Reflections as a Writer

Day 31!  The last day!  Reflections on Writing

Well, if that's true, my writing this month was awesome.
You know... because I did it.  Most days.

     As a coach, one of the most common things I hear about writing are the problems.  Our kids don't write enough.  They don't have any craft.  They don't have enough ideas.  They don't like writing.  They struggle on the sentence level, so how can they write an essay.  The standards are too difficult to achieve.  They need too much support.  They can't work independently.

     The truth is, most of those statements can be true.  Writing, in my opinion, is the hardest thing that we ask our students to do.

     I did this Big Time Blogging challenge again this year, and the Slice of Life challenge earlier this year, simply to force myself to be a writer.  We ask our students to stop and write every day in class.  So, I figured I should do the same thing for myself.

     And, you know what?  It was hard.  I am capable of writing a complete sentence.  I am capable of writing with volume (and those of you who have gotten my looooong emails know that).  My craft is getting stronger.  There are no state standards to compare myself too at 38 years old, so I don't know if they are above my level.  But, I have the underlying ability to write well.  AND IT IS STILL HARD.  But, I have come to enjoy it.

     What does that mean for our students?  They don't always have the underlying ability to write at their benchmark level.  Should we make them write?

      YES.

     Change some of the variables.  Increase their support.  Find them an audience.  Change the genres.  Allow for mistakes.  Celebrate their writing.  Help them find a voice.

     Give yourself permission to be a writer in your own classroom. 

     Thanks, +Michelle Brezek, for your challenge.  I did it {most days}!