Writing Essentials, Chapter 1

I think I am going to enjoy this book and expect to get a lot out of it. I do feel it is providential that I am taking this class, and thanks to it, I will be in good shape to teach 7th grade language arts this fall. The main idea I gleaned from this chapter is that we tend to make it harder than it needs to be. I love the notion of focusing on the writer's ideas and message rather than harping all over their paper with a red marker all over spelling and punctuation errors. I always told my third graders that editing came last, and many of them had a hard time just letting it flow. Of course, some were unconcerned with editing at any point in time!
On page 5, I loved when the author mentioned being taken aback by how little we expect of students, how much time we waste, and how little pride and enjoyment students are taking in their writing. I liked the ideas for encouraging students whereever they are in their writing, how much or how little they've gotten done, and helping them go from there.
I visualized myself writing with my students and thinking aloud during the process. I hate DOL and completely understand why students do, too. I think you can do a little bit of that sort of thing, but you can also do it with students' actual authentic writing, and I bet they'll remember it better. Students need to learn those skills, but in a context where they have genuine meaning.
The author's comment on p. 13 struck me: "the skills and strategies that writirs use are the same across the grade levels; their depth and sophstication are what increase." I never thought about that before, and it is so simple and true.
I want to make a chart for my classroom wall with the 12 Writing Essentials (also p. 13), as much for my own use as for my students'.
Like the author, I want to simplify my teaching and my life ... and also declutter my house!