Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Final 2010 Slice

Yesterday I posted a reflection on the benefits of participating in a challenge to write every day for a month over at Two Writing Teachers blog. I noted that again this year I am so impressed with the writing knowledge I've gained through this experience. Not something you can read about in a trade book, you have to live it.Today being the final post, I am realizing how much I have learned about setting a goal then pushing towards it and how that will affect my teaching.

In my classroom many children come in with a variety of difficult life circumstances. The issues they are living through really tug at your heart and you wonder how they got up and made it in for yet another day. Knowing this can sometimes make it hard for a teacher to set high expectations and follow through with consequences. "Oh the poor thing," we may tend to think as we feel our limits waiver.

But after forcing myself to write everyday, whether I wanted to or not, has opened my eyes to just how important it is to follow through on a challenge. Now, I'd never compare my comfortable adult life to the painful, chronic conditions some of my students experience. No way. But I do realize there is tremendous satisfaction in completing a goal. That is a valuable feeling I want all my students to experience over and over again.

So, I'll walk away from this year's slices knowing how to teach writing more effectively. I'm also much more aware of the importance of setting and monitoring goals. Whatever they may be.

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