How often do we ask ourselves about what leads our thinking on the teaching of writing? Is our purpose curriculum, or something much more significant? Why do we teach the way we do? And… How do we articulate why this, not that?
Thank you for joining us for our blog series Authentic Purposes for Writing. Melanie said it well with the introductory words in her post, “We all agree that our students will benefit from… Continue reading
Writing is a stalwart act. Through writing, we express ourselves, uncover feelings, tell our stories, organize our schedules, share our beliefs, and change our world. To some students (and even adults) writing can seem like a monumental task and writing may feel cumbersome. But when you think of the necessity of writing in our lives, writing is unavoidable.
Sometimes we write to clarify our thinking or record a moment so it won’t be lost in our memories. Other times we write to entertain, inform, or instruct. Recently, many of us have… Continue reading
I believe in writing. I believe that the more you write, the more you discover your own thoughts and ideas. Your voice grows stronger. You become more fluent. Writing becomes a part of who you are, how you see the world, how you process your thoughts, how you communicate effectively with others. It is not enough for students to just write during writing workshop. Writing needs to be woven into the fabric of the day, across subject areas, in ways that are meaningful and authentic for students.
Someone once told me: You can’t write well about something you don’t care about. One day, I listened in on two first grade partners, Jennifer and Marco, sharing their pieces of writing. I stood… Continue reading
It’s often difficult for children to see themselves as change-makers. Writing and processing small or big ideas can help children see that their voices can be powerful guides for change, even if the change is simply making someone’s day.
Thoughts about making time for letter writing in the classroom.
Every three months, the TWT co-author team comes together to share our thinking about one aspect of writing. It seems appropriate that we’re sharing our thoughts about authentic purposes for writing this week. Writing is a source of power. Our students will benefit from having strong voices, clear messages, and wide audiences in our quickly changing world.
