Let’s take a moment to reflect on your own life. When you set out to learn something new, maybe you pull a book off the shelf or pull up some instructions on a website. But I’m guessing that what is most helpful to you is watching an expert demonstrate how to do it. I’m guessing that a demonstration is more powerful than the description and it helps the new skill seem much more doable. Am I right?
As writing teachers, part of our job is to inspire all students to see what’s possible in their own writing by introducing them to the powerful, high quality writing of others that can be found in mentor texts. But we also need to take that next step and demonstrate how a writer gets an idea from his or her head to the page.
Being the Writer Your Students Need You to Be
The more we write, the more insight we gain into what students experience and the more we understand the subject matter of writing. Think about it: We don’t sign our kids up to take piano lessons from someone who doesn’t play the piano himself. People who play the piano tend to make better piano teachers because they actually engage in the skill they are teaching.
To be genuinely helpful writing models for our kids, we need to be writers. We need to climb into the trenches ourselves. Don’t worry. I’m not suggesting that you write America’s next great novel or that you spend your next free weekend crafting a research paper. There are dozens of ways to engage in writing. Here are a few ideas you might consider:
Whether it’s a journal, a blog, some poetry, or an article, engage in the writing process for yourself. Do it often. Then ask yourself some questions: What supported you as a writer? What was challenging? Did you learn anything about yourself as a writer? Did anyone else read your writing? How did knowing that your writing would (or wouldn’t) have an audience affect you as a writer?
If you do this kind of work outside the writing classroom, you’ll be better equipped to support, guide, teach, and energize the students in front of you.
To learn more about Every Kid a Writer visit Heinemann.com.
Kelly Boswell has many years of experience as a classroom teacher, staff developer, literacy coach, and district literacy specialist.
Her latest book, Every Kid A Writer, was published in October 2020. She is the coauthor of Crafting Nonfiction and Reading Solutions and the author of Write This Way and Write This Way From the Start. She is also the author of several nonfiction children’s books.
Kelly works with schools and districts around the country to support educational leaders, coaches and teachers. Her emphasis is on developing literacy practices that help students become joyful and passionate readers and writers.