primary grades · process · reflections · Reflective Practice

First Grade Reflections

Ruth Ayres

Today Maggie Gayton asked her first graders to write a reflection about what they have learned recently as a writer. Her students, using pictures and words, reminded us of the power of writing workshop and the importance of  reflecting on our writing lives.Maggie will post these reflections on her Celebrating Writers bulletin board along with pictures from the celebration.

Check out some of the reflections:

Students learned to zoom-in and zoom-out on scenes in order to tell the story in the best possible way.
Another zoom-in and zoom-out reflection.
We learned to "seal" in the pencil line with a crayon and to use several colors to give the picture depth. We also learned about filling the page and speech bubbles.
Words can be written around a picture.
Today in writing workshop, I conferred with this student about not scribbling in his book. Evidently it is one thing to learn something about writing, but another thing to apply it. LOL!

Edited 15 April 2011: This morning there was an email from another first grade teacher sharing her kids’ reflections after they completed their nonfiction writing celebration. I don’t have samples, but their words alone gave me goose bumps.

What did I do well?

  • Cover to cover illustrations
  • Details
  • Illustrations
  • Good coloring
  • Wrote more words
  • Taking time
  • Leaving spaces
  • Title
  • Cover
What’s the last thing you learned as a writer?
  • Use more colors
  • Frames
  • Make it look real
  • Decorations
  • Coloring my title
  • Make it make sense
  • Use a lot more colors
  • Draw a close up
  • Use neat handwriting
  • How to work the pictures out
  • Add more words
  • Punctuation
  • Write more than one sentence
  • Writing nonfiction
What do I want to learn to become a better writer?
  • Add more words
  • How to add jewelry on girls
  • How to write long words
  • Courage
  • How to add more expressions
 What can I do to become a better writer?
  • Draw people like they really are
  • Don’t rush
  • Add more details to my illustrations
  • Use speech bubbles.
  • Think
  • Practice every day
  • Add colors
  • Write a lot more books
  • Write more words

Published by Ruth Ayres

Unhurried. Finding the magic in the middle of living. Capturing a life of ridiculous grace + raw stories.

7 thoughts on “First Grade Reflections”

  1. What a terrific idea! My students have grown so much in writing and I want to honor that in a unique celebration and this is a terrific “out of the box” way to celebrate. Thanks!

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  2. I love that one of the students said to become a better writer he/she wants to learn “courage.” What a wise young voice. We could always use a bit of that as writers! I also really appreciate the student who said to become a better writer he/she could “think.” This is the most difficult work of a writer…the thinking. Thank you for sharing such specific examples! I love the glimpses you provide into a variety of grade levels where writing workshop is effective.

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  6. Did you and your teachers do a professional book study to help you understand first grade writers on a deeper level? The first graders seemed to be able to reflect so deeply about their own writing, so they must have teachers that understand how to support them! Wow!

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  7. Very nice work.. Nice to see another teacher that thinks like me! Thanks for sharing, your kids should be proud.
    Ms. Smith – Kindergarten Teacher

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