Writing is personal, and writing is creative. So why don’t we allow students to experience these feelings before they ever pick up a pencil to write? I think that Hale makes a valid point in stating on pages 196-197 that we can spark enthusiasm for writing by simply setting aside time for students to decorate their writing notebooks. Although it seems to be trivial, I think that we may be incredibly surprised by the reactions. I think more than anything it gives students a sense of ownership and pride in their work. When the outside of the notebook reflects their masterpiece of art, I think it could help them realize that the writings within the notebook are also amazing works of art. Because these works of art are theirs, they are personal to them. I actually have seen a similar idea put into practice this past week in my field experience. The students received new social studies workbooks, but these workbooks weren’t your typical run of the mill workbooks; they had blank covers. Because the focus of the unit was going to be on community, the students were given the opportunity to let their creative juices flow as they were supposed to decorate the cover according to the things that they enjoyed about or linked them to the community. Some decided to cut and paste pictures of their favorite local basketball heroes while other opted to draw pictures of their family. Nonetheless, it was an activity that the students really seemed to enjoy…because it made social studies more than just a school subject; it became personal. (Whether this excitement translates over to the following week when they actually have to complete the first page of the workbook might be a different story, but I’ll keep you posted!)
Just as the decorated notebooks can generate enthusiasm for writing, the location may also. Hale suggests that teachers create “writing spots”, consisting of a small space that is designated for writing that is decorated with beanbag chairs and a small table, nothing fancy, but nonetheless special. Recently I read a book by Esme Raji Codell entitled Educating Esme, a personal diary of a first year teacher in the inner-city of Chicago. At one point in the book, she describes how uninterested her students were in reading so she creates a “time machine” out of a refrigerator box by decorating both the inside and outside. The idea behind this was that reading books allows students to travel back in time. Her students were absolutely excited about it, and everyone wanted a turn! Thinking about this makes me think that it would be ideal to have these “special” areas in a classroom, but in both instances that I mentioned, they were used as an incentive for good behavior. This makes me wonder if designating these spots for use as an incentive is really a good idea? Because these writing spots are indeed special, I think that it would subconsciously spark an intrinsic motivation for students to write when they have the opportunity to utilize the space. Yet, because there is always a chance that a teacher could be partial to one student over another, this would mean that perhaps all students would not get to experience the “writing spot” and thus not be able to experience the subconscious motivation that comes from being there. Would drawing names out of a hat be a more fair way?
It seemed to me that everyone got a turn in the writing spots, but maybe I'm remembering wrong? Either way, yes, if "good writing" is a prerequisite to get a "good spot," that seems counterproductive. I thought Ms. Hale could have talked more about a room environment conducive to writing. I wonder if there are more resources out there about this?
ReplyDeleteI was thinking something similar about the writing spots. Our cooperating teacher doesn't seem to have any special spots. Or didn't, until she gave everyone time to do silent reading. All of a sudden, children were tucked into nooks and crannies, perched on step stools, or reclining under desks. It was an interesting transformation. I'm not sure yet what she does for writing. She does make children who have been disruptive sit at their desks, so it's the reverse of what Hale described. Is it better? Does it matter? It just seems to me you'd want them to be comfortable while they write, not worry about punishing or rewarding for classroom behavior.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Patti. Why wouldn't allowing each kid to spread out onto the floor be a good option rather than just having a select few at a time be at a special spot?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, it would probably depend on the class. At the Armstrong panel one of the teachers talked about years where her "secret treasure box" stayed in the closet for months and another year it came out the first day. Understanding what motivates your students as a whole and individually would help make that call. I like having all this possibilities in my "hat of tricks" to pull from.
ReplyDeleteCourtney, I too thought of your Esime when I read that part!
Courtney, thanks for posting this. I was too immediately reminded of our field placement last week when I came to the decorating notebooks suggestion in Hale. I thought it was great for our teacher to set that time up for us to get to interact with the students, but, after going home to read "Crafting Writers" that night, I too saw the correlation with the Social Studies workbooks. And it wasn't just a playful and fun exercise. I saw and talked to kids who were learning where things in their community were by looking at the maps in the provided tourism material. They were seeing the geography of their community in the material they were using - in the maps, the ads with the recognizable mottos, the pictures of familiar buildings, and so forth. Our teacher was cleverly allowing the students to explore their community through art and media while she allowed us to explore the classroom through interaction with the student community it held.
ReplyDeleteWhen I worked in the third grade classrooms last year, I never saw writer's workshop happening sadly but, I did see many of the decorated notebooks! The students loved their notebooks and wanted to show me them. It was something the children seemed to cherish and want to share with anyone who was willing to listen! Maybe the children could use the way they chose to decorate their notebooks as a topic to write about!? I know many of them had selected certain pictures, stickers and other decorations to cover their notebooks and it would be interesting to see why each of them chose what they did!
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