My So-Called Future Classroom

In my first blog, I emphasized the importance of creating an environment that children will first and foremost feel comfortable within, which still holds true.  As Robin Stevenson explained, keeping everything optional will create and maintain a supportive environment.  If a child is uncomfortable with the writing process, we as teachers should provide them with variety and choice as to how they would like to present their ideas.  

For most children, the act of recording their voices, on a podcast, is a great outlet.  They are still developing their oral language and listening skills throughout the process of interacting with such technology.  As mentioned before, I want my ELA classroom to focus on choice.  If children do not feel comfortable using podcasts, but are comfortable writing, allow them to do so.  Guest author, Robin Stevenson, mentioned that it is important for children to get their ideas down and whichever way they choose to do so should be up to them; this is a mentality I completely agree with.  I would choose to focus on the children’s ideas rather than the way in which they choose to record them.  Of course writing will be a focus in my ELA classroom, however, not all children excel at the same rate, which is something we, as educators, need to be aware of.  If you start children off doing something they are comfortable with, they will gain confidence and eventually take part in the writing process.  It may take more time than it does with other children but it is part of the teachers job to be patient with his/her students and to cater to the different learning styles evident in the classroom.

I feel quite strongly about not forcing children into doing something they aren’t comfortable with, as mentioned before.  Another great way to allow them to grow at their own individual pace is through encouragement.  A great example of this kind of encouragement is seen through the character of Jack from “Love that Dog.”  In the beginning of the story Jack was reluctant to write poetry, which the teacher willingly accepted.  The teacher allowed Jack to grow at his own pace, becoming more comfortable with the writing process and his own writing, and more specifically, the sharing of his ideas with others.  The teacher allowed him the time to realize his own potential, and in turn he became confident in his writing and wanted to share it with others.

Another great way to encourage children’s ideas is to stress the importance of getting their ideas down on the page.  Much as I mentioned with podcasting,  drawing is another great way for children to present their ideas.  Drawing is just as important as writing for early writers (Savage, 41), as it is still story telling.  Robin Stevenson also stresses the importance of drawing.  For a lot of children, writing is a barrier, especially for those with really wonderful ideas.  It is important for teachers to be aware of these children and the difficulties they face with writing and have them focus on their ideas, by drawing and even keyboarding.  We want to encourage their ideas and show them that they all have the potential to be equally wonderful writers.  This is also a great brainstorming process for some children, which may get them on the right track for compiling a piece of writing.  It is important to stress that there are varying ideas on how to approach their writing, but everybody has a starting point (Savage).  It doesn’t matter what that starting point is, it just matters that children find which one works for them.

On a contrasting note, incorporating drama into ELA is something I had never thought of before completing our ELA lesson plan for “Franklin Fibs.”  By involving children in a fun, interactive activity, such as our story circle - which includes a fun story stick - children are still paying attention to the format of the story, but are doing so through creative means.  It is also great because not all children need to participate (that rhymed); if children are shy, they are still developing their oral skills by listening to the teacher read the story.  They are also working on their viewing skills by watching their classmates act out the story.  

When it comes to grammar and punctuation, I feel as though having a variety of fun conventions will prove to be effective.  A spaceman or bookworm (Savage, 43), which will help children accurately space their words, which may actually make the somewhat boring side of writing fun.  This will prove to be rewarding for both the students, and the teacher.  The more fun writing is, the more children will feel inspiration to write and in turn, the more improvement they will make.  Creating a “Look, Write, Check” book, which allows children two chances to spell an unfamiliar word is a great tool as well.  To make this fun for the children, allow them time to decorate their book into something they are proud of.  

Overall, I want to create a classroom that is comfortable and encouraging for the children to excel in.  If you give children choice in their learning, they will gain confidence in what they feel comfortable doing.  They will realize that their ideas hold just as much value as the other students, which not only builds their confidence, but creates a supportive and dynamic classroom environment.  Catering to children’s individual learning styles will allow them to gain confidence, providing them with the foundation for future development.

 

“Through writing children express themselves, clarify their thinking, communicate ideas, and integrate new information into their knowledge base” (IRP, 5).  What can we learn from this quote?  For me, it is a way of letting teachers know that writing involves so much more than grammar, punctuation and spelling.  It involves creativity and individual expression, which allows children to explore and work out their thoughts and ideas.  It is our job as educators to teach children the fundamentals of writing in whatever way we choose.  To begin, I think it is extremely important to approach writing with a positive and open minded attitude (unlike the teacher in the cartoon above).

Having the opportunity to participate in decision making about their learning, while engaging in the classroom community (voice) and having options (choice), are things teachers should always offer their students (IRP, 26).  For those students who have a lot of great ideas, but are reluctant to write, why not give them the opportunity to type on a computer?  This allows them to get all of their wonderful ideas down without the stress of writing.  As Robin Stevenson explained, there are many different ways to expand a story, it doesn’t always have to be written.  If a child would rather act out the story or illustrate it, let them.  It is just as valid as writing it down.  Drawing is just as important as writing for early writers (Savage, 41).  It is still story telling.  It is crucial that teachers focus on their students ideas.  Some children’s writing development may come later than others and that’s perfectly fine.  Not everyone progresses at the same rate.  Focus on what they can do and go from there.

Providing children with resources to aid them with their writing is important as well.  These don’t have to be complicated resources, in fact, the simpler the better.  A great tool to use with children is the “Look, Cover, Write, Check Book,” (image 1 &2) which consists of a stack of scrap paper stapled together that has been divided and cut into three sections.  The student will then write a word under the look section, then they cover it, then try and write it again (2 times) without looking.  After they practiced their spelling two times, they can go back to “look” to check if they spelled it correctly.  If you choose to emphasize the fluidity of writing, have the students continue writing, leaving a blank space for words they aren’t sure how to spell (Bainbridge et al., 329), perhaps writing the first few letters (so they remember what the word is), or starring the words they aren’t sure of.  Let the students know that they can to go back to try and spell these words.  After students have been using these resources over a period of time and become more comfortable with their ideas and perhaps the writing process, they may feel comfortable sharing them.  It is important for educators to create an environment that will never judge a child or their ideas. Another great way to encourage writing is by showing them that writing can be fun!

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When I think back to writing in elementary school one word comes to mind: fun!  We were never told to sit down and write about something that didn’t interest us.  It is important to make writing fun for children, by incorporating it wherever possible.  For example, if you choose to have students write for five to ten minutes at the beginning or end of class, why not give them a fun topic to write about or give them the beginning of the story and ask them to write about what they think will happen next? If it is something that is fun and interesting they will be more motivated to write and share their ideas!

A PLO for grade one (C10) is for children to be able to “use some features and conventions of language to express meaning in their writing and representing, including appropriate spacing between letters and between words” (IRP, 54).  A great way to satisfy this while incorporating fun is to provide students with a toy to help space their words.  A spaceman or bookworm (image 3) are great examples of such toys (Savage, 43).   This will make the somewhat boring side of writing fun for the kids and; therefore, rewarding for the teacher.  The more fun writing is, the more children will feel inspired to write and the more improvement they will make! 

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It is also important to stress that there is no right or wrong way to go about writing.  Just as Robin Stevenson explained, some children may prefer to lay out the details of their story, including the characters and events that will take place before they begin the writing process and some may have one idea that they start with, which gradually develops into their story as they write it. It is important for children to experiment with writing to find what is right for them.

As educators, it is crucial that we stress the importance of revision as well. The C6 Prescribed Learning Outcome for grade one explains that children must “use a strategy after writing and representing to improve their work ”, such as revision (IRP, 54).  Many children will not know what revision is, or why it is so important, especially at primary level; therefore, teachers must educate them on this.  A great way to introduce revision as a non intimidating practice is to do it together as a class.  This can be as simple as the teacher putting up a piece of writing with obvious errors on it up on the overhead/smartboard and ask the class to find the problems and work together to find what should be changed.  Once children are familiar with the revision process, it is important to introduce them to peer revision.  

It is a great idea having students communicate with one another, giving feedback using techniques such as “two stars and a wish.”  This gives the child positive reinforcement about what they did well, which will allow them to take the “wish” into better consideration.  The fact that children are working together during this exercise is important because it creates a sense of community within the classroom, which allows children to be more open with one another. 

It is important to show that even you, as a teacher, can make mistakes.  If you make a spelling error that a student notices, for instance, thank them, and emphasize that everyone makes mistakes, even teachers.  If children know they aren’t dealing with an academic who writes flawlessly, and doesn’t make any mistakes they will feel more comfortable, willing to try new things and share with their teacher and their peers.    

Let students know that it’s okay not to finish a piece of writing.  If they begin writing and are frustrated with it, they don’t have to continue.  They can simply throw it away and start over again.  Nothing is written in stone (especially if you write in pencil - tee hee). They are still practicing writing and character development.  The mechanics of writing are being learned despite if they finish it or not. 

References

Bainbridge, Joyce, Rachel Heydon and Grace Malicky. “Assessment and Conventions of Writing,” from Constructing Meaning: Balancing Elementary Language Arts.  Nelson Education Ltd.: 2009.

British Columbia Ministry of Education. “English Language Arts, Kindergarten to Grade 7: Integrated Resource Package 2006.”

Stevenson, Robin.  EDCI 302: Guest Lecturer.  October 21, 2011.

Savage, Jennifer. “How can I effectively use the First Steps Writing program in my classroom?” 1-20.