I haven't taken the time to really think about how to start to teach writing as a future teacher yet...until I started reading this book. Although I know I need to teach specific basic rules, I feel like I do not know where to begin. Chapters 2 and 3 really helped me to understand "specific crafts" and how to go about identifying them in writing.
I have had plenty of teachers at all grade levels be very general with comments left on my graded writing papers. (such as "needs to be more descriptive") I don't think I ever really learned ways to improve the area the teaching was referring to. The point made in the reading about it being essential to make specific suggestions is something I definitely want to take into consideration when I become an educator. Giving examples, or simply teaching, all kinds of specific crafts will help the students better their writing, as well as asking questions to get them to bring out more details of what they are writing about.
Additionally, I think teaching writing seems difficult at this point in my education career. I am probably most nervous about how to handle those students who are below and above the level they are supposed to be.
In chapter 6, the concept of having students make connections by drawing with their writing is discussed, and I feel it is a great idea to bring into the classroom. I can remember doing such a thing, and even creating whole books, in the first grade. It seemed to make me more enthusiastic about writing, and I hope my students will feel the same way. I would have never thought about specific crafts of drawing until I read the chart on page 84, which I think will be incredibly useful to teach these techniques to students. All the strategies can be turned into better writing.
Overall, I look forward to begin to learn more strategies to teach writing to the best of my ability in my own classroom someday. I think Elizabeth Hale's Crafting Writing K-6 will be a great resource to help me start my first few years of teaching.
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I liked the ideas in chapter 6 as well. They seem to be very beneficial to the students.
ReplyDeleteI also really liked chapter 6 and remembered doing that in my first and second grade class too! In first grade I never saw it was a lesson just as something fun to do, so I really think it is a great concept to bring into the classroom!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean about getting papers back saying 'needs more description' and comments like that. I don't I ever actually learned what the teacher meant by that. I never knew what my teacher meant by the comments she left and could probably have benefited from further explanation.
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