Imagine an adult bringing you into a room, sitting you at a desk, and asking you to write a poem.
What do you think you would do? I would probably say something like: “Why?” “A poem about what?” “What kind of poem?” “Who is going to read this poem?” “What is the purpose of this?” I am sure these thoughts go through our students heads at times throughout the year in writing. We all know it is a best teaching practice to model a skill or concept that you are teaching your students. We know it is important to give concrete examples to begin any lesson. But what I have learned is especially important in writing is to write what you are expecting your students to write, and then share your writing with them. Sharing your own writing with your students is powerful. You are teaching them that you, too, are a writer. If they see you excited about writing, and share some writing of your own they will be inspired in the task at hand. When given a concrete example of the writing task, that you have written, you are giving them the opportunity to ask questions, comment on what they notice, and brainstorm how they might write it themselves. They can visually see what is expected of them. Your students, who look up to us teachers oh so much, will be motivated to try their best in their own writing. Now, imagine an adult bringing you into a room, sitting you down, introducing themselves, asking you to write a poem but then stopping to say, “Let me show you what I wrote. If you have any questions, let’s discuss.” I would be more willing to put myself out there to write my own poem with seeing the direction this person invisions.
2 Comments
3/21/2019 06:29:16 am
Your last scenario works so much better! That is why I encourage teachers to become writers themselves - so they can share their experiences, live the life of a writer, and understand what our students go through when they are asked to "write a poem."
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Natasha
3/23/2019 02:33:32 pm
I think this is true, and I'm also wary of leading students to copy my writing. I think it's important for students to see our writing process, and then to see lots of different examples of possible products so they don't only see one vision.
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AuthorI am a second grade teacher at Irving Elementary School in a co-taught classroom! Archives
May 2019
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