Just Write!

Writer's notebooks or journals have been around a long time in some form or fashion in language arts classrooms.  Today's model frequently shows up as a "composition" notebook like the kind found at the discount store for a dollar.  I have several of those filled up.  I recently found one that I used during a summer writing institute.  That was about 10 years, or so, ago.  I have enjoyed reading through it.

I write each day that my student's write, which is usually every day.  I just finished a class for writing teachers and I wrote a lot during that time.  I wrote with my students and I wrote for my goal for this class.  There are all sorts of things in my notebook.  There are reflections about things that are happening in my life.  There are reflections about books that I am reading.  There are frustrations.  There are lists.

At the beginning of the semester I had a new group of 5th grade students transfer into my classroom first hour.  The first day we began with writing in a notebook.  I gave them these notebooks with a list of 45 possible topics to write about.  The first few days they relied on these topics, heavily.  However, I'm noticing this week that they are relying more on their own ideas to begin writing.  They are beginning to think of themselves as writers.  Hooray!

I was asked by a younger teacher yesterday for some ideas about how to help some lower elementary students improve their writing.  I thought for a moment about that.  I was thinking about different programs that might be beneficial for her to use.  But, what I finally came up with was the suggestion to simply have them write each day.   Then, look at what they wrote and  figure out where their gaps are.  I think putting them in an authentic writing environment is the best way to help them become better writers.  They have to actually write.   I feel there are strategies that we can give them to help them develop ideas or to organize their thoughts.  But, I don't think that teaching them an organizational system to remind them to put things in a certain order is helpful if they do not write consistently each day.

After I came home, I thought about how I had given her ideas about what I would do, but I didn't point her in the direction of any resources. I knew that I should have some resources that I could share with her.  I went to my bookshelf and came up with two books by Ralph Fletcher and JoAnne Portulupi about Craft Lessons.  There was a non-fiction and a fiction version.  These are older. They were published in 2001.  But, as I looked through them, I realized there was some great information in them.  The lessons within the books give a skill and break that skill down into a lesson with practical suggestions about to teach it.  I hope she finds these books helpful.

The best way to get better at something is to practice.  I don't know of anything that anyone can get better at by just thinking about ways to get better at it.  Practice is the answer.  It's the key to athletics, FFA judging teams, quilting, typing, giving speeches or anything.  And, it's the answer to getting better at writing.  So keep writing! 

2006 -  Writers Notebook at OWP Summer Institute

Finding Balance in a Technology Rich Environment

Schools are challenged with balance.  I ask myself continuously, "What's the right balance between hands-on-written and book-in-hand experiences versus online programs to enrich curriculum?"  I think that district leadership in all sizes of districts struggle with this daily.  There are so many resources available like Khan Academy, IXL and Spelling City just to name only a few that I know our district uses.

As a school librarian, I frequently get caught up in what I know teachers struggle with.   What's the best way to help students obtain skills they may be lacking?  This weekend while looking at data and trying to make decisions about where to go next with my 5th and 6th grade students,  I figured out that as the librarian there is one thing I can provide them each day:  time and space to READ. 

There have been several times when I have provided links to a new online program I discovered or showed them something that I thought might help with their classes only to be met with "We've already done that in Mr./Mrs. X's class."  That is not a bad thing.  Although it might be frustrating for me, I have to remember that  I am not their math teacher or their English teacher.  I am their librarian.  The one thing I can provide them with each day:  time and space to READ. 

Another discussion that sometimes occurs is about how to include health/PE, vocational teachers  and fine arts in the scope of learning to enhance what the core teachers are doing.  After all, these teachers have many things they are trying to accomplish within their own programs.  But, I believe logic and communications skills are relevant to all classes no matter the subject area.  As a librarian I can speak to primary/secondary sources.  I can have students communicate through book reviews or book trailers.  And, I can have them read informational texts and discuss tables and graphs that they find in those books.  Most importantly, I can give them:  time and space to READ.

You may be catching on to a theme... 

The library has much to offer within a technology rich environment.  Librarians can point students to databases they might not know about.  We can assist with inquiry in all classes.  We can procure resources for teachers so they can spend their time planning implementation.  We can be a hub of learning.  And, we can even have an expansive electronic library that can be accessed through their devices when they have:  time and space to READ.

The rules in education seem to be changing all the time.  What's old becomes new again.  This test is piloted this year and that test will be piloted next year.  And, that could all change.  But, that is a blog post for another day.   Right now, I have the time and space to READ. 

Vacation Time is Near (to the tune of the Christmas Vacation theme song)

Vacation time is near.  Two more weeks left.  Is it just me, or has there been a lot of time between Thanksgiving vacation and Winter break?  I blame the calendar.   

So, what can you do with that time between the breaks?  Instruction, of course.  Winter benchmarks, you bet.  Christmas movies in class, frowned upon possibly... we just can't help ourselves.  I call it relationship building.  Nothing says "I love you class" like watching a classic movie in which a young child must fend for himself while his family forgets him when leaving for a Christmas trip and eating popcorn at 8:00 am in the morning. 

This is the time of the year when I always do a poetry project.  When I first introduced this, the Monday after Thanksgiving, a few of my students popped up and said, "April is poetry month, Mrs. Brattin."  First of all, I almost began crying because they knew that (they have been listening for the past five years)... and second, I explained that any month is a good time for poetry. In all my years of teaching, the time between Thanksgiving break and Winter break is poetry notebook time in my class.  

I have decided to approach the project a little differently this year.  I am putting more emphasis on poetry appreciation.  Students are writing some formula poems, but they are also doing more poetry research.   They have looked through poetry books and found poems they like.  They have completed research online to look at poetry websites for students.  Next week we are going to listen to poets and work on some poet biographies (sneaking in some primary/secondary source lessons here.) 

A month immersed in poetry, at least until the last two or three days... then, it's movie time!  Any month is a good month for poetry! 

Be the nice teacher!

How wonderful if every parent had this discussion with students heading back to school. Probably, most do. And, let's face it, we as adults need to repeat this mantra as well.  In fact it could be re-written to fit us as adults:

Some teachers are smarter than you.
Some teachers have nicer purses than you.
Some teachers are better dancers than you at school assemblies.
It doesn't matter! 
You have your thing too.
Be the teacher who welcomes the new teachers into the group.
Be the teacher who shares posters.
Be the teacher who listens to all the great vacation stories everyone has.
Be the teacher who doesn't chime in on the latest gossip.
Be the nice teacher.

It's the beginning of school again.  Today is August 1st.  For me, once it's August 1st, summer is over.  I'm in school mode.   I think I'm the nice teacher.  All I know is  I CAN'T DANCE.  But, I do like to share posters!  

2018 begins my 25th year as a teacher!  2018, here I come! 



(Picture found on Facebook from a post by Myra Trimble Barnes. Thanks Myra for sharing.) 

Less than a month left...

I haven't done a great job with that #bookaday commitment that I made at the beginning of the summer. There are several YA books and new chapter books that I had thought I would get completed, but it hasn't happened.  I still hold out hope that some will get read.  There is still a month, or so, left on summer vacation.  It could happen...

However, my reading life this summer has included reading things to enhance my role as a librarian and as one who loves to sneak in a writing lesson quite frequently with the fifth and sixth grade students that I see everyday 1st and 2nd hours. So far, I'm re-reading Pernille Ripp's Passionate Readers.   

I was fortunate to hear her speak at nErDcampMI last summer and I loved the things she had to say about reading in the classroom.  Her ideas are realistic and speak truth to the fact that things aren't always perfect or the way we intend, but the battle is waged daily and the war is not lost if there is not success on one or even two or three days.  My hope is to model a love of reading  that I hope transfers so that they think about reading a lot and not just between the hours of 8 and 3. 

Goals can be re-evaluated and revised.  That's where I am.  What can I do to make the rest of my summer productive?  I'll keep working on that.  

It's the end of the school year, so why can't I take a break?

It's the end of the school year!  Yay!  What's the first thing I did when I got home today, you ask?  Did I go to the pool?  Did I finish binding a quilt I had begun?  Did I take a nap?  The answer is NO to all those things. I began making lists for things to do, or do better, next year. 

I already have a list.  I have already sent myself  three emails.  I'm already planning on going back to school tomorrow.  The one thing I am going to do tonight is begin my journey on the #bookaday challenge.   

Here's my list of things, so far:

• Read a #bookaday
• Piece more quilt tops with the stash I have
• Clean up, clean out
• Write more

I think that list seems well-rounded.  Happy Summer! 

What's in a number? Details!

Today was the last day of the first hour, fifth grade, journal writing goal attempt.   At the beginning of the second quarter we set a goal to write 25,000 words in eight weeks.  That's 25,000 words for 12 students for eight weeks.  The numbers worked out to around 300 words per student, per week.  I don't know if that is a high word count, or not, but it's what I came up with.  Always before I had approached student journal writing by saying just write about the topic.  I have never put a number qualifier on writing.  This was something new to me.   But, I decided to try it. By knowing that they had a number goal to meet, they spent more time trying to add details to add more words.  More details are a good thing. 

My ideas with this goal was to get students to write.  I haven't ever assigned a grade based on a word count.  I do look for quality over quantity.  I know what the research says about requiring a word amount.  However,  I just wanted them to write and maybe get lost in the details, literally.  I wanted them to have some incentive to write more.  I have learned that students do use excuses to not write, sometimes.  

I'm very proud to announce that they met and surpassed their goal.  They wrote almost 27,000 words!  We are celebrating next week!