Living Life Twice

  Dealing With Double Trouble!   While reading Jeff Anderson’s 'Ten Things A Writer Needs' a while back, I discovered Jeff tells his students that tautology means ‘DOUBLE TROUBLE.’    This mention of tautology sparked a memory of how annoying it is to hear such redundancy, used so frequently, and so unwittingly.    Here are a few that immediately come to mind: At the present time Very unique Mystery puzzle Wet monsoon Past history Pair of twins Free gift Sad misfortune Invited guests End result Boat marina Will and testament ATM machine I'm sure you get the idea… Tautology occurs everywhere. While living in America some years back , the frequently used term, ‘TUNA FISH sandwich’ left me constantly bemused.  At JFK airport, I would sit waiting for my flight home to Australia and at regular intervals I would hear the announcement, ‘ This is the LAST and FINAL call for flight…’   and start twitching.  In Australia, I frequently hear p

  Let's Turn Up The Volume In Student Writing!   A priority for any writing program should be to progressively build the stamina of young writers, enabling them to sustain their writing efforts for extended periods. The aim is for the writer to reach a stage where the ideas flow freely and the blank page surrenders to a relentless flow of words. We want young writers to view the blank page as an invitation to write, rather than something filling them with trepidation.   The answer lies in the act of writing. Too often young writers become distracted and a gap emerges between their intent and their action. The talking so vital in the pre-writing phase continues into the composing stage and the promise of words not surprisingly, evaporates. There should be plenty of time for talk and discussion when the writer has produced some words on the page. We owe it to the writer to provide such discussion time.   A range of issues may arise to interrupt the flow of writing. Some young

I have recently been working with two groups of young writers in my capacity as Writer in Residence at a local primary school. Among these writers I have discovered writers who are experimenting with the writing of song lyrics. One writers has brought himself a new notebook solely for the purpose of capturing his emerging lyrics. He has another notebook dedicated to the collecting of stories and observations. I love how he recognized this need for specialization in his writing. Two others writers have been collaborating on the writing of song lyrics and have also put some of their words to music at home. These writers are making decisions regarding their personal writing projects and their sense of agency and volition is being revealed to theeir fellow writers.  Their focus upon writing lyrics and using dedicated notebooks has reminded me of a special notebook I was given as a gift. A notebook clearly designed to celebrate music in all its forms. The deliberate and intentional focus of

The ability of young writers to reflect upon their written works and to reflect upon the thinking that influenced their writing processes is of significant importance.  It is essential to develop a sense of ones-self when writing.  It is a critical component when striving for improved levels of writing attainment. Young writers begin to thrive when metacognitive awareness and reflection is fostered by their teachers.  The role teachers play in this growth of metacognition is evidenced when writers in a classroom community exhibit a shared metalanguage while discussing aspects of their individual writing process. When prompted in this way young writers willingly convey their writing intentions, or engage purposefully in writing conversations (writing conferences) with fellow writers -peers and teachers alike. In other words, they discuss the events surrounding their writing lives, and they do it using the specific vocabulary of writing. This is the result of teacher's  concerted eff

  Writer Joan Didion famously said our (writer’s) notebooks give us away. We are revealed by the contents. Our notebooks are a place to collect, then take those collected items and use them to spark further original writing. As Ralph Fletcher, writer and educator reminds us, we use our notebooks to breathe in (collect) and breathe out (generate). With these thoughts ringing in my ears, I envisage notebooks brimming with words and ideas across a range of subjects and genres. The notebook is a place to experiment, take risks, make important discoveries, or excavate memories and ideas from deep within. It can be a place to have fun with words. So why is it that in some classrooms when students take out their notebooks the pages reveal a picture far removed from the images I have just outlined?     Why does one get the impression that the notebook in these school settings is only realizing a small part of its potential? Why is the critical ingredient –‘writing,’ so lacking as to be almost

In my many conversations with teachers, the subject often turns to writing beyond the classroom. I urge both the teachers and their young writers to write beyond those four walls. -Write around the school, and weather permitting occasionally write outside of the classroom. Write at home.  Make a conscious effort to write somewhere else, somewhere different and see what it brings to your writing experience. Taking the time to write in a different location allows a broader range of sensory elements to influence your mind, your writing.  Consider your notebook as a travelling companion. Tuck it under your arm and write in wild, unfamiliar spaces. Actively challenge the notion that writing is something we just do at school.  Make it a form of portable magic, just like reading. Let's re-imagine writing as a free-range activity! Some writers need a special place to write. They can only write in that space, that particular location -by the sea, in the mountains, in a cottage beside a lake

When discussing writer's notebooks with inexperienced writers, I frequently refer to the idea of 'feeding' them. Smiles immediately appear on the faces of the young writers seated before me. I further explain the notion of feeding the notebook by using the analogy of a garden where the plants are well fed and tended. Plants flourish when their care is made a priority. A garden neglected soon withers and dies. A failure to thrive sets in.  I have seen this in gardens and with writer's notebooks. The enthusiasm that launched these ventures soon fades -and the nourishment required to sustain them falls away. Where notebooks are concerned, malnutrition is more likely to occur where teachers are not actively maintaining their own writer's notebooks.  What do we feed our notebooks? All those small and juicy thoughts, ideas and observations collected as we negotiate our various worlds. This is the rich detail we must gather in our notebooks. Detail that stimulates more gro

  W riters  N eed  T o  W alk I walked this morning in the autumn sunshine. I walked when the morning air was at its freshest. The world was calm in every direction I looked. I walked keenly. I walked further and faster than I have been walking in recent times.  My capacity for walking is gradually returning after a year of less than optimal health. I am returning to where I want to be. My spirit has been heightened by my actions.    We know when we walk, our hearts pump faster and our brains and other organs get more blood and oxygen. Scientific evidence exists indicating this helps both memory and attention. Researchers have also discovered walking has a positive impact on creativity.  This makes walking pretty important for those of us who need to write. Some people are content to merely walk. I am not one of them. I monitor my walking. Time, distance, speed, frequency are important considerations. I also consciously choose a different route on each walking occasion. Variety is good

As the schools year gets into swing, it is timely to talk about the place of poetry in the classroom.  If we want young learners to view poetry books with a sense of enthusiastic anticipation we need to alert them to its potential. If we want young learners to have an answer to the question “ And tell me, who is your favorite poet?” then we must expose them to the world of poetry and its various forms. In exposing students to poetry we need to let them hear poetry, see poetry and feel the impact that poetry can have on the reader and listener. When we take this approach, students will begin to develop personal tastes in poetry. They will speak with authority about their preferred poets; their preferred styles. They will begin to truly know poetry. Poetry should sit comfortably along side other writing genres in a young writer's mind. It deserves to have a visible presence in every writer's notebook.  In The Beginning… When beginning this journey I frequently conduct a workshop