Write On

Sometimes when a student of mine is struggling with an idea, I tell them to write. There is something about getting your thoughts out of your mind and in front of you that make them seem much more approachable. Journaling in education has long been deemed an essential practice for aspiring writers and readers. In the words of a teacher I used to work with, “How do I know how I feel until I see what I say?” This simple mentality, of “seeing” what one is thinking, opens up a sense of freedom and ability to young writers. Over the last few weeks, Miss Betori’s third grade class has adopted this wonderful practice of writing, and not just writing, creative writing! Aside from the traditional benefits of writing (increasing fluency, confidence as a writer, and the ability to form text to text, world and self-connections) Miss Betori and her teacher’s aid are seeing character growth in the students like never before. Miss Betori shared that some of the students who suffered from shyness and lacking confidence to speak publicly were inspired to open up and share their thoughts and feelings through writing. Students are blooming and blossoming as authors all over, and to share some of the joy, here are a few posts from the linguists themselves:

How did you feel on the first day of school?

“On the first day of school, I felt nervous because it was the beginning of the new year. But I was also excited because we have a class pet!” - Zoe

“On the first day of school I felt happy because I was finally in 3rd Grade!!” - Griffin

What are the best things to do on a hot summer day?

“On a hot summer day I like to go to the lake and swim. I get to go fishing and go out on the boat.” - Alice

“On a hot summer day I like to go to The Freeze. I like to ride my bike, and also my skateboard. Anything that’s outside, I like to do on a summer day.” - Cody

If you had one wish, what would you wish for and why?

“If I had one wish, it would be to fly. Because then I could fly to places instead of being in my car.” - Abby

“If I had one wish, I would wish for one million books because I love reading!” - Katie

“If I had one wish it would be to own my own baseball league.” - Nathan

And so you see, with a little bit of prompting, a set-aside time, and practice, these young learners are discovering that they absolutely DO have something to say! Write on young scholars … write on.

 

Raquel Harris