Grade level:
Peer
Professional Development
Description
of strategy/activity:
“Bond As a Staff
by Writing Together”
Cite source
of strategy/activity idea:
Chapter 3 pg.
36-37
Description
of how you implemented lesson in classroom:
There was a
professional development day with our conference. Each district provided 4-6 workshops. I volunteered to do a quick write workshop to
gain other teacher’s insights and to share some of what I have learned about shared
writing with my peers. I shared a packet
that included the optimal learning chart and ideas for quick writes in the
classroom.
I first asked the teachers to answer a few
questions to themselves on their packet about if they consider themselves
reader’s and the processes they use in the classroom (included at the end of
this document as APPENDIX). There was a mix in the
room. There were a few teachers who were
not ELA teachers but from other courses who felt they could use some ideas to
help their students grow in writing.
Part of my
message included Regie Routman’s philosophy of how teachers must be writers in
order to teach writing and the connection between reading and writing. I pointed out that we write all the time but
maybe we aren’t considering our e-mails, other mail, and the “small stuff”. I followed the optimal learning model to model
a condensed shared writing lesson. (pg.37)
Student responses,
attitudes, and/or anecdotes:
Reflection:
This is the first time I have presented knowledge
to my peers and I felt somewhat intimidated because I am only a second-year
teacher. There were definitely several teachers
in there with SO MUCH MORE experience than me!
I also worried about the 30-minute time limit. It was pretty challenging trying to fit the
workshop into that and that is reflected on one the comments. Overall, the educators were super supportive
and patient with me. I would have liked
more time to let us relax and share more about the challenges we face in our
districts and as individuals in writing.
I suppose with practice these sorts of experiences get easier and feel
less overwhelming.
Photo of the strategy/activity or an example
of student writing:
Examine Your Life as a
Writer
Objective: Think
about my own writing process in order to be more intentional about my writing
instruction
Questions to ask myself:
- Am I an avid reader? Research has shown a strong correlation between reading and writing in relation to increased achievement. Better readers=Better writers
**An avid reader may be considered someone who reads above the
average of a typical individual which is 5 books per year. According to a
survey by Pew, the average for ALL adults combined is 12 books/yr.
2.
How do I teach
writing? Do I begin with the parts first or the whole first?
3.
Do I use shared writing in
my classroom?
4.
How do I celebrate writing
with students? Staff?
5.
Do I collaborate with other
staff in a literacy program and how big a part does writing instruction play in
that?
6.
Would I consider my school
district to prioritize writing within a literacy program?
Snapshot writing:
Using the optimal learning model (Fast Forward Mode)
1st: Quick writing from
Mrs. Shaver; “Observe my process”
2nd: Shared demo w/
another teacher
3rd: Teachers talk before they
write
4th: Snapshot writing
5th: Celebrate and share
What is my writing
process? As you start your writing, consider your own writing habits,
needs, and thoughts.
