Getting Ready

OK Writers! I am getting ready for Institute #2! Are you ready for some football?! I can't wait to see you all again! :) Let's huddle up for minilessons... ready, WRITE!

Positive Input

Hello Writers! This is Becky Lamb, and I've been where you are! Many times, I still am! I know how stumped you can feel when it comes to Writer's Workshop, but don't give up! I have been reading Lucy Calkin's book, The Art of Teaching Writing, for 3 years! I reread it every year, hoping to gain more insight into what I need to do for my First Graders. It has been a blessing having Melissa come into my classroom and flesh out so much of what Lucy teaches in her book. I'm beginning to get it! I've discovered my expectations were way too high, so I got frustrated! Having come from the upper grades, I was looking for writing that I could immediately have kids edit and revise! "NOT YET!" I must tell myself! Let them have the freedom to learn to be writers. Affirm their efforts at every turn. They know so much. I am the one who must teach them, show them, how to express themselves on paper. They have the stories. I must gradually teach them how to put there stories down in "writing". Not necessarily with whole words and/or sentences on the page. I must first let them know they each have the most remarkable stories to share. It takes time...lots of time and a different kind of "writer's eye", where I look and listen to them tell me about their lives. Please be patient. You'll get it, and gloriously, so will they! Charge!!

In a rutt

Does anyone else feel like they are in a rutt? I'm not real sure where to go from here.........my students have been writing pretty much everyday, but I don't feel like I'm with it quite as much as I was a few weeks ago. November can't get here quick enough!

Okay, I think I am missing a link. When do we revise and publish? I feel a mini lesson in here somewhere and not sure how to move forward. I have been "saving" our stories in a folder. Open House is coming up and I would love to have a good quality paper or am I rushing it?

We are stumped in third grade. Loving the writing time and being very productive. Just need to keep that ball rolling and keeping them excited about writing and reading.

What do you use for a grade? rubrics?

Questions.........

Ok ladies, I know we all have our way of doing things, but I would appreciate feedback on what works for ya'll for the following:

1. What do you do when student's paper is TOTALLY blank at the end of your WW time?

2. What do you do with their paper when they are "done". Do you keep it, send it home............?

apples, peaches....

I had a teacher in my classroom who had been teaching full time and when it was time for her to let go of some lessons I immediately wanted to take over WW so that I could implement Melissa's ideas. Although my students loved the apples, peaches, pumpkin pie story starter and we have now created an extensive list of stories, it was tought getting started. I teach a bilingual class so some of my ELL's claimed that they did not have any stories to share. However after they would come in in the morning anxious to share something or after they shared some news from home or the weekend and I responded that these were stories and to be sure to share those if it was their turn during apples, peaches time it got easier for them to see themselves as having experiences to share and turn into stories. We are taking it slow, but loving it every day.

Another Day in Blooming Grove

Every day I work with writers in Blooming Grove- I am humbled by what an amazing gift I am given as an educator. Children are wonderful and the stories they have to tell are vast. I am reminded every day, that there is still so much for me to learn. Teaching Writer's Workshop is about having a core set of knowledge. It is about having a plan, but it is also about letting the writers teach you. There are so many moments when I think "I haven't even thought about that" or "I should teach them that". Teaching writers is dynamic- and isn't that awesome?

In Blooming Grove we now have very functioning writers folders. They are two pocket folders with papers added to the brads. One one side of the folder it says I'm Still Working On It and the other side says "I'm done with it for now". In the middle is lined paper that will eventually turn into a Writer's Notebook and so far we have added a list of topics to write about and a list of high frequency words to the middle as well. Also in the middle is a personal dictionary. I will be sharing that at the next meeting. Kids have their own personal words spelled correctly inside. I have conferences (1 minute) with a kid and they tell me words they want to know how to spell and I add them in there. I put dirt bike and football in a dictionary for Cody yesterday.

We have also assigned writing partners- like ability writers partnered together. They sit by each other for the mini-lesson and when they are done writing, they can go and work on their story/read their story to each other.

There is still SO much to teach them, but I keep in mind that we have every day to do it. A little at a time... drops of water will eventually fill a glass! Keep up the great work out there in your classrooms. I'll see you soon (though I know it may not seem like soon enough).