The challenge has also immersed me in the blogs of many writers. Even though I have held on to the belief that to be a good writer, you must first be a good reader, I have not been practicing my belief. I noticed and admired craft in others' writing and caught myself saying things like "I love how she meticulously described each person instead of listing the people in the cafe."
Different topics have struck a chord in me. I am going to write about that next.
So now I have this rebirthed knowledge that writers learn from other writers and I need to reflect on my own teaching of my fourth grade writers.
Getting ready to embrace the Classroom Slice of Life Challenge, I googled some ideas about kids blogging. Thank you Karen Arrington for your blog about table blogging. Students are encouraged to comment on others writing on a table sized dry erase board.
Using her ideas about how students can meaningful comment on each others writing, I encouraged my students to comment on each others opinion essays about colonial life. The students were engaged and thoughtful. Sharing after one student said, I noticed that my writing is not as long as others and I am going to try to include more details in my body paragraphs. Wow! What might have taken fifty mini lessons and seventy-two writing conferences, this student arrived at his own writing goal through this one experience.
Thank you for giving me this month to be reflective about what writers really do.
"Reflective about what writers really do." really struck me - when I have had my 6th graders blog -- either on real blogs, google docs, or even on paper -- I see such power in the commenting and coaching of each other! When I blog, and see how I feel getting comments, it reminds me how important that feedback is! When I take time to read other blogs and get ideas, wow... the growth... same with kids. I think it is amazing! Thanks for this slice!
ReplyDeleteIt is so great that the energy from the writing challenge is already bearing fruit in your classroom... And it's only been for days! Thanks for sharing ideas and reminding us how important comments and feedback are to the writing process.
ReplyDeleteWriting community is strong factor in improving and staying accountable! I am so glad you joined the challenge. WE can all learn from each other - and our student writers.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing! As a first year slicer I am very encouraged by reading so many different blogs with such variety in topics and writing styles. I really resonated with your point that good writers are also good readers. My 2019 resolution was to write more AND read more and I'm hoping to continue reading as much as, if not more than I write.
ReplyDeleteYour last line says it all - being a part of this challenge and writing regularly, helps us to understand what our students face everyday. I know my teaching of writing improved so much after I started blogging. I have always written, but blogging and being a part of this community changed so much for me. I had to laugh at the part about fifty minilessons and seventy-two writing conferences - if we only knew, right?!?
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