An audio thought on notebooks becoming obsolete.

Learning vs. Teaching

The last couple of days, I have stepped away from my normal role as the person who imparts knowledge, into the role of a person who is learning. It's an interesting change of roles. We impart to students constantly that we should be lifelong learners, yet sometimes we fail to take our own advice.

In class today, the question was posed: What do you do to develop a community of writers already?

Reflecting on my own teaching practices at the moment, I think encouragement and choice are the things that are most valuable to my students. When I taught second and third grade in the general education classroom, I used the writer's workshop approach. I believe strongly in the process of teacher modeling and students being able to "try it" in writing pieces that are meaningful to them.

In my current position as a G/T language arts teacher, I find that most of the time, my students have the basics. What they are often missing is the opportunity to express themselves in writing that is meaninful to them. Also, they are often afraid to try new literary devices n their writing because they are afraid they will use them incorrectly. For many of these students, the desire to be "perfect" is strong.

So, my role in developing a community of writers is quite simply, to be there. I must be ready to cheer them on as they journey into unknown waters, be ready to jump in and save them if they're in over their head, to praise the effort, and to encourage them to wander back into the waters again.