I've written 84 Saturday Sayings and luckily most have felt inspired. It's been a long week though and inspired does not quite fit the way my mind and body feel right now. (Anyone with me on this?) So searching my book of quotes for today's post proved to be a ho-hum undertaking until my eyes landed on this one by Lucy Calkins. It's such a perfect thought for this moment that I think she probably meant to say, "Tammy, when you launch a writing worship, the one thing you know for certain is that there will be problems..." Maybe she didn't want to exclude anyone so she chose pronouns like "we" and "us." I'm pretty sure she was talking directly at me though.
Training up writers in the way they should go is almost painful. I won't miss a day, but there are times when I have to talk myself into another writing workshop. (I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.) The persistence pays off in the end and the writing they produce is one of the most rewarding parts of my job, but the launching is so much work, especially when my writers aren't necessarily familiar with the writing workshop practice of writing every day, writing about their lives, stretching moments across several pages, independently working for a sustained amount of time, using pens, and the list goes on. They're wired for this though. I am too. Even amidst the pain of problems, they were born to be writers and I was born to teach them.
I'm feeling your pain, too! We just started yesterday and already I came across a couple of kids who were very resistant. Visions of the next few weeks popped into my head and I wasn't amused. But it WILL get better...I hope:)
ReplyDeleteBarb, it will get better. I'll believe it with you. :)
DeleteIt IS hard work! But like you said the benefits are so worth it. Some classes have more struggles than others to get going, but they will move along. You are doing great things!!
ReplyDeleteLori
Conversations in Literacy
Lori, this is one of those classes for sure. Thank you for your vote of confidence!
DeleteAmen Sister.
ReplyDeleteKimberley, camp right there. :)
DeleteIt's too bad Tammy that students are not getting writing workshop in kindergarten. If they were, this beginning teaching time would not be so painful. I feel your pain...I started writing at the start and it's exhausting!!!!!!! But like you I know this pays off when our students are amazing writers and readers!! Enjoy the day. Melissa
ReplyDeleteMelissa, it is too bad and I feel jealous when I read about the great things you do with your little writers. :)
DeleteI feel the same way Tammy! This year I feel like I have "started" writing workshop every day! It's like the movie Groundhog Day I keep waking up to the same scenario day after day. lol Good luck to us all!
ReplyDeleteTammy, Groundhog Day is a perfect explanation. LOL!
DeleteTraining writers is hard. This year, I have students who are struggling to come up with ideas and ones who have no idea how long a sentence should be. I've seen run-on sentences that take up more than a page! I love Lucy Calkins and this quote.
ReplyDeleteMeghan
Learning and Teaching for Life
Meghan, training writers at your students' ages would scare me. :)
DeleteTeaching writing is one of my favorite parts of the school day. Like you, I find it to be very rewarding as I begin to see my students grow as writers.
ReplyDeleteConnie Anderson:)
Welcome To First Grade Room 5
Connie, it's definitely rewarding and one my favorites...after a while. :)
DeleteLearning is messy! It takes a long time to develop those routines and then the real work begins! I know that you are doing a super job!
ReplyDeleteSandi at Literacy Minute
Sandi, messy it is. Thank you for cheering me on.
DeleteThe skills of my writers this year are vastly different! I'm struggling a bit to make the mini-lessons relevant to all. Need to get to working in a group with my struggling writers I think...as soon as possible!
ReplyDeleteCrystal
Teaching Little Miracles
Crystal, every year is different, huh? Keeps us on our toes.
DeleteWhy is writing so hard! The best thing I did give my kids "free write" time. The first 10 minutes are theirs to write about anything they want. It seems to help when it comes time for me to guide them onto the genre we are working on.
ReplyDeleteLaurie
Chickadee Jubilee
Laurie, sounds like a useful strategy you've got there!
DeleteThink about how far your kids will come from the beginning of the year to the end. There will be some backwards steps along the way but many more moving in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteTara
The Math Maniacc
Tara, great points. The end of the year is always amazing because they come so far.
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