Writer's Notebook

[Christy]

I chose to read A Writers Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You by Ralph Fletcher. I chose this book to continue researching ways to integrate a writer’s notebook into the classroom.  During the summer institute we were asked to write for 30 minutes and called it sacred writing time.  I feel that it was very beneficial to myself as a writer and wanted to expand on ways to use it in the classroom. Teachers often feel like we have to give kids something to write about in order to get them writing. I know I do.  Sacred writing time demonstrated a plethora of ways to incorporate good writing while demonstrating multi genre pieces of writing.

Fletcher gives many good strategies to encourage students to write in their journals.  I know there were several days during sacred writing time were I simply had nothing to write about.  What I found is that I was still tossing around ideas in my head and thinking about writing.  I feel that getting students to think about writing can be equally as important. Fletcher starts by saying that students must have a journal that is meaningful to them and works for their writing style. For example, if the writer likes to sketch they may be interested in a notebook with some area for blank space.  The more the journal suits the students, the more they will be willing to write.  He also talks about the importance of writing with your students. If we model what we are teaching students will follow.  Sharing your writing with the students Fletcher says, can be equally important and it demonstrates different writing approaches. 

The following quote is from page 31 and 32 of Fletcher’s book.  I feel that this quote reflects why a writing journal can be helpful to students and their growth as a writer while inspiring them to take risks.

 

“A writer’s notebook works just like and incubator: a protective place to keep your infant idea safe and warm, a place to grow while it is young, too new, to survive on its own. In time you may decide to go back to it, change it, or combine it with another idea. In time the idea might grow stronger, strong enough to have other people look at it, strong enough to go out on its own. (Fletcher, 31,32)

 

In addition, Fletcher provides several ways to encourage students to write in their journals.  He suggests allowing students to sketch or draw things from their mind that may inspire later writing.  He suggests that you allow students to make lists.  This is a type of graphic organizer which may inspire writing.  Third, I liked how he discusses getting kids to ask questions about the world around them.  He says we should get students to analyze things that have happened, and question events taking place day to day.

Overall I really enjoyed the book and am planning on starting the year with a writer’s notebook.  I will allow for 10 minutes of free writing time each day at the beginning of class.  I plan on using Fletcher’s quote to inspire students to think of their writer’s notebook as a way for developing writing and ideas.  This book is a great manual for introducing writing strategies into the classroom, and to help inspire ideas and ways of writing.

 Questions:

1.       Is it important to allow students to share their sacred writing with the class?  As we have seen this can be risky to many?

2.       How can strategies be taught to the students without giving them writing prompt?

[Karen Pedersen]

Hello Christy:

I am going to have to read this book. It sounds great. I have always used journals in my classroom, but this year, I added the sacred writing time and author's chair to my routine.

1. I have added the author's chair this year, and the kids love it. The first week of school almost 95% of my students shared at least one piece of the writing with the class.
Sacred writing time, or journal writing, is truly an excellent way to discourse with each student, differentiate my writing instruction because I can visit with each learner on their level, addressing their strenght's and weaknesses in the journal. Each response I write to students is personal and unique. (I read and respond to the students' journal entries twice per week. Last week, being the first week, I responded each night so that the students could sense the routine and begin to respond to what I wrote them. Some responses required them to re-think a conclusion, check a line for a misspelled word, or provide me, the reader with more information. By Friday, the students were writing me notes at the end of their journal entries asking me questions, or saying, "Hi Mrs. Pedersen." This shoes that they are aware of their audience, and we are having a meaningful conversation in writing.
As for the author chair, I wasn't sure how that would go over, but 95% of my students shared at least one of the entries with the class last week. Students seem to really enjoy sharing what they wrote. In addition, the students are revising as they read out loud. One students stopped what he was reading, looked at the class and said, "I didn'tmean to write this part. What I meant to say was...". It was great and powerful.
For author's chair, I turn the smartboard on so that the kids can sit in the "spot light". I also have a microphone in my room, so the students can put that around their neck when they read. They love it.
I do have two students who are very shy about sharing, and that is fine. I am still visiting with them through writing in their journal.

2. This is a great question. I tend to use mentor text, passages, and other examples of the highlighted strategy to analyzie prior to the students practicing the strategy. Thursday of last week my writing prompt for sacred writing time was a free write. Many students asked what that ment. I explained. That was the best day of authentic and honest writing. The students were not done at the end of our 20 minute writing time, and I had 15 students share what they wrote. So, I did not give them a specific topic, and they wrote wonderful things. I wasn't, however, focused on a writing strategy.

[Nicole Marvin]

1. Is it important to allow students to share their sacred writing with the class? As we have seen this can be risky to many?

I think it is important to allow students to share but in a variety of ways. I don't like sharing with everyone but I will share in a small group or in pairs. I usually allow students to share with the people around them and then ask for a few to share with the whole group. I never cold call or force students to share either. I don't grade them on whether or not they do either. I do give them stickers when they do share which motivates them more than points.

2. How can strategies be taught to the students without giving them writing prompt?
Using free pieces students could go back and identify elements of their piece that are evident in strong pieces of writing. If students are polishing a piece of freewriting I believe the same elements apply as they do with guided writing pieces.

[Melissa LiCon]

I really like some of the ideas posted here that describe alternative ways to have kids share - one on one, small groups, in the "spotlight." I remember how intimidated I was about sharing to the whole group of adult writers at first. I'm wondering if ten to fifteen minutes is the length of time that teachers in elementary classrooms tend to dedicate to sacred journal time, or have some of you actually had much longer sessions for student writing?

I would also love to hear how you introduce this activity to students the first time they try it. Giving them options for when they get "stuck" or blocked by the fear of that blank white page is great - you all shared the ideas of making lists, sketches, brainstorming ideas to reflect on and come back to.

[Kelly Hiatt]

Christy I think that it is very important to let students share their sacred writing. I have always had my students writed in a journal. At first I would give them prompts and then another teacher suggested that I just let them write whatever they wanted to for the day. I tried it and I have done it ever since. However, I never let my students share their writing until last year. It was amazing to hear those advanced writers. I started to notice that the other students in the class were picking up on some the good writing techniques they were using. I also noticed that it helped the students who struggled produce ideas. Then after our summer class I started sharing all of the writing that I did during our class and asked myself why haven't I been doing this all along. What a way to model writing for all of our students.

I feel that this type of writing ties right into your next question. Students can learn new strategies from listening to our writing and their peers writing. We can also do mini lessons and have them try the strategies that we teach them in their sacred writing journals. They can write a new story and try using a creative beginning or they can go back a story they have already written and try revising it using a new strategy or two. I explain to my students that this is their safe place to write. They can try new things and see if they work or if they need more help. They can choose to share with the class or just with me if they want feed back on something they have tried and they don't have to worry about getting graded on it. I hope that this helps them to take more risks with their writing.

[Nadyne Burra]

1. Is it important to allow students to share their sacred writing with the class? As we have seen this can be risky to many? It is important to give them the opportunity, and yes it can be risky/scary for many. Like you I am trying my sacred writing time this year. I write with my students and read my entry almost daily, so they get used to the fact that we are a writing sharing community. Because I set these standard early with my students they are starting to share their writing, whether it's journaling or poetry.

2. How can strategies be taught to the students without giving them writing prompt? By using some of Fletcher's ideas to have students generate lists, sketch in there journals, and write about every day happenings they should become successful writers without using prompts. But as usual there has to be some modeling and mini-lessons on showing them how to use their journals.