Okay, I have reasons, okay? Okay?! At the end of the year, it occurred to me what a strange brand of English teacher I am. I’m not a red-Flair-pen, writing feedback kind of teacher that students 1. don’t read, 2. don’t understand, or 3. read, and then give up when they see 5/50 points. Yes, they rip it up.
I am an art-major-writer-reader-creator-collaborator-scholar-creative kind of teacher. (I hope that clears things up.)
But next year, I’m going to do better. And by better, I mean using the expertise I possess, using the rubrics the ELA department uses, and weaving together a substantial and formidable instructional practice. And I won’t ever have to use a red pen.
The ideas:
Existing Rubrics and deconstruct into single-focus rubrics
Existing rubrics: parse into mini lessons
Weekly Wednesday Writing
Writing Workshop
Composition Notebooks (there will be a follow-up post about these)
Tabulate and curate the resources — a living archive
Now, how I’m going to tabulate this information, I’m not really sure. I’m thinking I’ll set a date on the calendar that’s called “After things are cleaned up and tidy in the house, dedicate a notebook/binder to this, Kelly” day. Maybe July 7th would be a good day for this.
Recently I asked the sophomores about what they’d like to see for fourth-quarter instruction, and overwhelmingly they requested more writing instruction.
Allow me a moment to replace “pictures and words” with “SBA” and “test scores.” I grew concerned years ago when the writing test changed or essentially disappeared. The SBA test does test writing, but to me, in an odd, clunky way. And I know amazing people who worked on this test. I’ve worked on instructional models for this test.
But students don’t just automatically “write.” None of us do.
So, my goal is to bring back solid writing instruction, which is nonexistent in the current scope and sequence curriculum. And no, having students write a formulaic Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning paragraph is not writing instruction.
But what is writing instruction?
How much time do you have?
To avoid hypocrisy, I confess I haven’t been writing as much as I would/should/could. I have time, space, and oh-so-many words swirling around my noggin, but I feel incredibly rusty and dusty. For the past three years working in an alternative high school, the sparseness of instruction and consistency that is in the comprehensive high school has become exponentially worse. As I try to gather and regroup my strengths as a teacher of writing and a writer myself, it’s time to return to some of the fundamentals.
I think I know why this works: have you heard of the term body doubling?
Body doubling is a tool some adults use to help them start and complete projects. Sometimes referred to as an accountability partner, it is a technique for better productivity. A body double is a friend or partner who works simultaneously, either in the same room or virtually through videochat platforms. Having another person in the same physical or virtual room can help you with productivity because you have someone present to check in with and keep you accountable. Body doubling is a support activity for ADHD that can be easy to do and cost-free.
I do my best to remind students that in almost everything piece of media they consume, someone wrote it first. The challenge of having students create versus consume is real and sometimes feels defeating.
Not me having to take a few deep breaths to calm my spinning brain down so I can pretend to be a linear thinker for a few hours…
Here we go!
With a Google Form survey, I asked my sophomores what they would like to do for the fourth quarter, and while some of the texts we teachers are required to teach were underwhelming, almost every student said they wanted more writing instruction. To that end, I’ve been trying to weave together my bits of string and yarn to support deeper, authentic writing instruction.
Here is a great example of a RAFTS: Pretend you are an NPC in a game and provide sidequests to travelers and heroes. What sidequests would you give to the other players? You can choose any setting, plot, range of characters, and story map. Consider making what would be ‘side quests’ in our school environment.
Take a different point of view on a commonly known story from your own life, culture, nation, or beliefs. Be respectful!
I promised my science teammate some science RAFTS, and if anyone has a science or math background and would like to share some in the comments, I’d love that!
These are a fraction of books about writing I have collected over the years.
Great conversations happening regarding writing and the teaching of writing — here are some of my current noticings/wonderings, and attempts at supporting students craft their writing lives.
Every student who asks, “How many sentences does it have to be?” has been exposed to either Jane Schaffer or another prescriptive writing curriculum. There is nothing inherently good or bad in Schaffer’s program: some need a paint-by-number mode of writing instruction, and the product serves the purposes. But we teachers, and I mean all teachers, will be forever stuck in the siloing of teaching writing poorly across content areas. And when I say “writing,” I don’t necessarily mean typing out lengthy tomes: writing can be many forms and avenues. Across content areas, teachers should focus on the Role of the writer, audience, the form, the topic, and strong word choices.
Here are some Sunday-morning-I’m-still-sleepy resources:
Read books by writers and trusted teachers of writing
Some recommendations: Angela Stockman, John Warner, Kwame Alexander
Become a writer yourself. I cannot advise this enough. Keep your own blog, Tumblr, Wattpad, whatever. Keep is anonymous and secure, but write.
Moving to the comprehensive high school, I’m currently teaching two periods of 10th grade, one 9th grade honors ELA, (and yes, have already had a debate with one young student about the merits of the What It Says graphic organizer– my sweet summer child, I know you), and two periods of 9th grade ELA. And yes, after being somewhat scolded about how they’ve used Jane Schaffer forever, I had another deeper conversation with my evaluator about how it was okay that I looked and researched the materials, and then collaborate with my PLC about instructional methods. Cool, cool, I can do that. I totally can. And, I can also go back through my previous blog posts and share them again, along with other resources:
Again, this is just a fraction of resources, and it can be overwhelming. My instructional advice is to start with fostering students’ ideas; ultimately, this is what serves them and their creative growth. You may find a different path that meets your students’ needs, and that’s the joy of this process.
Ah, the synergy and serendipity of collaboration and conversation.
I’m sitting in my writing shed, something I wanted forever, am very grateful to have, and am still paying off. And the barn-style door does not stay propped open on its own (does anything?). Returning from a walk, I go back to the shed to see what kinds of inspiration can be gleaned from a sunny, anxious depressing, cortisol-filled day. Now, mind you, the garden statuary of the squirrel has a long story, and not sure I’m going to write it right this minute. But I use this statue to prop open the door, and it came to me that this statue is symbolic of a guardian, a talisman, of mine. Quick snapshot, and onto my IG post of the day. Today is the 218/366 (it’s a Leap Year).
And then I thought–whew– wouldn’t this be a good writing prompt idea for my students? I know we all live in different spaces, sometimes sharing an apartment with extended family. But if they could imagine and fantasize about legendary guardians and protectors, what fantasy objects could their “loose parts” help them create?
I’ve often said being an art major informed my teaching. I use writing territories and many low-risk writing strategies. The trick is I’m not going to be ‘there,’ but merely a hologram. Stockman’s Loose Parts reminds me of writing territories but more refined and functional. When I’ve used writing territories in the recent past, some students are confused and don’t grab onto their own stories. The three timeline writing works, but even that can be traumatic. Allow writers to choose from their own writing territories, or collection of loose parts.
It may be wrong or naive of me to hope that the state standardized testing is gone, at least in its current form. The writing has morphed into solely writing to respond. It’s an autopsy of reading, too, and makes little or no connection to the symbiotic act of reading and writing.
gracious. ELA teachers: how do you teach voice? It is still super hard for me. I still feel like the basis of voice is word choice and I struggle to separate the two. Help! #ncte#nctevillage#engchat#whyisthissohardstill#ugh
Some of the best educators on Twitter weighed in with their advice and insight, so if you’re on Twitter, I highly recommend reading some of the comments. And since this is my blog and personal pensieve, I choose to explore this a bit further.
Rebecca is correct: the five of the six traits are skill-based, concrete and easily translated into learning targets and success criteria, and Voice stands out as an gossamer butterfly – hard to capture. Her metaphor is better. My apologies for a weak attempt.
My suggestion was to use mentor texts from a variety of sources. A #pairedtexts approach is useful. Thinking of speeches by recent Presidents and other leaders, both great and ignominious, would also provide rich conversations about voice. Ultimately, the goal is to help guide student writers to define, defend, and develop their own voices.
Craft and Structure:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.5 Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
– June 16, 2015 – In the same speech announcing his candidacy, Donald Trump said, “I will build a great wall—and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me—and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.” Trump’s belief that Mexico should finance construction for the wall led Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to cancel a meeting with Trump in June 2017, and again in February 2018. Peña Nieto has repeatedly said that Mexico will not fund the border wall.
Compare Pride by Ibi Zoboi to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen:
Pride by Ibi Zoboi Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Resource 5
And though this is a great media literacy lesson, too, consider the “voice” the headline uses (word choice, etc.) that runs throughout these headlines:
Maybe voice is difficult to ‘teach’ to adolescents because their voices are still developing; however this does not mean their voices should be marginalized or misjudged. Adolescent voices are often brilliant. Perhaps whenever we have young authors in our care we must remind them, and ourselves, often and kindly, that their voice matters, is growing, and writing is a way to hold onto and reflect on one’s growth. Writing is the best way to provide our own histories with personal primary documents. (I’m going to find those sixth grade journals someday, I swear.) Voice evolves, strengthens, breaks, and regenerates. Consider whose voices to we tune-out, and whose voices do we ache to hear?
PS I’ve been writing this blog for over a decade and want to thank those who read my voice. In truth I’d probably continue to talk to myself, but it’s nice to know you’re out there, too.
I am not sure how or why, but am completely starstruck: Larry Ferlazzo asked me to be on one of his BAM! podcasts, and that was so cool! The panel consisted of me, Katherine Schultan @KSchulten and Tatiana Esteban @tmce0419, and it was a pleasure to hear their advice and insight on our topic, authentic writing.
The TL:DR version: be explicit when you tell students they are not writing just ‘for the teacher.’ Their audience is secondary to their voice, passions, burning questions, and their own author’s purpose. Use mentor texts and make the invisible visible. Frame what ‘writers do’ and they are writers, too.
And now that I have the podcasting bug, we shall see!
This summer I read Why They Can’t Write by John Warner and attended a Hugo House event called Write-O-Rama. Often the most valuable professional development include those we do for ourselves, not necessarily as teachers but for our identities and passions that sustain us outside of the classroom, too.
The worst of those training wheels is the five-paragraph essay. If you do not know the form, ask the closest school-aged child or, indeed, anyone who has been through school in the past twenty or so years:
Paragraph of introduction ending in a thesis statement that previews the body paragraphs.
2–4. Body paragraphs of evidence supporting the thesis.
Conclusion that restates the thesis, almost always starting with, “In conclusion.” Warner, John. Why They Can’t Write (Kindle Locations 121-127). Johns Hopkins University Press. Kindle Edition.
I’ll share what others offered during the Write-O-Rama. There are so many great ideas provided by Hugo House: if you have a resource like this in your area, I strongly recommend attending some sessions. We all want to be better teachers of writing, and oftentimes we’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. We feel inadequate about our own writing, and writing is, a lot. A lot a lot.
Write-O-Rama at Hugo House has different conference rooms and times so you can attend several of the sessions, but usually not all. Copyright Hugo House.The class descriptions give a preview so one can choose. Copyright Hugo HouseBackground on the instructors: and what a great writing exercise for students! To write their own bios and expertise!
I attended these five:
Character Development
Dialogue Tricks
Plotting with Index Cards
Better Sentences
Write Your Novel Now
I took notes on each class using Evernote. Just re-reading them, in this moment, my note-taking skills need to improve. But I’ll attempt to give the gist of each session:
Character Development: study characters in mentor texts and describe what makes them memorable, and keep them centered in the plot.
Dialogue Tricks: no exposition in dialogue: “when writing dialogue keep in mind to have the the conflict sustained quickly” – in other words, no adverbs in dialogue
Plotting with Index Cards: use index cards to storyboard a piece of writing. Each card is an atom.
My random notes on plotting with index cards
Better sentences: challenge students to craft sentences and share on a large space. This session was magical and highly engaging.
If you want to brainstorm or think of applications of these ideas in your classroom please do not hesitate to contact me. These have direct writing instruction for ourselves and our students of writing. We can go far beyond the five-paragraph essay.
Every time I feel I have my Professor McGonagall-mojo in place, inevitably realize I am only a Trelawney. I want to be firm, peering over the edge of my spectacles, jumping in and of animal bodies with ease and precision (aka going from my awkward projector on the cart to the tiny weird screen, to the tiny space for the doc camera, etc.: the tech in my room is…uncomfortable). If I could shout out with my confident Scottish brogue, “TWENTY POINTS FOR FIRST PERIOD!” with a flick of my wand, oh what wouldn’t I give?
But alas, every day my practice leans toward the Professor Trelawney style, and unfortunately, for the Dolores Umbridge’s of the world (of education) this is –not good. For me. But like Trelawney, I have a few tricks in my sturdy tapestry bag:
I know my content area (even if tea leaves and tarot cards are to ELA like potions are to Science: ELA content is confusing for more linear-minded folks)
I love my students. And I know it takes time and the small moments that can’t be documented to build relationships and trust. Expecting it to happen overnight doesn’t honor the humanity in teaching.
I love my colleagues: and a huge thank you to a mentor in the building who jumped in and helped me with one particular lesson.
Tessomancy 101: your first draft will not be your best. Pour another cup.
One of the cumulating assignments (not a project, mind you, an assignment) is a traditional essay. Here is the prompt:
Consider the meaning of the novel’s title, Inside Out and Back Again. How does this title relate to the universal experience of fleeing and finding home, and in what ways is Ha’s experience a specific example of this universal experience?
Essayius Patronus, yo! This is a high cognitive, rigorous and steep prompt. Deconstruct how much it’s asking for the second month of school from 8th-grade students (who are still essentially 7th-grade students): it’s…a lot.
But that’s my job, and what I love doing: how to build a scaffold so that no one falls off, or at least can get back on to meet the requirements.
Remember: this doesn’t happen overnight
Throughout the course of the novel and other readings, we curated quotes and moments
This was one interactive lesson: quote pages and comments.
Spend a fair amount of time having them just connect concepts to themselves.
We wrote a hook to ease them into the larger prompt about a time they moved or transitioned. This is a human experience. Some have personal stories that are similar to Ha’s: they are indeed, refugees, immigrants, and moving closer to home, many students have encountered big transitions of emotional lives.
And this is where my occasional Professor Trelawney got something right: one of our building mentors who frequents our afternoon classes helped me model the writing: I interviewed him as I tell all students –that’s what writers do–they ask questions for themselves and put the answers–and more questions–on the page.
Mr. Sudon helped me with this:
We wrote the hook first, then spent a class on the introductory/thesis paragraph (we had talked about thesis prior), and then each day as a class decided what parts to focus on next. Here’s where we landed:
Hook
Introductory/Thesis/Claim paragraph
Body Paragraph: Focus on Ha leaving/fleeing Saigon
Every day I provided sentence starters for the paragraphs (practice and identifying what they are doing as writers helped). Students wrote a little every day, by hand, then typed up what they could in a Google Doc, and submitted what they have done so far.
I know a few fell off the scaffold.
And to get them back on, I’ll put together a paragraph-by-paragraph resource document for them, and they can finish on their own. I’m thinking of doing stations next week
Station Ideas:
If you still need to type your draft
If you still need to write your draft
If you are nearly completed with the essay, need to make a few changes, and refer to the rubric
Ready to move on: provide enrichment ideas (use my Reading Road Trip blog for this purpose)
Thinking sooner than later, because it’s time to bring some magic into the mix.
“You can laugh! But people used to believe there were no such things as the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack!”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
PS: This past week was full of Crumple-Horned Snorkbacks, too:
*dog poop tracked in my already smelly room
*someone threw three students’ notebooks in the girls’ bathroom trash (I replaced them all, and am buying cool markers for the students whose notebooks were trashed)
*many confusing schedule changes and rearranging of students without consultation, discussion or teamwork –here’s to that getting better.
