This chapter describes what needs to be happening in our schools in order to provide our students excellent writing instruction. One qualified, motivated teacher can make a difference in her classroom’s writing program, but what kind of writing are our students doing when they move on to another grade level? This got me thinking about the writing instruction in my district. I know my colleagues are excellent teachers, but I feel that as a whole we do not necessarily understand how to best teach writing. Unfortunately, we tend to be more focused on the traits (voice, sentence fluency, organization, word choice, ideas and content, and conventions) of writing, instead of helping move our writers forward. Also, it seems that writing is frequently squeezed out of the day in order to prepare our students for state assessments or to complete meaningless activities.
As a staff, I feel that we are not providing our students with effective writing instruction. Regie Routman notes the key research findings that improve students’ writing. Some of those findings include the following: write every day, develop professional knowledge, create predictable writing routines, emphasize writing as a process, provide time for extensive reading and writing, value reading and writing as mutually supportive processes, recognize the value of authentic writing, and understand spelling development.
Routman stresses that this change in philosophy and approach to writing is going to take time (several years), collaboration amongst the teachers, and commitment to improving the writing program.
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That is neat that you shared it with your principal and it made her want to use it as a book study. Our school read "Reading Essentials" this year and I have introduced this book as a follow-up to it as well. They are both such great books!
ReplyDelete"I know my colleagues are excellent teachers, but I feel that as a whole we do not necessarily understand how to best teach writing." I am thinking the same thing about my colleagues also. Today I was given some worksheets over grammar and conventions. The homeroom teachers want to work on writing during interventions and that is what they wanted to use. I did not use it, instead I got out my Writing Essentials book and sat the kids down and described what I had been reading and how it was helping me become a better writing teacher and how to go about teaching kids to write. They really seemed to get it and were so happy when I told them that we would not isolate these skills but instead we were going to do some authentic writing. I introduced the snapshot from pg. 199 and they were pumped. I wrote mine on the SMART board in front of them and it took about 6 minutes. Then we discussed the criteria and they were ready to write. Unfortunatley I was not able to let them get started as they had to go back to their homeroom but they are definately ready for tomorrow! After school the same teachers were coming around lookign for this old writing program book that I suspose they wanted to use. Hopefully my group will excell in the intervention and we can work on those skills but write something that actually matters.
ReplyDeleteI love that you are seeing positive changes in your kids this year. I think that not seeing positive results is a big deterrant. I really would like to implement these ideas. It would be hard to stick with it to see the changes a couple years from now, but even to see the progress in one year is probably a great motivator!
ReplyDeleteLucy, you rebel! Good for you! Sometimes teachers do have to take a stand for what they believe is right for their students. Sometimes this causes friction between teachers, and I hope this is not the case for you. I imagine, based on your description that you believe this friction may be worth choosing what you believe is better for your students.
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