“It’s just…”His eyes dart away and he stops talking.
I sit there quietly, waiting for him to finish his sentence. I can tell he is down, I can tell he is unsure.
“It’s just…” he begins again after a long pause, “It’s just that I really hate writing, I’m sorry.” And he gives me that look that only a child can give you, that “please don’t hate me” look that cuts straight through me.
A million thoughts fly through my head, mostly surprise. I would never have guessed, not this kid, not him, he is too good of a student. And yet, he waits, so I ask the only thing I can think of, “Well, when did that start?”
I don’t think I hated writing as a child. It was something I did gladly, often delving into long stories filled with tragedy and drama as I worked through my own quiet life. I remember all of the essays I had to write and how I had to wait until I was inspired or the deadline had passed and a teacher was asking me to hand it in before I wrote. But hated it? Nah, more inconvenienced than anything else.
But this child, with his courageous statement, is not alone. More and more often I hear it from my students; “We hate writing.. We hate being told what to write. We hate having to come up with something when we are not inspired.” And I know I cannot be alone .
So what do we do as the teachers of the future writers? How do we bring back the passion into our writing curriculum, much like we aim for in our reading? How do we show these kids that writing is not a chore, not something simply to get through to get to the next thing, but the way for them to have a voice. The way for them to make a difference from where they are right now?
We start with blogging. By providing them with a platform for putting their voice into the world where they can see their words are being read, and their words carry weight. Where others can comment and start a conversation. We then add choice, authentic purpose, and declare our own passion for writing. We show how writing makes a difference to us in our lives. How writing matters and should be held sacred, much like we hold our reading sacred.
But then what? Where do we go from there? How do we convince our students that writing does actually matter? That being a good writer is actually something worth their time and not just something they have to do because their teacher told them to. Or something forced to fit into an already pre-determined box of thought. How do we help them un-hate writing again or is it too late?
My head is spinning, the thoughts are creeping in, ideas seem to be coming from everywhere and it is reaching that critical time…How in the world am I really going to teach reading and writing to my incoming 7th graders? Not the curriculum, that has been taken care of for me, but how am I going to work with it? How am I going to get them excited about it? How am I going to welcome them, get their attention, and then keep it for a whole year of our adventure? How will I bridge the gap between my elementary mindset and their middle school mindset?
So while, I don’t have it all figured out, after all, who really does before the kids show up, I do have some ideas of what we will do to create a great writing/reading experience.
I brought my library with me. There may not be many other middle school teachers that have this sort of library in my new district, but my books are who I am. Along with it, I brought my rocking chair, my carpet squares, and all of those picture books that mean so much to me. Together we will dive into the library and make it our own. I cannot wait for students to explore it.
our library corner
We will start with a picture book. Picture books are the vessels with which so much knowledge can be dispersed. They lure us in with their colorful pages and seemingly easy words, but leave us with deep thoughts and inspiration to write. So we will start with students choosing which book to read aloud. Current contenders include Pete & Pickles, Journey, Sparky!, My Teacher is a Monster, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, Chu’s Day, The Story of Fish and Snail, Chalk, It’s a Book, and Unicorn Thinks He is Pretty Great. I hope each class chooses a different one.
picture books to grab their attention
We will discuss the good and the bad. Last year’s lesson on why reading sucks taught me so much about my students and I hope to replicate it in some way this year. While I want to highlight how incredible it is to read and write, I need to acknowledge all of the kids that don’t feel that way. We need to have an honest discussion and we need to put all of our reading and writing demons out there. We cannot move on if we are not honest.
We will use reflection. I learn so much when the students allow me into their heads so this year we will start with a reading and writing reflection. I may be crazy to think I can do the workshop format with all of my students, but I am going to try. This reflection will serve as our starting point. There has to be a way to get these kids reading, writing, reflecting, and talking. This is how we grow, this is how we learn.
There will be comics. I have always had some comics in the classroom, but this year I brought more out. I know that some of my students are very reluctant readers and I need to catch them with something. So comics, graphic novels, and books that I may not have thought would fit for 7th grade has been brought along, and they will be pointed out and placed into the hands of students. Whatever it takes to get these kids reading.
Books read will still be displayed. However, this time it will be on a bulletin board rather than on the door. I really want the focus to be on students’ reading and not mine when people walk by, so it will be our favorite book covers gracing our door rather than just what I have read.
my old book door display
There will be voice. We start with short stories and I was reminded of the art of story telling by a friend. I need to see where students are as writers before we can set goals and short stories lends itself perfectly to this. Students will be encouraged to create one of their own, using a medium they are comfortable with. We will focus on telling their story rather than all of the heavy editing, that will come a little bit later as we start to grow, set goals, and become mindful writers.
We will be global readers. We will be reading “One for the Murphy’s” as part of this year’s Global Read Aloud. I cannot wait to see the students connect with others as they think about this book and its powerful theme of redemtion, love, and finding one’s place within the world.
I will share my reading and writing life. I will continue to prominently display what I am reading, but new this year, I will also display what I am writing. I think it is easier for us to show off our reading because kids expect us to read, but do they know us as writers? I think it will be powerful for the students to see that I write all the time and for a variety of reasons. Hopefully, this will spark discussion as well.
writing sign for the door
Non-fiction will have a home. John T. Spencer inspired me when he discussed how we as adults forget that we read non-fiction all the time, yet it seems to warp itself into a textbook centered beast in our classroom. So this year I will embrace non-fiction even more. Not to forgo the wonders of fiction, but to help students understand how much non-fiction text they are already surrounded by and to realize that this counts as reading as well.
nonfiction gets it’s own shelf
Of course, this is not it. There will be more as my thoughts settle and I get into the classroom and see what else I can do. But it’s a start and I am excited, and that to me means more than anything right now. What ideas can you not wait to implement?
I started my reading transformation 2 years ago, realizing that I needed to create a sense of urgency and passion regarding books in my classroom. I knew I should focus on writing, I knew I should dedicate more time to it, more energy to it, and yet… I just didn’t know where to begin. It wasn’t that I was a bad writing teacher, after all, my students write a lot and often, but my passion just wasn’t there, in the classroom to urge the student so push themselves further. To really find themselves as writers. Yet, here I sit, the author of two books, a blog that is read by a global audience, and barely was that transferring into my classroom. So where was the disconnect. Why did I not turn my students into passionate writers as well as readers?
I knew I had obstacles; a determined curriculum that had us on a breakneck pace. Students at such varying degrees of ability that there didn’t seem to be a middle ground. Things that had to be taught no matter what. And time, never forget time, and just how little we have of it. But still, there has to be a way, within our prescribed curriculums to create excitement and urgency in the craft of writing. There had to be others who had better ideas.
So I turned to Voxer, I have a group there with people I really respect, and they started sharing their ideas. So thank you group, here are some of the highlights for how we can create passionate writers:
Choice in process. We cannot underestimate the power of choice in our writing curriculum and what it means for students to be able to explore their own true writing style. Yet, within a prescribed curriculum, it can seem as if there is no choice. I have found though that I can give students choice of how they write, greater engagement occurs. Sure there is a process, but that process may look different from child to child based on what they prefer. Some will want to type right away, some will stick to a pencil. I have even had students dictate stories to others or to a Livescribe pen. Let them discover how they write best and accomodate as much as you can, then at least they can focus on the writing, not the process,
Choice in topic. Even within a curriculum that tells me what students should be creating, there are many ways to add choice in topic. If the area of focus is argumentative essay, don’t limit what the students can write about. Help them discover something they are passionate about and help them explore.
Choice in audience. This was a great point brought up by Chris Wejr and something I had not considered. I always assume that students want to share their work with as big of an audience as possible, but this may be far from the truth. Students may want to only share with me or a trusted friend. Students may want to publish it for the whole world to see. What we need to do as teachers is figure out what each child would like and then honor that. I would not have wanted the whole world to see my writing as a 13 year old, I bet I have students who don’t either.
Choice in partner. I often have students write together but when I pair kids up I can sometimes stop their writing process. Writing can be very personal, so I often think of what type of writing is occuring and match that to the relationship students need with their partner. Sometimes having your most trusted friend as your writing partner can be a very good thing.
Authentic purposes. Last year I was able to find more authentic purpose in our writing, so when we wrote our op eds, they were for the newspaper to be published, not just me. When we wrote a non-fiction picture book, they were for our 1st grade buddies. When students had a genuine audience and purpose for their writing, they felt more in control because they understood what the task at hand was. They knew they had to write succinctly for the newspaper to publish their words, they knew they had to find an accessible voice for their 1st graders.
Passion. Once again, we have to invest ourselves into writing, whether it be through modeling, discussion, or general excitement. Much like we share our passion for reading by thrusting books into the hands of students for them to have an incredible reading experience, what if we did the same with great writing emphasizing how spectacular it is? What is we start telling students that we thought of them when we read something because it reminded us of their writing?
Minimizing our critique. While I believe we have to teach students to be better writers, I think sometimes our eagerness to help can stymie the process. So figuring out what the best process is for each child to support their growth without killing them with corrections. Sometimes it is okay to just write for the sake of writing. Sometimes it is even ok to share uneditied writing just to show off our ideas. Not all writing has to be finished or polished.
Spontaneity. This great point was brought up by Ben Gilpin and I couldn’t agree more. We should look for the moments in our everyday where we are inspired to write and that does not just need to be within writing time. I get ideas to write all of the time and then try to find the time to actually jot down my thoughts. What if we created environments where journaling and small moment writing was a natural part of our day?
Sharing our writing life. I tell my students all the time about the things I write, but how often do I show them? How often do I write in front of them? How often do I stop and write in the middle of the day because inspiration strikes me? I think much like we showcase our books reads to create a reading community, we have to showcase our writing too.
When I started blogging with my students, I had no idea what I was doing. I knew I wanted them to write, I knew I wanted them to connect, and I knew I wanted them to reflect openly on many issues and not just blog their writing assignments. Sometimes their blogs blew me away and other times I wanted to encourage them to hit delete rather than publish. Over the years as I have seen our blogging reach a wider audience, we have fine-tuned what it means to blog and it is something that I continue to work on with every batch of new students. So how can you take your blogging from just writing to actual global collaboration and reflection, well, these tips may help.
Be a blogger yourself! I show this blog to my students and we discuss what I do to keep an ongoing dialogue going. We discuss what my writing looks like and who I am writing for. The students notice the care I take with my posts and also that I (usually) comment back. Because I am dedicated to my own blog, I know how much work it is and also how fulfilling it is. Why would you ever ask students to bare their souls if you haven’t bared your own?
Make it authentic. Yes, I have students write about curriculum once in a while, but rarely is just a typed up version of something they already wrote. So if you want them to blog about an in-class topic such as science, how about making them keep a science inquiry diary where they discuss and reflect on their discoveries and answer questions from others?
Discuss the difference. We tend to assume that students know the difference between blogging and writing but they usually don’t. So make a chart, a list, a poster, something and use the students’ own language to discuss the similarities and differences. Post it and bring it up again, particularly if you see students’ writing not developing the way it should.
Create expectations. Again, ask the students; what should a great blog post look like? Then hold them to it. I have certain requirements the students have to follow and they also add their own to them, after all, this is being published to the world. While I would not have my students write a rough draft and then type that up, I believe we can hold them to a certain standard when it comes to their blogging. It should be punctuated correctly, spelled mostly correctly, and it should be a blog post, not just a couple of lines.
Make the time for it. And keep it! I have an urge to blog most days and I do wait until inspiration strikes, however, that takes training in a sense. I love to blog and I love the conversations that follow blog posts, but this is something I have grown accustomed to. I didn’t start out that way and neither do most of my students. So dedicate class time to blog, discuss their blogs, and celebrate the comments the students get. Make it a big deal because it is! When we grow complacent about our student blogs, they lose their deeper meaning and students can take the global connections aspect for granted. The blog then becomes just another forced writing assignment. So make them a big deal and keep them that way.
Prepare, Discuss, and Reflect. Before you start blogging, do all of the necessary preparation. Then while you blog discuss how it is going, fine-tune the expectations, and maintain a blogging presence in the classroom. Reflect once in a while; how is the blogging going? Should we take a break? Have students run the discussion, it is there hearts and minds on the line, not yours.
If you need more help, please visit my blogging resource page. I even have a letter for parents on blogs that you can get here. But in the end, if you do student blogging right, it may just turn into one of the most rewarding experiences for the students and for you. And even if you don’t do it right, it is never too late to fix it. Happy blogging!
On our last day of school I like to pull out the student questionnaires from the first day of school and have the students revisit them. We laugh over some of the things we wrote, we share what we still believe our strengths are and then the students tell me what they still don’t like about school. How often do we ask students that?
As we went around the circle one thing was made abundantly clear; writing was not a favorite subject. Writing! These students who have blogged more than 700 posts, blown me away with their superhero creations, and handed out heartfelt thank you letters to all of their teachers, they hated writing. In the past, I would have shrugged and not thought further of it, “Oh well, I tried…” But this year I asked them to tell me why and how I could fix it. So here are some of the ideas my 5th graders gave me:
Let one of the daily journal prompts be a complete free write (easy!)
We use the 6 traits curriculum so every week focus on one specific skills also in their journals. They can write about whatever they want but what we are looking to improve is that one skill.
Give them more time to delve deeper into their stories.
Have a culminating writing project (which we did this year) but make it free choice.
Once a week do a pop definition hunt of a word where students are not allowed to use computers.
As I look at this list I see two things; free choice and how easy all of this would be to implement. So once again I remind myself to give the students time to speak, to add their voice to the curriculum, and then to actually follow through. I am already excited to add some of this to my writing next year.
What Are They? The concept is very simple; every week, usually on Friday I post a new challenge for my students to blog about. This can be related to the academics in our classroom or thoughts on various education topics. I use this challenge for feedback, for ideas, and for them to become more involved in our classroom.
Timeline? The students almost always have 9 days to finish the challenge; Friday to the following Sunday, so challenge postings do overlap active challenges. While this is considered homework or extra work, students are given opportunities to finish them in class and do not have to find the time at home if they do not want to.
What Is the Topic? I try to keep the challenges short and to the point, such as, “Should education be fun?” and then wait for students to think and respond. We discuss perimeters for the posts at the beginning of the year and the students know to put their best foot forward, i.e. check spelling, capitalization as well as formatting.
Grading? I never grade their posts, since I do not grade in general, but use their writing to assess their growth as writers and also to figure out goals for them and give them feedback. Comments from me are sometimes private or public depending on the feedback given. Students love to read each others posts and we often end up discussing the week’s challenge in class because it made the students’ think. I also tweet out their posts and use the hashtag #comments4kids to get other classes to comment.
Students’ Reaction Students love the blogging challenges (mostly) and it keeps me on my toes as far as pushing their thinking. Students also get a chance to offer ideas for blogging challenges which I often use, thus providing another way for them to take ownership of our blogging.
What Else? Well, these are not the only things my students blog about but it is a main component. They often take to our blogs to create new challenges for others, to share stories, or vacations. They write to express themselves and they challenge me. I love how they take forum of blogging and make it their own, creating those global connections that we all strive to make.
Pernille Ripp 