Still soaking...

"So...today are we going to start writing?"

Ah, the words of an eager writer. When I pulled the Marley book out, my kids flew to the rug area. They are always eager for the next bit of the story. This memoir plan is coming along nicely...

"Not exactly." 

I can feel their disappointment. It's palpable. Good! I want them to want to write their memoir, really WANT to. I want them to be so eager they almost can't stand it. We are building anticipation akin to the wait for Christmas morning. They almost can't sit still and listen, so great is their desire to write. One more day, I think.

As I read, I can almost hear their wheels turning. Ideas are rolling around inside their head. They listen and sparks of ideas start to flicker in their eyes. We are still soaking ourselves in Marley & Me, letting the words of the author wash over us. The more familiar we get with the story, the more we realize that we have amazing stories to tell also. We have words, lots of them!

The note taking is working out extremely well. The students made a simple two-column chart in their writers notebook. They make note of the date and the chapter in the left column. On the right side, they jot just a few phrases to remind them of what happened. Some jot down words that they hear and really like the sound of. There's nothing like the thrill of taking a new word or an interesting word and trying it on for size when you write. 

I can probably hold them off for one more day of note-writing. We will look back over our notes today and start to ask questions about why John Grogan included specific events. We will try to figure out his theme and what his message might be. We'll definitely write our ideas down so we can check our thinking later, in a week or so. 

On Friday, we will start creating a list of memoir ideas. "My life as a..." Idea generation is always a good working session. So much to do, so little time! 

A Last Word on Letters...

Once we finish our letters to our friends, we will finish our letter writing by writing a letter to an incoming 4th grade student for the next school year. I have two friends that have done this over the years in their fifth grade classes, and I think it's a very nice end-of-year wrap up. 

Even though we aren't that close to the end of the year, we aren't that far from it either. While we are on this letter writing topic, now seems as good a time as any to write those letters. That will be one end-of-year task done!

Students can start by introducing themselves, telling their reader what they enjoyed about 4th grade, what was a challenge for them this year, and offer some words of advice. This is a nice reflective piece that helps students as they gain an understanding of just how much they have achieved this year. By completing the letters now, they can bask in their achievements for the remaining weeks of the year.

My challenge: remember where I put the letters so I can pull them out in September!

Let Them Help You Revise…

It’s scary to put your written work on the line, or more correctly, up on the electronic whiteboard. Making your words public is one of the bravest things I can imagine anyone doing. When you write, and let others read your writing, you lay your soul bare for the criticism of others, good or bad. Even if your audience is a room full of 10-year-olds, it can be scary.

Few teachers feel confident enough to routinely put their work in front of students or ask others to read our work and pass judgment on that work. Authors often find the editing process in publishing (which is really revision) the most painful part of the process. You have to let someone in, and let them pick at your words, and make suggestions, which is like letting them take a crack at your soul.

In the classroom, I like to write a piece with the kids sitting right there watching. Whatever type of writing we do, it’s helpful for the kids to watch me struggle with it. They often make suggestions if I get “stuck” for a word. We have that relationship. If I ask them to let me help them with their writing, I’d better be ready to reciprocate – seek their help. When I go back and revise – or re-see – my work, I always choose a particular lens to “see” it through. I take numerous opportunities to revise a piece. The more important the piece is, the more time I spend revising it.

We are working on friendly letters this week, writing to someone at our school. The letter I modeled for students is a letter to my boss, the principal.

I thought I had done a pretty decent job with the writing, until the students and I sat down to take a look. I read it aloud, and just to give them a hint of where I was going, I began emphasizing the each place where I began a sentence with the word “I.” In my best dramatic voice, I said to them: “I, I, I …Gosh it looks like this letter is all about ME, doesn’t it? Friends, help me fix this and make it better” I pointed out the sentences, then I asked the kids to help me. Well! Ask and you shall receive!

They read over the sentences thoughtfully and began to offer me many great suggestions. Changes were made, many changes, actually. The need product was a much better letter. That’s the whole point of the exercise. Once they see that my own work could be made better, they are much more willing to go back and work on their own. Truly, if they see that I seriously take my own advice and do the actual work of revision, it legitimizes the task for them. The end result is much, much higher quality final copies.

Here are my first and final drafts. All changes were directed by my students….

First draft

                                                              April 23, 2012

Mrs. Makowski

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Dear Mrs. Makowski;

            I hope this letter finds you well. I have been wanting to write to you for a long

time. I'd like to let you know some things about Pinehurst that are fabulous.

            Something that is really great about Pinehurst is that the students are great

readers. They work very hard to choose good books, and they spend a lot of time reading

independently. Sentz-sational!

            Another thing I really like about Pinehurst is that the teachers are very friendly

and helpful. They have made me feel so welcome this year. I have made many new friends

since I arrived in September.

            I want you to know that you are an excellent principal. I like the assemblies and

activities you plan for the students. You do a great job helping the students learn and

keeping students safe. It is a pleasure to come to work. It doesn't seem like work at all.

It's fun to teach at Pinehurst!

            I think Pinehurst is a great place for students and teachers. These are just some

of the reasons I am glad to be a Pinehurst teacher. 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Sentz

Second draft:

                                                              April 23, 2012

Mrs. Makowski

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Dear Mrs. Makowski;

            I hope this letter finds you well. I have wanted to write to you for a long

time. I'd like to let you know some things about Pinehurst that are fabulous.

            Something that is really spectacular about Pinehurst is that the students are great

readers. They work very hard to choose good books, and they spend a lot of time reading

independently. Sentz-sational!

            Another thing that is really splendid about Pinehurst is that the staff and students

are very friendly and helpful. They have made me feel so welcome this year. They have

made me feel very comfortable since I arrived in September.

            Did you know that you are an excellent principal? We all enjoy the assemblies

and activities you plan for the students. You do a great job helping the students learn and

keeping students safe. It is a pleasure to come to work. It doesn't seem like work at all. It's

fun to teach at Pinehurst!

            As you can see, I think Pinehurst is an extraordinary place for students and

teachers. These are just some of the reasons I am glad to be a Pinehurst teacher. It's a

once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Your friend,

Mrs. Sentz

P.S. The Sentz-sational students in Room 110 helped with the revision of this letter.

They are Sentz-sational Smarties!

April, National Card & Letter Writing Month

There is just something about receiving an honest-to-goodness letter that is thrilling to me. Whether from a friend or a relative, seeing a handwritten letter or card with my name on it tells me that I am loved. Someone took the time to pick up a pen, compose their thoughts, and send them my way.

Letters were at one time a mainstay of communication. Today, with email, social media, instant messages, and who-knows-what-else, letter writing has taken a dive in popularity. Just ask the Postal Service. The art of letter writing is losing ground in our high tech society.

There was a time when it might take a letter several months to reach the reader. The reader? They were desperate to get their hands on it, and very glad it arrived at all. The news ended up not being new by the time it arrived, but it was a connection to home.

For me, I wrote letters back and forth with my cousin as a child. We carried on a friendship through letters back when long distance phone calls were insanely expensive (or at least that’s what we all thought!). My mother and grandmother exchanged letters between twice yearly visits and sporadic phone calls. Today, having those letters, seeing my grandmother’s writing warms my heart.

Perhaps no letter has been more desperately anticipated than those from my sons while they were in Basic Military Training. For those long weeks of physical and mental exhaustion, the men and women are virtually locked away from all that is familiar. Letters – writing and receiving them – are a great privilege. They are more precious than gold!

So you know what I’m going to say next, right? Kids need to write letters, with pens and paper. They need to mail them! Yes, that’s right!

Today, just because it’s National Card & Letter Writing Month, we are going to write letters. I hope you join us and do the same thing too! We are going to pick someone who is important to us – not our Mom or Dad, brother or sister – but someone we care enough about to send a letter to. Then we will start writing – topic will depend on who we are writing to, but we will craft with care.

Just for fun, I think we’ll use that old Hamburger graphic organizer:

            Top bun – Introduction

            Lettuce/Tomato – Support paragraph #1

            Cheese – Support paragraph 2

            Meat – Support paragraph #3

            Bottom bun – Conclusion

I don’t know who invented that organizer for writing, but it is awesome! Kids can visualize a sandwich so easily… Me too. Yum! We can write delicious pieces that way!

We will do a draft first, then a good copy because our reader deserves the best work we can do! Of course we’ll put a proper salutation and a closing, sign them and off they will go!

What are you going to write today?