Studio WISE…a mosaic of literacy, history, and creativity

Yes, what is being taught is important, but the honest truth is that the teacher is the key, not a product.  According to Sanders, 1998, good teachers matter more than the curriculum.  I agree. I worry sometimes when I don’t see teachers with a passion for what they are doing.  I have even see a few who didn’t even seem to like children… those are the exception.

One can tell a “gifted” teacher without even thinking too much.  It’s just evident.  Putting the teacher “it” factor into words is difficult, but there are many gifted and passionate teachers out there who are going to meet the needs of all of their students every day, all day. They just have the “it.”  Those teachers are not why I brought up this subject.  The teachers who might not be “gifted teachers” but can and want to improve are those who need the extra attention.  We need to discover what they need to make them better.

If teachers are what make a difference in the success of our children, why aren’t we doing more to develop them before they are hired?  In my opinion, universities need to beef up teacher programs so that teachers are trained to do what actual schools expect them to do.  Often there seems to be a breakdown between the two.

Just something to ponder…

Setting writing goals can seem a daunting task.  Perhaps the following suggestions will get you started as you persevere in your writing instruction.

For students who struggle to get anything on the page before asking how much is enough, set a timer.  Don’t tell them how much but tell them how long they need to write. Build some writing  stamina. 

Establish a baseline using writing prompts, fluency probes, conventions and spelling lists. Determine the greatest area of need for each student. Is it conventions? Fluency? Style? Content? Focus?

Once you know the area of needs, set some goals. The ones that follow are suggestions.

Conventions and Editing

Given a prompt, __________ will complete ______ sentences using correct punctuation and capitalization.

Given a writing sample at _____ grade level, _______ will correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors with fewer than _____ errors.

Fluency

Goals may measure letters written, words written, words written correctly, or sentences written.

Given a five-minute timed probe, _________ will increase the number of letters/words/sentences written by ___  percent.

Style

Style is hard to teach.

Students will include ________ descriptive words in a given written assignment.

Students will include one or more examples of figurative language (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, alliteration).

Students will begin all sentences in a different way in a given written assignment.

Students will include a combination of simple compound , complex , or compound-complex sentences (depending on the grade level).

Content includes ideas and developing or supporting them.

Given a written assignment, __________ will improve his score based on the common rubric.

Student will write a _______-paragraph essay that includes topic sentences, transition words, and a conclusion.

_________ will write a paragraph with a topic sentence and ______ detail sentences.

Focus: stays on topic, isn’t confusing, or doesn’t give  irrelevant information

Given a written assignment at ______ grade level, ________ will stay on the given topic/stay focused.

Today I pulled out some old articles about writing from 1987 and realized we are still singing the same old song about writing instruction and its importance? WHY? We know what works.  Why are we not doing it?

I really believe the writing initiative has to begin at the system level and has to be monitored.  We inspect what we expect, but this can be done in a way as not to discourage teachers. It needs to be a total school/system program if it’s to be effective.

We know writing encourages critical thinking and should occur in every discipline. We also know many teachers leave college without any real instruction of how to teach students to write.  Many don’t feel they themselves are good writers.  With that being said, staff development  is critical. Before teachers can teach students strategies, they have to know them and use them themselves.

Monthly staff development is crucial.  Creating a writing resource notebook, either a hard copy or a digital one, will be worth the effort.  The following are a few broad ways to begin.

Teach educators strategies.

Model. Practice. Reflect.

Teach how to integrate writing and reading.

Teach how to assess writing to inform instruction and feedback.

After teachers are taught strategies, they return to their classrooms to repeat what they have learned. Just as teachers monitor student progress, administrators will progress monitor the teachers’ success with writing instruction.

Several things should be a part of all writing programs.

1. Journaling in EVERY classroom

2. Student and adult writing spotlighted in every room and on every hall

3. A consistent writing process with all teachers

4. A common rubric

5. High Expectations for ALL students

6. Writing to learn in every discipline

More to come…

Students are expected to respond to literature and to use critical thinking as they do.  We must teach them to use logic and reasoning to support and maintain a clear point of view. State Standards call for a very structured way of responding, but I am sharing here some ways that may mix it up and bring a little joy to your classrooms and homes if you are homeschooling.

1. Write the story from a different point of view.

2. Write a parody of a scene from the book or story.

3. Write a letter to the author.

4. Put together a cast for the film version of the book and explain why each was chosen.

5. Convert the book into a puppet show.

6. Prepare a commercial about the book or story.

7. Write a summary in poetic form.

8. Play charades based on the characters of the book or play charades using several books students have read.

The ways to respond to literature are endless. The key is to teach students how to respond before expecting them to respond.

I have seen students and teachers roll their eyes when they hear the words literacy and writing.  I have heard the moans and groans and the “how much do we have to write” questions more times than I care to admit.  However, I have also watched the excitement about writing when I made a few changes in the way I approached it. I realize not everything in this life is supposed to be fun, but making writing instruction a little more exciting only gets the end result you are looking to see.  This list is not all inclusive, but is a way to get your mind moving for ways you can jazz up your writing instruction in your classroom.

1. Use photos and paintings to create stories.

2. Write plays based on history.

3. Use Readers’ Theatre.

4. Sponsor poetry contests.

5. Have students create puppets using clay or some other medium based on the characters.

6. Make “All About Me” posters.

7. Play music while students write.

8. Read to students regardless of their age.

9. Have students “write for change.”  We all have opinions.

10. Teach HOPSAM. (hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, simile, alliteration, metaphor)  Have students decorate phrases on posters and then use them in their writing.

The ideas are endless.  Students will rise to the occasion if we motivate them.

Once students have rough drafts of writing, revision needs to take place.  Students can revise their own papers with guidance and can also use peer revision.  One way for peer revision is to partner students and have them do the following.

1. Listen and read along as the author reads his story.

2. After listening, tell what the story is about and what is liked best.

3. Read the partner’s paper silently and make notes about clarity (Is there anything you don’t understand?) and details (What info/details could be added?).  Then discuss suggestions with the author and let the author decide what changes to make.

Another way for per revision is to group students into triads.  Each student reads all three papers for a certain skill and makes suggestions.  For instance, one student might check for complete sentences, another checks for subject-verb agreement, while the third checks for introductions and conclusions.  The key is to try to have students check for something they have success with using.

Revision is very important.  Research shows that a teacher’s revisions of a student’s paper and then having the student make corrections is not effective.  Students need to be involved if they are to remember and learn. Transfer of knowledge can occur if the student is involved with his own revisions.

I think we sometimes assume students have been taught certain skills when they have not.  That is why it is imperative that we pretest and use the results to instruct.  We need to stop blaming those teachers who came before us and just teach what needs to be taught.  Saying that, I have some suggestions from experience of what most students need to be taught during their writing class, sometimes every year.  Not only should it be taught, but it should be practiced.  That is what I believe is missing: the application of the skills.

Students need to know the audience for their writing.  Teach what “audience” is.

Students need to be taught what dialogue is and how to use it.  Have students look in their library books for examples.  Have students use dialogue in their own writing.  Apply the skill.

If we want students to use sensory language, we have to teach what that means.  Then we need to have them use it in their own writing.  Again, they can look for examples in their library books.

For students to  know different types of sentence structures, we need to teach them.  Teach one type and have them apply it in their own writing.  Teach another and so on.

New vocabulary needs to be taught and then USED.  Apply the words in their own writing.  Post the words on word walls.

Please, please, please have students practice skills in context and not on isolated skills worksheets.  I am not a fan of worksheets…

Students need to be taught the type of writing modes.  They need practice with all kinds of prompts.  They need to be taught how to read and interpret prompts on a regular basis.

Students need oral and written feedback.

Teach how to revise and proofread.  Use M-E-S-S.  (movability, expansion, slotting, sentence-combining)

Students need to see examples (exemplars) of high quality writing that has clear focus, details, a command of the language, and appropriate sentence variety.

Try to score papers only on what skills have been taught.

FORMULAIC writing is NOT recommended.

You can help your students improve their writing with some planning, persistence, perseverance, and sometimes prayer.  Happy writing.