Writing: What's Important.

I taught a lesson today in writing. You know those lessons which grow greater and greater in the moment from the seed called a lesson plan? I experienced that today. We're at a transition point in writing right now. My kids have completed descriptive pieces, narrative, and a choice piece. We're back to a choice piece right now... and I wanted my kids to grasp the idea that writer's write for a bigger purpose, not just to put words down on a page, but to actually say something in their pieces, something important.

So I had them start out with listing things that just drive them crazy, giving a few examples of my own to start them, such as people intentionally hurting others. That drives me crazy! And so the kids listed things that drove them crazy. Then they shared with each other some of the things that they listed. The next thing I had them list were things that they loved, or were important to them. Again I shared to get them started, telling them that family is really important to me, how those people will be there in the end whether or not you like it.

And off they went! My kids started generating ideas, wondering about how they were going to write it, whether in narrative form or poetry, or even descriptive. It was great having them come up to me saying, I want to write about soccer, but I'm not sure how to do it. Yes! Finally, my kids are getting how to be a writer! I'm excited to see where they go from here.