Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Bloggers Block

My students write two sentences every morning and have a mini-conference over their sentences with me when they are done. They have to use the password in one of the sentences and have the sentences be related. Some of my students love to write and pride themselves with writing way more than two sentences. Some of my students don't enjoy this activity quite as much and have struggled some days to come up with ideas. I have my students read their sentences to me so that they can catch their own mistakes and to motivate children who need ideas! One day one of my kids wrote about running over goats with his tractor, but never running over pigs. I know this child has both animals at home so I was worried about what was happening to the goats.  He laughed and said, "Don't worry, Mrs. Reck I wrote fiction!"

One of my struggling owlets piped up, "I didn't know we could write fiction! This changes everything!"

He has not had trouble writing his sentences since he learned he could write fiction! Sometimes he writes fiction and sometimes he writes non-fiction.

Giving students a choice about what they are writing about opens doors to their creativity and frees their pen to give in to their imaginings and ideas. The writing I get from my students is so much better when I allow them freedom to choose and write about what they want.

I'm glad I don't have to write every day if I don't feel like it! The bad thing is I haven't felt like it in quite some time. I've had bloggers block. Today I decided to just plunge in and write something. I often tell my students to just sit down and write whatever they are thinking about. It doesn't have to be the best thing they've ever written, but at least they have written and now I have written something, too!
Click the picture if you would like a blank of my Daily Review!


5 comments:

  1. Choice is huge for sure. I'm the same way. I like to write about what I like to write about. Kids aren't much different. :)

    ❀ Tammy
    Forever in First

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  2. SO true! We just finished some non-fiction and my class was completely engaged because they were invested in the topic of their choosing!

    Laurie
    Chickadee Jubilee

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  3. I don't think we work on that often enough in my class. I told them the other day that they could write a story about whatever they wanted to and I saw a lot of blank faces! I do think it's very important to give them those experiences too! :)

    NotJustChild'sPlay

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  4. Hi My FAVORITE Michigan blogger! I too have had bloggers block since February I think. I'm thankful for Emily picking up the slack. :)
    My wheels are now turning for the password thing! I'm thinking I may use this once we finish our last daily fix-it. Hopefully they'll be inspired. :)
    Thanks for the idea friend!!!!!
    Maria

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  5. I'm still laughing at the little person who said, This changes everything:))

    Barbara
    Grade ONEderful
    Ruby Slippers Blog Designs

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