Week 8

Week 8

This weeks reading is going hand in hand with my dyad placement. Our sixth grade class has been working on different genres in reading and writing. The class started reading memoirs and then experienced writing a memoir. Now they have moved on to mysteries and they have a writing activity that goes along with this genre also. I found the framework for teaching writing genres on page 196 of Writing Essentials very useful. I like the idea of finding out what the students know about the different genres and then you could pick a few different types to focus on. The students definitely benefit from being able to read actual books that reflect the genre being talked about. It allows them to see different approaches to the literature.

On page 200, Routman talks about letter writing and how there is no substitute for an actual letter. With the internet being more prevalent these days students are more likely to know how to send a letter via email and not through the good old fashioned post office. I remember in high school we had a lesson on letter writing. Every student was to think of a business that they liked (Nike, GAP, etc.), we then wrote the business a letter saying what we like about their clothes, or products that they made. It was a fun way to learn the importance of letter writing. In fact, many of the students in the class received letters back from the company with either gift certificates or coupons for their store.

In both of the situations that I talked about above, there has been an introduction done by the teacher. On page 222, Routman talks about doing a shared writing to engage students and also show students what is expected of them. This ties back to the optimal learning model. Once the writing has begun, then I like the idea of students conferencing with each other and helping edit each others work.

Week 7

I found a great paragraph in the chapter, Finding Your Voice, in Lamott pg. 199. I think it can be difficult for people, especially children, to find their own voice. Lamott says, "...the truth of your own experience can only come through in your own voice....You cannot write out of someone else's big dark place; you can only write out of your own. Sometimes wearing someone else's style in comforting, warm, pretty and bright...".

When you are young, most children are in the process of finding themselves. Many look to peers or other classmates to see what characteristics they like that they possess. It is so important to stress to children that each and everyone of them is important in their unique way. Trying to be someone else is not going to work in the long run. The grass is always greener until you get there, then you realize it's not your grass and everyones grass has brown spots somewhere.

Week 5

I am glad that on pg. 55 of Writing Essentials, the issue of spelling correction has been brought up. Like I have said in previous blogs, I think that phonetic spelling is helpful is the early writing stages. Once students have established the idea, I think it is time to help correct misspelled words. The example on page 55 was of a second grader's letter to a grandparent and I absolutely think that the spelling should be corrected (how else do students learn?). My main placement is in a first grade classroom and there are a handful of students in there that could benefit from being corrected on their spelling. It is almost a disservice to them to continue to let them make educational guesses and not correct their spelling, maybe not so much grammar, but definitely spelling.

I agree with needing to raise expectations in school, and as a teacher I also think it is part of our job to see which students are ready to move on and which students need more time where they are at. Neither level is right or wrong, but every student needs to be pushed to achieve greatness in school (even with a little help on the side). The parent co-op in Edmonds where I am in my dyad placement has this attitude for their students. Every student is taught to a high standard and if they fall behind programs are set up for those who need the extra help. The help may be before or after school and I have even seen groups (such as math help) set up and run by teachers during recess time. They are under the impression that all students can and will succeed. There is no room for failure and mediocrity is not an option. I am not trying to say that we should have unattainable goals for students but I think too often we may not push students enough. I think that with the right material each and every student can succeed.

Bird By Bird

I find it funny that the book, Bird By Bird, was written about how to be a good writer. I guess I was expecting the book to be boring and strictly educational. To say the least, I was pleasantly surprised to relate many of the stories to my own life. I felt the urge to recommend this book to my friends for an inspirational read. I especially liked on page 18, when E.L. Doctorow was quoted by saying, “Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” I think in life, people are always trying to see the road ahead instead of concentrating on what is in front of them.” Another great quote was on the next page, when her father was talking to her brother about the bird project, “just take it bird by bird”. At this point in the teaching program, I feel like this is great advice (when we are all feeling overwhelmed). Everything will fall into place if we just take it day by day.

Concentrate on telling the truth, nobody wants to hear lies. Get over your perfectionism. Writing is like watching a Polaroid develop…you can’t. I don’t feel like writing is my strong suit, and looking at the rules of writing I now know why. I break all the rules. I try and force topics when I write, and then I try to perfect what I have done. When I write I want the instant gratification of the end result, I don’t want to go back and edit and revise. I never feel confident with my writing. In chapter 3 of Writing Essentials, it stresses the importance of seeing yourself as a writer. If you plan on teaching your students how to write they need to see you as an example. It was somewhat of a relief to see the part about letting your students see you struggle. I think it's important for students to see adults make mistakes. Nobody is perfect (because we are all letting go of perfectionism...) and if students see you make mistakes, it helps them feel safer in their learning environment.

Doris Day

Goofy Movie

Phonemic Awareness

Here is my opinion on students who spell phonetically (or use invented spelling). I think through experience phonetic spelling is part of learning our language and writing. Phonemic spelling is important to start with, but once it is obvious that students have phonemic awareness there needs to be a transition to start correcting the spelling. Letting this type of writing continue seems like a disservice to students, especially when they are asking how certain words are spelled. Just like language, I think the earlier students learn to spell correctly the better spellers they will continue to be.

My main placement is in a first grade classroom. We started off writer's workshop this year drawing pictures and then writing a phonetic sentence that explains the picture. As you circulate the room and certain students need help spelling a word, it's hard to have them sound out the sounds correctly and still come up with the wrong answer. The English language has so many rules that don't make any sense, it's hard to think that correcting students at an early age couldn't help later.

In other words, I think that "invented spelling" helps students grasp the main ideas of reading and writing, but if left for too long I think it could definitely hinder language development.

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Random Note:

I observed a Kindergarten a few days ago at my dyad placement. I watched the students explore words throughout the classroom. The teacher had them concentrate on finding a certain letter ("T") in words that were anywhere in the room. Once they found a word with a "T" in it they copied the word on a piece of paper. This was letting them explore words, one of the kids had a realization that he actually had a T in his name (by looking at his name tag). While this small group went on a letter hunt, another small group worked on rhyming words. But the teacher made the activity hands-on working with rubber stamps. The students had to find two stamps that rhymed and then stamp their paper. All throughout this activity you hear the students saying the words out loud so they could hear if the words rhymed or not.