SOLC Day 10~ my writing spot

It's been a few years since I began Blink and Bridge. It started as an attempt to learn more about what my students went through as writers and to journal what happened in our classroom. Yesterday during writing workshop I watched our second graders writing at their desks and it dawned on me they really only get to write in one spot everyday. Their desks. I wondered if they were comfortable. Several students walked around, some to talk about their writing with another student. Some were asking for help from a classmate. All good stuff. Although I admit, I thought a couple of students were just walking around to avoid writing, which made me wonder again if they were comfortable.

When I write at home, I have a three spots I seek out. All have comfortable chairs and ottomans. I believe a comfortable chair ought to have an ottoman because you ought to put your feet up when you sit in it. I like to write with my laptop in my lap. I just think you're supposed to. I think I write more and my writing sounds better when I compose from those spots. Once in awhile I sit at my office desk and write. Even with a comfortable chair it isn't where I prefer to think and write. That desk is where I study. It's where bills get paid. Too much baggage in that spot, I guess. Even at school in the bookroom which houses my desk, I'll sit in the craig's list love seat I got for free so I can put my feet up and write with my laptop on my lap.

I'm thinking I might go into my classroom on Monday with a whole new attitude about where our kids can write. Maybe that darn desk is holding them back. Maybe all they can associate the desk with is math problems! Or the economics of Ancient Mali? At the very least maybe they'd like a choice.

Do you give your students choices about where they can write? Where's your favorite spot to write?

SOLC day 2~ "Yourr Prrfect"

The story projected onto the entire screen for the other writers to see. The writer of the piece beamed. I read. She beamed some more. I beamed as I read.  I said it was an example of a small moment that really showed how the writer felt. When I noticed it a few days before in a conference I knew I wanted to share it as a mentor text. It was especially important to share this writer's talent. It wasn't always the first thing a classmate noticed about her. 


There wasn't a student moving and eyes were on that screen. The writer wasn't usually this engaged. At least for very long. But her story about going to the buny stre with my mom and ded was holding her attention. She looked around to gauge the reaction as I read. The buny hopt ont my lap and lcked me. I hgged it. I said yourr prrfect.


Her classmates let her know they could see the bunny on her lap. They asked her if she was afraid when the bunny hopped into her lap. Comments continued without me. "I think she was happy because she hugged it." "When she said the bunny was perfect, it meant she was happy." You didn't have to say you were happy. You showed you were happy." "I had a movie in my eyes about the bunny."


This was one of my favorite writing workshops ever. 

the calm over writing workshop

Yesterday for about an hour I quietly watched 17 third graders writing and sharing during workshop. It was our first day back together after a three week break. I didn't have high expectations because we were so out of routine. I was going to be happy if they could find their pencils, notebook, word book, and folder. I was going to be thrilled if they gathered those goods within five minutes. I couldn't even remember what our last workshop before break looked like. I expected to have to make desk to desk stops to support writers getting started. Today's workshop focus: visit your notebooks for ideas and pieces of ideas you started. If something inspires you, plan and write the beginning of this next great piece.

Well. Within 4 minutes, the class had their tools. Within the next few minutes they were writing. Second looks all around to be sure writers were on task. Third looks, ready to nudge relunctant writers. None needed. Seen and Heard: rereading, bookmarking, highlighting, coloring, adding to writing hearts, quiet whispering about an idea for a story series titled "A Visit to...", advice offered student to student in quiet whispers accompanied by a smile, story mapping to plan a story (worked on this before break to deconstruct fiction we were reading), a wonderful lead: "It was a hot, sunny day in July. The waves were shining. It was a perfect beach day," lists of new ideas generated by the old idea, "my birthday," a travel piece begun about Disneyworld (I could have used this a few years ago), calm.

I sensed we would need extra time for sharing. There would be much to talk about. Selfishly I couldn't wait to hear the comments. After 45 minutes we came to the meeting area in a circle. The prompt: "Reflect on your writing today. What made you feel successful or what made you feel pretty good about your writing." A response: "Can we pass?" Mental, unseen sigh with a smile. "Yes, but still take a moment to think about how you were successful today." Seen and Heard during share: story maps detailed with characters, setting, several plots, "I forgot I had some of the ideas I had in my notebook," that great lead about the beach, how the idea for a series of stories came up- "I have so much to write about and I thought a theme would be a good way to do it." "I like the funny stories like Junie B. Jones so I wanted to try something like that (spontaneous mentor texting), "I liked having the time to create my characters today," "Can I read my beginning?", "I passed earlier, can I still share?", "I liked writing today."Me, too.