For me, this chapter title reinforces the concept yet again that we need to model, model, model for our students. Just as many of them don't see folks reading for pleasure very often, they also don't see people writing thank you notes, etc. The kids need someone to emulate thinking through the writing, revising on the fly, trying out different phrasing, and reorganizing. If all the kids ever see is a finished product, they won't know how to produce their own. As one of the teachers quoted in our text said, "it's the actual struggle that helps them learn." This is the recursive process, the going back or revisiting their work until they are satisfied.
I loved the author's directive to STOP teaching writing as discrete elements (voice, etc.) (p. 38). No one really writes that way! That's part of revising and polishing, I guess, to check for those things, and worrying about them up front is a great way to impede the flow of ideas and words and feelings!
I think I will ask friends for scrips and scraps of leftover notecards and stationery, and pick them up on sale, and have a little stockpile to write personal notes to my students periodically. I will let them know when I admire something in their work or their effort. I used to do that, and somehow got away from it.
My neighbor recently showed me her electronic grocery list app on her phone - much less likely to head to the store without it, but I have to sigh a bit. I like to think it's a good mental exercise to stand in the produce section with my eyes closed, visualizing the list I left on my kitchen counter. Sometimes I can read it.
I like how you are asking questions, raising issues, and making plans for your own teaching. You are so right about the importance of modeling. So often we show students a finished piece of writing and say, "See, here is how it's done". Silly! On a cooking show, do they show us the finished product and say, "See, here is how it's done"? No, chop the onions, saute the garlic, and show us step-by-step. Cooking shows are a great example of modeling.
ReplyDeleteComments by: Jacinda
ReplyDeleteI think it is a great idea to ask friends for leftover scraps of stationary. The Kindergarten teacher I work with uses scraps in her writing center. The kids love it! I totally agree that we need to model. With technology becoming more advanced everyday it is very difficult. I struggle with modeling in my own classroom daily. I find myself writing more things now since I started this class. I hope it will carry over into the classroom.
Comments by Ashlay
ReplyDeleteModeliing is very important. Even when i am learning something new I need to see it done more than once. Now I have never seen the electronic grocery application, which I am surprised because I always have the new phones when they come out. But on the other hand I still like the old fashion paper and pencil. This really makes it more clearer for me about student writing. Everything is done through technology.