Welcome to READ 588, we are going to use this space to hold class discussions about various topics in writing instruction. We encourage you to comment on the posts here, and we hope you will check back frequently throughout the week to read what your colleagues are saying. Eventually, you will have the opportunity to post your own topics on this blog.
Lets start off with a couple of basic questions:
- What do you already feel comfortable with as a writing teacher?
- What would you like to know more about?
Melissa---As a primary writing teacher, I already feel comfortable with the early stages of the writing process. I do a lot of free writing activities and prewriting activities with my students prior to a main form of writing. We always draft a sample together and then brainstorm words to use in the actual writing. I would then conference with each student prior to them writing their final draft. My students do a lot of creative writing in their journals on either topics that I have given them or that they have chosen to write about. This is what I previously did with my students, and I felt good with their end products. However, this year I am teaching a Transitional First Grade class and feel that I am going to need a lot of work on what I do as a writing teacher and how to get kiddos to write.
ReplyDeleteMelissa---Adding onto the previous comment that I posted for the first question, there is a lot that I would like to know more about since I am having to teach writing to the lower level first graders. I am really hoping to pull from pictures, drawings, and digital storytelling to get my students more willing and able to produce a good writing sample. This year with teaching writing is going to be quite challenge for me because my students have such a difficult time with writing and spelling. I would like to better assist my kiddos with a more organized and useful conferencing time and am open to any suggestions.
ReplyDeleteI feel comfortable as a writing teacher when I am teaching students how to go through the writing process. I did a lot of work on this with my students in third grade. I also tutored a student in writing privately. I felt good about the tutoring experience because I was able to help him get over his fear of writing. I also feel comfortable having students write in journals. I like for them to have the opportunity to write freely every day.
ReplyDeleteI would like to learn how to better fit writing into all of the core areas and enhance students’ learning of math, science, and social studies through writing. I would also like to learn more about how to use technology to help students enhance their writing.
-Mari
Comfortable? Probably not with any of it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite the most comfortable when teaching writing. I enjoy writing, but find it difficult to bring it to a student's level. I love grammar but find it difficult to make it engaging and exciting.
I have one good lesson that I teach about varying sentences that I enjoy, but I picked that up at a conference. I'm a pretty good model. I love to write and share with my students but find it tedious when I have to do that multiple blocks a day.
Overall, I suppose that I'm a mediocre writing teacher. I sometimes find it as laborious as the students do and am challenged on making it interesting and engaging.
How am I able to make grammar more engaging? How can I stop myself from over-focusing on all the little mistakes when grading?
What are the topics that students feel most relevant when dealing with different genres?
-Erin
Having taught writing in some shape or form for 26 years, I've tried
ReplyDeletemany different approaches, from strictly formulaic to loose and
creative . . . and I've come to one conclusion: there's no perfect
method that leaves no child behind. ;c) So I suppose if there's one
thing I'm "comfortable" with, it's knowing that writing process and
writing instruction in that process are messy and must be
individualized as much as possible. That doesn't negate the need for
effective group instruction and standards for assessment, of course,
but I believe that everything we "create" is our "baby" and needs to
be handled with care.
I've attempted writing
workshop in the past, with limited success and much uncertainty about
the level of success overall, especially with less self-motivated
students. Tips for managing that individualized instruction that I so
strongly believe in but that there never seems enough time in the day
to manage effectively would be helpful as well.
-Cathy
When it comes to writing instruction, I feel like I have a bit of comfort with a lot of things, including the writing process and writer's workshop. I am quite comfortable with the idea of students having choice in their writing. I prefer that my students try to share a lot of cool and different ideas rather than stick to sentence frames with safe words...like "I see a cat. My cat is red." That gets boring. I'd prefer, "my ct liks to cudl wif me." It tells a more interesting story, even if it's not all "right."
ReplyDeleteWhat I'd like to learn more about is using technology with writing, especially programs or ideas like "Photostories" where you take photographs and then use those to guide your writing. That sounds so cool! I also would like to learn a little more about writing at the upper-elementary spectrum. One thing I'm becoming aware of as I move through this program is my tendency to focus on things that work at my grade level, which is such a narrow piece of the puzzle, especially in elementary school. I'm trying to get up the guts to challenge that in this class.
-Katie
If anyone has trouble posting to the blog, we can work on it tonight! See you soon.
ReplyDelete1. I already feel comfortable with my ability to get students "thinking"
ReplyDeleteabout their writing. I feel good about giving a broad topic but letting
them have ownership over where the story/writing takes them. I am
flexible in writing in terms of recognizing different approaches to
writing.
2. I would LOVE to learn how to run a "writers workshop". I have heard
about them for a while now, and want to learn how it works. I would love
to know, too, if there are any tricks/ ways to help struggling readers
turn into awesome writers AND readers at the same time?
Tonya Roshi
1. I feel comfortable writing myself & I believe that everyone can write.
ReplyDelete2. I want to find ways to help students overcome their fear of writing & their dread of the actual physical mechanics of it. I hope to find ways to inspire them to write & to motivate them to see themselves as writers.
~Lynn
1. I feel comfortable with various forms of journal writing, writing creative stories with spelling words and some aspects of the editing and revision process.
ReplyDelete2. I would like to learn more about writer's workshop and how to use it with my ELL students- particularly how to motivate reluctant writers.
-Patsy
As a writing teacher, I feel comfortable brainstorming with kids about what to write and then providing a safe place for everyone to write what they choose and then share. Something I would like to know more about is teaching students how to revise and edit their work and others' in a way that is truly meaningful and even exciting. I like the idea of mini-lessons to work on an aspect of writing, but what about when you really do want to work on a writing project over an extended period of time?
ReplyDelete-Jenny
In college, I learned all of these fantastic ways to get kids involved in their writing. After I graduated, I was an instructional assistant and tried to support my students using the knowledge that I gained in my schooling. But since I wasn't using those skills and strategies as much as I wanted to during that job experience and now being a reading teacher, only having students for fragmented times throughout the day, it makes my experience as a writing teacher a challenging one.
ReplyDeleteI feel comfortable letting the students write about topics that they are interested in, but I struggle with the management of meeting with all students when their ideas can be so varied. I have never had my own classroom of my own so I haven't been able to "find my own style". On a different note, even though I hate to admit it, but I would be a little nervous at first to "relinquish all power" (for lack of better words), and allow kids to work on different things.
With limited time constraints, I would love some ideas of how I can incorporate writing more in my daily instruction, because I know how reading and writing go hand and hand!
-amee merkle
I feel comfortable with very little about teaching writing. I have a great foundation for very young writers (prek-k). I have had limited experience teaching third grade inclusion writing. I can comfortably teacher students how to write a proper paragraph. I am now having a new experience teaching fourth grade writing which I am not comfortable with.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes me nervous is trying to teach inexperienced writers how to write good content and with good grammar. Teaching them all the details that go into good writing is tricky. Where do I start?
Jen G.
Playing catch up--
ReplyDeleteI feel that as a writing teacher I do a good job of creating enjoyable ideas for students to write and think about. I also feel that I do a good job of providing texts that are easy to relate to and fun to write to if needed.
I would like to work on providing effective feedback at the lower elementary level that students will benefit from.
Heather
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI feel that I do a good job of teaching my students expository writing. I'd like to do a better job of teaching creative writing.
ReplyDeleteKathy B.
It has been a long time since I've taught writing. At this point I don't really feel comfortable with any of it. I don't mind to model my writing for students. I would like to learn more about how writers workshop should be structured. How do we keep kids engaged while we conference or work with other studetns. How do we teach studetns who are low readers how to write well? Especially if their writing is influenced by their reading ability.
ReplyDeleteKim