Welcome
back. Below is an overview of the
Coastal Savannah Writing Project.
Our
primary texts were The 9 Rights of Every
Writer by Vicki Spandel and The Write
to Read by Leslie Roessing.
Seventeen
teachers attended with three presenters.
The teachers were students, so I will refer to them as such.
Students
were assigned two groups, a writing group and a book club, with different members
in each group. The presenters
participated as if they were students.
The
theory: Students who experience their
teachers as writers will become better writers.
We
read our rough drafts in our writing groups.
We discussed the primary texts in our book clubs.
Each
day consisted of free-writing prompts, writing group, book club, student and
presenter presentations, and a final reflection.
Each
student signed up for two presentations: to share a writing strategy that
worked in the classroom and to present a review of what happened in class the day before. On the first day, Leslie modeled a writing strategy;
thereafter, students presented their strategies. On the second day, Heidi modeled a review of
the previous day; thereafter, students presented their daily reviews: I do/We do/You do.
I
awaited with eager anticipation the daily reviews from the other students. Many of the presentations were clever, funny,
and engaging…as well as accurate. The
students introduced Voki, Animoto, and Extranormal. If an elephant had walked into the room during class, it would have been mentioned in the review.
Each
day began with free-writing. This was a
timed activity with students responding to a writing prompt. It was the presenter’s responsibility to
present writing prompts that were engaging.
It was the student’s responsibility to write and be willing to share.
After
the time was up, we rolled our chairs back into a large circle. Students were asked to share. Those who wanted to share did so. By the end of the project, all students had
shared at least once.
I
marveled how students are the same whether they are in my classroom or whether they
are teachers attending writing projects. The
presenter says, “Will someone share with us?” A long, awkward pause
ensues. I
volunteered to share many times. After a
few days, however, I wondered if I should be silent so others might share or
should I seize every opportunity because I need the practice. I played it by ear.
The
presenters could always count on three or four of us who were willing to share
every day.
Freewriting
prompts could have been called “playwriting” prompts. The purpose was for students to keep pens
writing on the page as their minds conjured up whatever associations from the
prompt popped into their imaginations. Many
prompts were playful so the writing was fun.
In
my personal life, I have always practiced in this way. I called it Freeflowing. Indeed, that is what I call it in my
classroom except I always thought of freewriting as writing about whatever a
writer wants.
For
instance, I would meet a friend at a restaurant once a week for breakfast. We chatted until we finished eating. We drank coffee for another half hour or so,
writing the whole time without talking.
I
write quite freely when I am surrounded by the sound of customer chatter, the
clinking of spoons in cups, and the occasional careful sipping of coffee too
hot to gulp down.
When
my friend and I were finished, we shared what we wrote. We agreed that anything was acceptable, even
drivel, since we knew that the best writing is often embedded in banal
writing. Before we left, we tipped the
waitress twenty percent each.
At
the Coastal Savannah Writing Project, I practiced freewriting inspired by
Donna’s fun writing prompts.
Next
time, I will share some writing prompts.
I hope to see you there. Teach
on…
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