? Look up information? Edit?
As far as planning goes, I really just started writing. I just got back from a backpacking trip, so it was fresh in my mind, and I knew that’s what I wanted to write about. I didn’t feel like I needed to brainstorm a bunch of ideas before I chose what to write about. When I got stuck, I re-read what I had written already, and thought about where I wanted to go with the story. I usually think about where I want my story to end, and then fill in the in-between. I usually edit and revise as I go, although I don’t do that as much when I write in front of my students. I stray from doing that because it seems time consuming, and I often already know exactly what I am going to write. I know I need to change this to let them see my writing process.
I really liked this assignment and having to think through what I go through as a writer to complete a piece of writing.
Marisa,
ReplyDeleteThat is a great point to repeat. We want our writing to be just a little bit above what our students can do. There's no point writing a 10 page example for first graders...we, as teachers, need to keep in mind what is reasonable and appropriate modeling for our students that inspires them and exposes them to great examples of writing. But not so elaborate that it's defeating for them or they don't see their potential in creating something similar.
Teaching students how to brainstorm or use graphic organizers is good, but we don't want to force using these tools when in reality a lot of us just start writing or work from a list of ideas.
Glad you liked the assignment. :D