Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Last Slice

The students were gathered near the screen. I read, let the story wash over them, then scrolled down to reveal more text. They were so engaged. I led them through the usual questioning about what they noticed. Your predictions? The setting is? Vocabulary specific to the theme?

As we worked our way through the piece, I realized it was working in a unique way. They looked at my face frequently. They asked questions. They were connecting to the text in a special way.

Aha, I realized. this is the power of sharing a piece with students which you have crafted yourself for just this teaching moment. I have shared writing, but usually when I am modeling a "how to". This story was a narrative of spending time with my father. Their teacher was sharing a part of her life with them.

This I will do much more frequently. So THANKS to Ruth and Stacey for hosting us all at Two Writing Teachers. I have gained and grown as a teacher in ways I will continue to discover. And THANKS to all who have visited and read through my writings. Hope you enjoyed them as much as I have enjoyed the posts of others. It was wonderful!

1 comment:

  1. Becky,
    This piece says so much about the power of modelling writing for our students and how it also serves to humanize us in the eyes of our students.
    Your words provide powerful messages for some of my reluctant teachers who continue to resist my pleas to write for and with their students.
    Excellent stuff!
    Alan

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