Writing AND Thinking Forward

This chapter explained and answered a lot of my questions about how to come about with presenting how and what is takes to become a writer, as well as, what should be going through our (teachers) mind while planning a lesson plan. We should be asking ourselves “[…] how do I hope my students will be as writers?” instead of “What do I hope they will know?” (212-213). As for planning a writing workshop these should be the questions that we should be thinking about as we plan:

What are my strengths as a teacher of writing?
What have my students studied before in writing?
What are my students interested in? What do they want to know as writers?
What are my colleagues studying in their writing workshops?
What resources do I have?
For what kind of writing will my students be held accountable?
(217-219)

I have always struggled what I need to think about as I do my lesson plan. Wondrous Words laid out a way of what should be anticipated as we learn and teach writers to write. I really like the idea of learning to write like other writers before the student writers find their style of writing. I mean how can a student develop a sense of writing when do don’t have an idea of what is considered ‘good writing’. The guided questions above, has helped me apprehend what to think about and what to plan for. In a way, this chapter has helped me to be particular in how I should create my Evolution of a Writer Rubric— “For what kind of writing will my students be held Accountable?” 

As I continued to read, I wondered how I could share, explain and show the students in my practicum class. There’s so much rich information out there but I am limited to a certain period of time. For now, I am considering to work with one student with reading and writing. I want to share, explain or show a tactic of good writing and how the student can become that good writer. As I observe this student, I can see that this student could improve when in a one-on-one environment. Teaching a focus lesson would impact this student as a writer. The purpose of focus lessons is “to get possibilities in the room for things writers might try that will help them write well” (231). The biggest question I had was “Where do I start?” and it’s great that chapter 11 covers this! I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who struggle with the beginning. It says, “Teach your students to learn to write from writers” (229). If I were to apply this with the one student I plan to work with all semester, I could do an inquiry through the “study of our own lives and histories” or look through magazines (ex: Time For Kids) and talk about it (228). 

Then move on to the focus lesson, where the student will be able to take new insight to their own writing. Again, the book shows an ideal way of habitual process of thinking:

Inquiry: Notice something about the craft of a text. 
Focus Lesson: Show an example of a crafting technique

Inquiry: Talk about it and make a theory about why a writer might use this craft.
Focus Lesson: Explain why the writer might have chosen to craft in this way.

Inquiry: Give the craft a name.
Focus Lesson: Give the craft a name.

Inquiry: Think of other texts you know. Have you seen this craft before?
Focus Lesson: Show other examples of the crafting technique in other texts.

Inquiry: Try and envision using this crafting in your own writing.
Focus Lesson: Envision this crafting technique in use in student writing. 

At the same time, I would be guiding the student to think structurally about their writing. After all, we are assimilated in this TESTing era. 

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We both touched on some similar topics. I agree with the idea that teachers need to learn to write like writers before they can help their students. If we understand the process of writing, then we are better able to help our students edit their work. While reading the section on conferencing, I saw the teacher as an editor, helping the students formulate ideas or expand on the ones they had. Katie Wood Ray wasn’t afraid to make suggestions or references to storybooks or styles of writing to the student because it was all to help the student become a better writer. Like you said, these two chapters put me in a better place to begin lesson planning for the evolution of a writer assignment. Good luck! Can’t wait to hear the different skills people decide to focus on for their lessons and how we’re all going about it.  

Corinne

I would agree that the questions the text poses are really important. We need to figure out what students need and how we can instruct in that area to help them grow as writers.

Bryan