Writing

Sadly, my favorite line thus far from the Routman text is: "Stories are fun and fun is sadly missing from our classrooms these days." It's true. And, it seems to be a common theme in text and articles we're reading for all the disciplines. I know it is easier said than done (especially for me - not being an actual teacher yet), but making learning more joyous, exciting and relevant does help students scaffold their cognitive skills.

Routman's way of teaching writing is engaging. Starting with stories and letting students home in on what tickles their fancy makes sense. Who hasn't heard a student excitedly bellow, "Have I got a story for you?!" Students should be able to use those story moments as a starting point for their writing. My son had a class in which the teacher used the writing prompts not so much for formal assessments as he was told to do, as for insight into the students' interests. He sent my son home with a stack of Calvin and Hobbs books, after seeing how much he was drawn to quirky comics. He then gave my son the opportunity to read his comics to other classes during transition times. (He did the same for other kids, based on their interests and talents.) My son's writing has taken off since that class.

I also liked Anne Lamott's push for metaphors. Teaching the meaning of that term may go above elementary students' heads, but conceptually they can certainly comprehend the idea of relating the "unknown in terms of the known."