Celebrating Being on my Quest

I held onto my OLW - quest for 2017.  I knew that I wasn't finished with the journey that I would be on to as I continue as a student of writing.   I am excited to be celebrating Ruth's writing courses.  She hooked me when I watched her first video and she discussed how overwhelmed she was with grading 100 writing assignments. I've read several different articles about becoming a stronger teacher of writing, and for now,  I have a system that is working for me.  I am quite excited about it because it's manageable which is the key to implementation.

Collaboration:  During our workshop, we discussed what were the key components that everyone focused on while writing their informational essay.  My writers came up with a list of five. Done, simple,  and most importantly easy to assess.

• strong opening (lead)
• content specific vocabulary
• body - flow and stronger sentences
• choosing important evidence
• strong closing (wrap it up)

Grading:  I have 26 writers in my class this year, and I read and evaluated 6 a night which I could manage.  I had a goal, and I succeeded. I only graded for the five components and wrote down notes for each writer, so I could gather information to inform next week's instruction.

Grouping:  On the fifth night, I looked for patterns which would be a an important review for mini lessons.  I have read several articles about writing partners, and intentional talk.  

I've had some time to reflect on this process, and I am celebrating my quest for being a stronger teacher as well as implementing several ideas that Ruth has shared with us.  I am anxious to return to school on Tuesday and share the plan for the week with my writers.  Thanks friends for sharing in this week's celebration and continuing on my quest with me.  

This warmed my heart as I read Tara's comment.
I am thankful to have friends like Ruth and Tara to lead
me as a writer. 

#OLW2017 Still On My Quest

I have thought and thought about what my new One Little Word would be for 2017. I am not sure if I am breaking the rules, but I have decided to keep my same OLW from 2016. I feel like I have more lessons to learn from quest, and I am still on a journey searching for answers both personally and professionally. 

Personally, I've been lost with my writing. Often feeling like I had nothing new to say, or if I would share what I was thinking would it be too negative? I've written several pieces in my head, placed a few in my writer's notebook, but then made the decision not to post. I often wonder if I am running away or choosing to keep my thoughts to myself because it is more comfortable. There seems to be a fine line right now for me. I often lean towards the statement, "If you don't have anything nice (positive) to say, then don't say anything at all."  But then I know that choosing be a writer is hard work and putting the pen to paper is often the most difficult part for me. 2017's quest will help me to continue to define what my writing life will look like. 

Professionally, I am still on a quest to understand my 26 learners sharing Room 234 with me. Several of my students need me for organizational skills as well as helping them remember to make positive behavior choices. Several students need to build their confidence when choosing books and helping them maintain stamina. My small group of mathematicians still need to have
support with counters for basic facts, manipulative for place value, and a constant smile of encouragement. I am anxious to return to school Wednesday and continue my quest with these learners in 2017.