Writing a great deal more than usual and in different genres throughout the semester was challenging for me. I cannot say that I am walking away with a passion for writing but I can say that my eyes have been opened a little wider as to how my students must feel when they are asked to write and how I can better support them in their learning. This type of knowledge is the kind that you only receive by putting yourself in the position of the students.
I have read countless books and articles
about the importance of using mentor texts. I fully believed in their importance in the classroom. However, it wasn’t until I was asked to
write my own personal narrative that I truly understood the value of a mentor
text. Having an example to refer
to and study made all the difference when it came to writing my own piece.
Living with the expectation that I
would have to write at some point during the day made me look for things to
write about and I always found them.
I believe that if students know they will be expected to write at a
given time every day, they will develop that writerly eye. Then, once I got an idea, I spent time
thinking about the different ways I could express that idea through writing. The more I wrote, the easier it was to
find ideas, and put them into writing. When the ten days were over, a part of
me was sad that I didn’t get to explore different formats and ideas that I had
stored away in my head. The freedom to express myself in different formats and
genres was motivating. I don’t
think I would have enjoyed it as much if I were given a topic to write about or
a genre to write in every time. “Students who write for purposes and audiences
of interest to them are more likely to engage in writing in the first place”
(Dudley-Marling & Paugh, 50).
Going through this experience with
a class full of teachers also taught me that writing can be challenging for
everyone. I am not the only one
that struggles to put ideas to paper.
I truly believe that students need to see that too. They need to see that it can be
challenging for their classmates and even for their teacher sometimes. “Many
struggling writers do not seem to understand that writing is often difficult,
and sometimes frustrating, for all writers” (Dudley-Marling & Paugh, 35).
Here are some of my takeaways from this semester with a few
fun graphics that help describe my thoughts
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When you know that you have to write every day, you start
looking for things to write about and you find them.
Writing can be challenging
for everyone. Students need to know this.
After spending two years learning about the importance of
mentor texts, having to write in genres I was not accustomed to really drove
that point home for me.
Sharing your writing can be a bit nerve-racking but it can
also be very satisfying.
Receiving feedback is powerful. It can make anyone feel successful and
motivated to continue writing.
Occasionally, you write something that you are particularly proud of and you feel pretty darn good about yourself. Every student should get a chance to get this feeling.
