Writing.....
Writing is hard. Writing is hard for adults, let alone children. Why is writing hard? Well, that is an interesting question.
Writing is hard because we have been taught that our academic writing must produce something worth a grade. We teach that writing should be produced as a final product. We even teach the writing process from the perspective of the all too important FINAL DRAFT. Guess what? This old way of teaching writing in class does not work. All we get is nervous students, rushed or overly written pieces, and a lack of creativity.
Students have stories. So, so, so many stories. And we WANT them to become great writers. But, to help them do so means we have to let them practice without any pressure. We have to let them take a chance on their writing (and on themselves) without the fear of criticism all the time. The writing process should stay what it is - a process. Sometimes you go through the cycle multiple times before any quality work is produced.
What quality work should students produce? A personal narrative? An opinion piece? Well, sure, but that is only a label for it. What students should be producing is something they are proud of, worked hard on, and want to share with the people they care about the most! They should be allowed to explore.
This new school year gives me a wonderful opportunity to start working with students on the many, many levels of writing. From complete sentences, main ideas, grammar, and details, I want my students to practice writing so much that it becomes part of their identity as a student. We will be doing writing workshops, shared writing, quick writes, and formal pieces. Like the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect progress!" We will have our writing folders, monthly quick write journals (below), and student made posters on hand each day. Will writing still be hard? Of course it will be!! But, it will definitely get better.
