We Do Write Everyday

This year marks my fifth year of teaching. I know five years doesn't seem that long, but thinking back, I have gone through many stages of my own teaching, reflection, and learning in those short five years. There was a time (gasp!) that we didn't write everyday. There was also a time where I didn't teach writing, but rather just told my students to write. There was no modeling, no shared writing, no writing conferences, no small groups and really no expectations as to what my writers could or should be able to do. I just wanted them to write. It's what you're suppose to do in school. I got frustrated with my writers when they didn't thoughtfully write and at a loss within my own instruction to help support my writers on a daily basis.

So what changed? I did. I soon realized that I was the problem. I had to change and so did my thinking. Thanks to a friend who recommended a good read, I found inspiration in other educators. I allowed myself to dive down deep into the teaching, reflection, and learning of writing through Katie Wood Ray, Matt Glover, Lucy Calkins, as well as others, and many, many, blogs. I am still reading, still learning, and still reflecting on the needs of my writers.

I still just want my writers to write, but I arm them with writing tools. I step in and coach when it's needed, I step back and model the writing craft, I set up opportunities for collaboration, and I celebrate- always. I always celebrate. I see where my writers are and I think about where I want to take them. I honor every step along the writing road and I honor my writers for who they are and where they are going.

Even though it is my fifth year teaching, I faced new opportunities as this school year began. A new classroom, a new colleague, 20 new little learners, and even a student teacher. When I decided to write this blog, I thought back to a beginning of the year conversation that I had with my student teacher. Wide eyed and new, she was ready to jump into teaching but wasn't sure about the whole gradual release, differentiated instruction, or a workshop approach in reading, writing, and math. My enthusiasm took over during many of our first conversations and my passion for writing and reading easily bubbled up.

A few days after quickly going over my brief thoughts on writing and reading instruction (maybe not so quick and brief--did I mention I get excited?...), she came out and asked me, "Will the children write tomorrow?"

Tomorrow was the first day of school. I was confused, I thought she may have missed something in those "brief" and "quick"conversations. "Of course," I said.

"Will they write the next day?" she asked. She had to miss something. Of course they will right the next day and the day after that. "Are they coming to school?" I asked with a smile. "Everyday that they come to school, they will write. We will write everyday."

We do write everyday.

The difference between now and five years ago is that now I model, confer, share, collaborate, guide, coach, and celebrate my writers everyday as well.

Write About It

Write about it.

It's what I say to my students everyday. They come into the room filled with excitement about their weekend plans or what their Elves of the Shelves did that morning or something that their brothers or sisters did the night before. So, I tell my young writers: write about it. And they do. They write, they collaborate, they edit, and they share. They take pride, they take ownership, and they grow into writers.

Write about it. 

I encourage my writers to write everyday, and they do. I have seen that the more opportunities I build for my writers, the more they write. It goes without saying, the more they write, the more confidence, skill, and stamina they develop. The more they write, the more they want to write.

Write about it. 

I ask my writers to write everyday, but I don't live up to my own expectations. I don't write. I haven't been inspired. I haven't been motivated. I haven't grown as a writer in years. My hope is to use this blog as a way to grow as a writer, a way to record the growth of my writers, and to maybe even inspire others to build authentic opportunities for their writers. I decided, I am going to write about it.