Chapter 6

I feel like I just keep repeating myself but I feel like this book is such a good reminder. I constantly feel justified in certain actions but at the same time gain so many new ideas. I teach 4 classes that are 64 minutes long and I feel I am constantly working against the clock. This is my second year really doing writing workshop and I feel like it is so important and so I keep carving out time for my students to write. I am rather worried about next year as I lose even more time to read aloud to my students, allow them time to read and write but I guess we'll figure that out in hopes that I have a job. :) 

I appreciated her ideas for writing w/students as well as showing them how I go through the process of brainstorming and editing.  I liked her line that said if a picture is a worth a thousand words than modeling is worth a thousand pictures. Everything I ask my students to do I need to be doing as well. I do this but I need to do it a lot. I liked the idea of asking for topics and then working through how I grapple with the idea and decisions. I will be doing that next week. I sometimes worry that when I start to write on the board they all stop to watch, but that really is what they are supposed to do and so thats okay.

I appreciated the ideas of using the different writers, sharing with students how we may need to walk away from something- making notes, helping them to create spaces that really speak to them as writers. I think reminding them that writing is really hard work and that writing well is even harder is good. I want my students to see how important their work is and that is may take a while.

The way writers work and process was a good reminder for me too. Sometimes I want them to have an idea before they head to the computer because I want to see their notes. I need to let them get on a computer if thats what they want and then show them how to use the markup button to make notes so that I can see their process still. I will be modeling these lessons a lot in the next week as we prepare for the last part of the PASS and continue through poetry. We have been writing all year but these will be good reminders to leave them with as they head to high school.