SOL: 31.3.12

Musings about writing

I made it!  Wow!  I just can't believe that everyday for the last 31 days I have written a slice of my life.  The time has flown and it only seems like yesterday when I thought, "Writing for 31 days that's impossible for me."  Throughout this journey I've used the 31 slices above to give me inspiration to write.  This prompter above gave me focus and to some seasoned writers it would be quite constricting but for an amateur like me it's just what the doctor ordered.  Now, I understand how my reluctant writers in class feel because just like I was given a stepping stone into writing most of my students need a stepping stone.  

In my classroom my students have been writing everyday at school along side of me and it has been great.  I had no strict and hard rules for myself and my students in class because I just wanted my students to write.  We have been swimming all week and when we were back in class I would keep them to draw a picture about what they learnt at swimming today.  I used these sentence starters: Swimming today was fun because I learnt and Dear swimming instructors thank you for teaching me how to.  I nearly forgot to say that before they started writing I always sat down with the whole class and we would write a word list of all their ideas.  Just like I needed a push to motivate myself to write I gave my students the same help.  We would talk about my slices and I read and showed my class some of my slices (our Internet is so slow at school).  I could see the progress of my students from day one right through to our last day of writing at school.  Yesterday, during reading I sent one reading group off to draw a picture about the beach.  They then had to write a story about their beach picture.  AND, each of the three children wrote amazing stories they used conjunctions and interesting vocabulary.  They did this without a word list or bank of words.  I was so proud of them.  I sat with them and wrote comments about their writing and gave them feedback just like I received here.  They gave each other feedback and I just could not stop smiling.  Writer's love and need feedback.

On my journey I have not only taken my students along for the ride but I've also taken my hubby.  I've shared my poems and stories and we have laughed and joked along the way.  Does it matter that I'm terrible with editing and grammar?  I would have to say, "Yeah - Nah!" (Kiwi slang for yes it matters but not really in this case).  Not really in this case because I came here has a turtle with my head inside its shell and I had to stick my head out and give this challenge a go.  I had a list as long as my arm why I shouldn't - couldn't - wouldn't participate.  But to use a phrase from a female bible hero, "If I die I die!"  Well, I did and I'm still alive to write about my journey.   You know the biggest thing I learnt is that there is a story in every area of our lives you just have to be looking and listening.  Capturing those special moments in your life for me has been magical.  I have written snippets of my life that I will treasure forever and I would never had caught those moments if I wasn't for this challenge.  Some days I feel a little sheepish about my babblings but I just had to let go of my inhibitions.  I've grown so much as a teacher...just like I've seen growth in my student writers I can see the growth in myself as a writer. It's time to celebrate.

Hubby and I are travelling again today to see our adult children and our grandson.  I have my list ready to buy gifts for my Slice of Life party for my students.  I wonder what photos I'll take today during my weekend away.  Next week is our last week at school and then we are on holiday but Thursday of next week imagine me here in New Zealand celebrating and gifting with my class.

As I travel and burble today with hubby I'll celebrate by filling my basket with gifts for my student and I'll stop by a coffee shop and buy myself a celebratory cup of coffee and something sweet and delicious.  Thank you to the community of writers here for the encouragement and feedback.  Thank you to Ruth and Stacey.  I've had a blast.

What next?  (giggling to myself)