An A From Miss Keller - Patricia Polacco

Someone reading these blog posts might think I'm a wee bit obsessed with the writing process.  I'm not!  Perhaps it is the authors we should be looking at for answers.  Perhaps so inspired, authors feel they need to inspire a new generation of writers?

Patricia Polacco - I've heard her speak and it was memorable, as are her stories.  She writes what she knows and what she has experienced.  This is the golden rule of writers!  Don't try to fake it, your readers will see right through you.

This is a newer book of Polacco's.  From my research it seems it is biographical.  I think every writer has inspiration and someone who held the bar high.  This teacher in this book seems to be quite hard on our heroine, but we know that she is going to be worth the effort in the end.

What I'd like to concentrate on with this post is how I would use this book as a language lesson.  The teacher in the book gives the same writing assignments as I would give although I would not give them entirely for homework.  I think a great first assignment is for students to write about their family and home life.  Not only is this in keeping with the rule, 'write what you know', but it's also great for you to learn something about your students early in the year that will help your instruction later.

I love this teacher's use of the thesaurus for her students!  I think teachers sometimes forget about these tools because of the influence of the internet, but there are online thesaurus's.  It is important for writers to research and use a variety of rich words.  I also love the assignments where the students have to use their senses in their writing.  They listen to sounds of nature and they listen to conversations.  One workshop I went to suggested that you take readers on 'field trips' to watch cars to by the school and to listen to students talk without them knowing.  The teacher's use of the senses reminded me of this workshop!  Great ideas!

The story goes on as well as the assignments.  More writing tasks are given, such as describing objects and their uses other than their intended purpose.  This reminded me of a conversation I had with another teacher who loved writer's workshop.  She would get students with writer's block to list all the things in their fridge from memory.  Writers can always write SOMETHING.

Finally,  I loved the assignment where they had to interview someone and an object that meant something to them.  This is when the story gets sentimental as Polacco is famous for her touching stories.  Keeping on with the writing theme though, I love this assignment too.  What a great opportunity for a community connection for your students.  You could assign them to an elderly person from the community and they could learn about a generation that they may not have otherwise had access to.  It could also be a family member which would be a rich assignment as well.

If all this writing process stuff has you bored, rest assured!  This is a fantastic story, a great read aloud for all ages AND a lovely example of the impact that one person can have on someone else.

Lost for Words - Natalie Russell

Here I am writing about the writing process, again.  I really hope all this effort inspires teachers to embrace Writer's Workshop.  I seem to tell any teacher who will listen that, by doing Writer's Workshop religiously, you WILL develop writers who are inspired.  I truly believe this!  If I'm ever back in the classroom, I look forward to this part of teaching once again.  It can be truly magical.

This is an adorable story that will show kids that lots of people feel like they have nothing to write about.  One of the beliefs of Writer's Workshop is that, most times, students will write whatever they want, about whatever they want.  This means that like the story, some students may choose to write poetry, songs, narratives, procedures - whatever.  A kid who loves narrative may detest poetry and never choose to write that genre.  Totally ok.  When you get the chance to write, you write whatever inspires you.  It is an opportunity, a chance, a treat, something great, never a drudgery.  Ultimately in this book, the main character decides that he is an illustrator.  I think students should be allowed to tell stories through pictures as well.  It is another form of instruction.

There is a time when you have to learn all the different forms of writing.  I tell students that even I have to do writing that I wouldn't normally choose to do.  That's life.  Everyone has to learn about poetry even if they dislike it.  You have to learn how to do a procedure.  But when you get your chance to write whatever you want, then you get to choose.  In Writer's Workshop you teach all the forms of writing and students are required to produce at least one of each form that is taught, but free choice is free choice, no questions asked.

Please look up my entry on The Best Story by Spinelli where I started this conversation about Writer's Workshop. I'm sure you'll find a similar theme...

The big life lesson for kids after reading this book: Do what you are good at and feel comfortable with, don't worry about everyone else.  Be YOU!

Wordless Books are a Language Dream Come True!

Who can spend a whole week teaching from a wordless book?  Me! Me!
There are endless opportunities for language in a wordless book.  It's safe because the text is whatever and however a reader interprets the pictures.  In it's simplest way a wordless book can be the starting place for a story.  A reluctant writer doesn't have to come up with an idea, the story is started for them.  The writer just has to inject his/her voice into the pictures.  I'm just sitting here thinking, what a great opportunity for really reluctant writers to 'speak' their thoughts as they go through the book.  Teachers could record their 'thoughts' as the students works out what is happening in their story as they flip through the pages.  Once they've gone through all the pages, they can listen to their thoughts and perhaps come up with their story on their own.  OR they could use their recording as the story.  See?  The possibilities are endless!

Today's wordless book is Journey - By Aaron Becker.  A wordless book needs spectacular illustrations and this one does not disappoint!  Each page could be a story on it's own.  You could assign a page to each kid and have them each write a chapter.  Or they could take inspiration from all the pictures and write their own story.  Again, endless.  No student can complain that they don't know what to write about!  Who wouldn't want to write about the adventures depicted in the illustrations?

What about a conversation about loneliness?  This little girl feels ignored and retreats to her room to occupy her day.  Can students make connections to how she is feeling?  What about connections to other books?  I'm thinking 'Where the Wild Things Are' or 'Harold and the Purple Crayon'.  Ask students to make and explain their connections.

Visual Art extension - Give students a white piece of art paper with one of the red shapes on the page somewhere.  What picture can they come up with?  Can they write a story based on their picture or another classmate's picture.  It could go on and on!