Influence

Today I’m reminded how little things add up to make a big difference in our lives. Recently we learned my daughter has many issues with her teeth. What started as a tooth ache has revealed cavities needing filled, an infected tooth needing pulled, and a rotten adult molar needing a crown. If you are a regular reader, you know we adopted her in 2006 when she was four. Prior to moving home, she didn’t have proper nutrition, which is the cause of the issues with her teeth. It’s a simple thing, really, and yet it makes a big difference.

The same is true in our Writing Workshops. The little choices we make daily add up to making a big difference in our students’ lives. What kind of influence are you leaving? Here are a few of the questions I’m asking myself since school will be ending for the summer around here.

• How have I empowered students to believe in themselves as writers? Are they self-sufficient, or do they need constant coddling as they write?
• Do students actively look for their own writing topics and develop their own projects?
• Do students have reasons to write beyond the classroom walls?
• Do students know their voice can influence others? Have they experienced their words impacting someone else?

My kids are avid writers. (Don’t give me the credit, either; they (the girls) have teachers who nourish them as writers.) As I consider them, I have a solid picture of what it looks like when kids have been influenced to believe in themselves as writers. They look like this:

• Finishing a book and writing a letter to Mimi, who gave the book to her (2nd grader).
• Writing a thank you note after Mimi made a new dress for her doll (kindergartener).
• Adding more than one color to the picture, because that’s what Mo Willems does (pre-schooler).
• Writing a poem about math after a tough homework paper (2nd grader).
• Writing about a funny time at recess to make her brother laugh (kindergartener).
• Writing a book to read to me before bed so I know how much he loves me (pre-schooler).

They believe in themselves as writers. Without hesitation, they get the needed supplies, find a place to write, and produce a product. This is the kind of influence I hope we all leave on our students, whether they are 4 or 24 (or any other age).