| Quanna: I found your comments on this article very interesting. With my students, I try to be very cautious when I respond to their writing. I do encourage them to be neat and to write legibly. But my students are 2nd graders and this is expected of them. I have my students write in Response Journals. They are allowed to write freely whenever they want to in the journals and I also assignment topics for them to write about. I make it a habit to read and respond to their writings. I've found that this is working well with some of my students. If they write about something that I've experienced or can relate to, I share my experiences which leads to them writing more and asking more questions. I also ask them questions. If it takes me awhile to read and respond, some of them ask when I'm going to get to it because they look forward to seeing what I have to say and then replying to me. I've really enjoyed this and I'm glad that I tried it. I also try to be as positive as I can when I make comments about their writing. I model alot with them as well. We write group stories and I also pair them together and have them to write stories collaboratively. You asked: What was it like for you when you learned how to write? Do you think you are a great writer? What ways do you encourage your students when responding to their writings? I truly don't remember what it was like when I learned to write. I just remember always liking it. I think I'm a good writer. I enjoy journaling and I still plan to finish the novel that I've started once I can get my life to slow down some. I encourage my students by telling them the good things about their writing along with the negatives. I try to make them feel like writers and I post their work. I'm sure I have a lot to learn and I'm going to check out this article. Tina W. |