How to Get Students Excited about Writing...Again!

Most of us have made it half way through the school year by now. Yippee! But how many of you have noticed your students becoming bored with writing? Is it topics? Was it because they (and us) needed a break?

Whatever the reason, January is a wonderful time to get that spark back in their fires and finish out the year strong! How do you get students excited about writing...again?

1. Choices: Students want choices. I know journal writing is probably the best way to incorporate this idea. Have "free write" days where the students decided what they want to write. I know this is the day I usually read the most creative writings.

2. Round-Robin Writing: As the teacher, write a title at the top of a blank sheet of notebook paper. If you want, you can even write the first sentence, too. Pass the paper to a student (you can start it anywhere in your classroom). Have that student write a sentence either about the title, like a first liner, or a second sentence following your first sentence. Then that student passes it to the person behind him/her. Each student adds something to the story until everyone had the opportunity to write a sentence. If it is working smoothly, you can go two or three rounds until you have a full-blown story. After the story is written, read it aloud to the class. They will love it, and it is usually funny to see the direction the story turns...it is most likely to be very funny.

3. Writing Pals: Group students in pairs. You can randomly select the groups, or you can even let the students choose their writing pals. Have students work in partners to complete a writing activity. They will enjoy getting to work with a pal while writing, especially struggling writers. Have the pals trade their writings with another set of pals to revise.

I have a January Writing Bundle that you can use to incorporate both journal writing and essay writing into your classroom. It contains 20 journal prompts, and they come is two formats. Also included are three essay prompts (informational, argumentative, and narrative). They come complete with topic pages, writing papers, and a scoring rubric. Below is an example of one of the essay topics.

Also, before I forget, I have started another blog...this one is personal. It is called It's Okay, Mom!, and I would love to have you stop by and take a look. It is new, as it launched on January 1st! I am very excited about it because I will be sharing real life stories with you about how our little family lives, budgets, saves, and live each day to the fullest. There are some very cool posts that are already scheduled, so if you like to learn about budgeting tips, making every penny work for you, getting crafty, or cooking up a feast, this blog is for you. I hope you will check it out, follow, and come along on this exciting adventure with me.

IT'S OKAY, MOM!

How Would You Like a Freebie?

It's A New Year...FREEBIE

I am not sure when you return to school, but we are back at it on Monday. The students return on Tuesday. Here is a writing freebie that is super easy to implement into any lesson plans...plus all you have to do it print it out for each student. 

It includes a graphic organizer for the students think put their thoughts on paper, and then there is a writing paper where they use their ideas from the organizer to writing an organized journal entry. I have had this freebie in my TpT store for a year, but I just updated it to also include a template for the students to use in their interactive notebooks. You could really use this freebie as two separate writing entries for your first week back...with no stress or prep on your part. 

I would love to know when you are heading back to work. Leave a comment below and where you are from so we can see what everyone is doing. Happy Teaching this Year!!!

A Fresh Start

There will be no snow day for me today. It is cold, and I am typing this, the temperature is steadily dropping, but we will still have school. Today is a teacher workday, which is always good to have to get my mental focus prepared for the tasks I need to accomplish. 

As I begin the second half of this school year, I am blessed to work with such a wonderful faculty and staff. This year begin my journey as an Instructional Coordinator. While I honestly did not fully understand all the responsibilities this position would entail, I have learned a lot. And I mean a lot. I am thankful the faculty (and my dear friends) have been very patient with me on this journey. I know I still have a lot more to learn, but it has truly been a wonderful journey up to this point. 

In an earlier post I stated I would make my goals for this year public on this blog. I think I am ready to do just that...wait, am I? Didn't I say something about I was making them public so you would hold me accountable? Okay, that is your job. Hold me accountable this year. 

A New Year...A New Me

1. Be the best mommy ever...My little girl is five years old, and she is the best blessing I have received. In this fast-paced world, I tend to rush things, mainly her in the mornings when we are trying to get to school. I want to spend good, quality time with her...no television, computer, outside distractions...just our little family bonding and making memories. I don't want to miss out on anything. 

2. Be the best spouse I can be...We will celebrate our 8th Anniversary in April, and time surely does fly when you are having fun! I just need a reminder to be patient, kind, loving, and understanding. 

3. Be a good friend...In my walk of life I have made many acquaintances who have turned out to be some of the best friends anyone could ask for. I want to be a good friend and be there to listen (not talk...sometimes hard for me) whenever I am needed. 

4. Be the best at my job...I love education! I am constantly learning new things, and I try to broaden my experiences so I can be the best at what I do. Now, I know there is always someone who it better than me out there, but I want to learn from my mistakes and do what is the best thing for our students. 

5. Be healthier...I am not going to put a goal of how many times I want need to workout, but I am going to say I am going to make better decisions about what foods I eat. I am also going to exercise, even if it is just for a few minutes each time. 

I apologize for such a long post today! I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

If you have not already done so and you need a quick class starter, grab my It's a New Year Writing Activity...it's free! 

It's Giveaway Day!

Good morning! If you will head on over to our All Things Upper Elementary Blog, you can enter for a chance to win my January Writing Bundle. I will randomly select three lucky winners. All you have to do is leave your email address in the comment section of the post at ATUE. While you are there, you can also download a freebie from me to use in your classroom. Good luck and I hope you have a fabulous Friday!

Writing through January

I have done a complete overhaul on all of my monthly writing bundles...in fact, I have not uploaded all of the months yet because I am editing all of them. However, the January Writing Bundle is up and ready for you! I think you will find these bundles are wonderful resources to have in your possession. 

In each writing bundle, you will find 20 journal topics for the month. The journal topics come in two formats: (1) two journals per page complete with a journal cover page to make into a booklet or insert into a binder and (2) cut-and-paste topics to add into a notebook. You choose which format works best for your classroom!

Also included are three essay prompts. There is one informational prompt, one argumentative prompt, and one narrative prompt. You will get a writing prompt page with an organizer for the students to organize their thoughts, writing papers, and a scoring rubric. 

Below are some pics of what you might find in the writing bundle. I hope you will check it out!

 

Click HERE for the January Writing Bundle