Living Life Twice

Another school year is launching in Australian schools and for the young, inexperienced writer, learning to find suitable writing ideas; ideas that allow them to explore matters more deeply, comes into sharp focus. For teachers, it remains important to teach student writers how to firstly, identify potential writing ideas. We must show them where ideas can be found, -which is basically all around them. They are hiding in plain sight! We must let them in on this little secret. They frequently overlook possibilities purely because they are not practiced observers. Sharing how a more experienced writer determines what they will write about and how they will present their writing ideas, is an essential part of growing writers. It is an important step in the quest to develop self directed, confident and independent writers. So, where might we begin? A writer’s life experiences  are an important starting point. Encourage each and every writer to  TELL  their own unique stories ...

As another school year commences here in Australia, an increasing number of t eachers are taking up the challenge of becoming teachers who write. As proof of this notion, they have committed to maintaining their own Writer’s Notebook.  If your writing life is just beginning to develop you may appreciate being alerted to possible types of entries. Notebook entries one might gather when starting out. Entries,  that will serve as examples to share with their students. Entries that will show students how you as their teacher interacts with the world. Once the writing habit forms, you will no doubt develop a greater sense of independence and self direction when it comes to collecting notebook entries. By then you'll hopefully be carrying multiple pens and seeing writing ideas everywhere you look.  If, for some reason you are experiencing trouble on the writing launch pad, maybe these ideas might prompt your thinking. They may spark a connection to a to...

Every writer has special sources for the ideas that spark their writing. In reality, ideas are waiting all around us. Those inspirational sparks are many and varied. They are hiding in plain sight, awaiting discovery. They saturate the world in which we operate daily. The writer must develop the skill of recognizing an idea’s potential and then shaping it to their particular vision. The challenge in the classroom is how to assist those beginning to discover writing, how best to harness ideas and express them in a multitude of ways. The inexperienced writer needs support in becoming a keen observer, an enthusiastic collector and an active listener in order to better capture these writing ideas. Stories begin to loom large in the lives of young writers. It is therefore important to nurture this growing sense of story while simultaneously creating opportunities for them to create their very own -real, imagined or blended. Storytelling Before the invention of the printing press, books were...

Sharing some recent, random notebook entries concerned with writing. Hope they stir some thoughts... Open My Notebook   Uncover the pen Above the expectant page Lower it confidently To make contact with the unmarked surface And before that first line is barely dry The next is nudging it's way out. Alan j Wright Curriculum As A Guide You can choose to teach according to curriculum (or school based mandates), adopting a tick the box mentality, or you can    teach according to what you know about the particular needs of learners. Without doubt, the difference is significant, the impact lingering! Blindly adhering to curriculum mandates does not make your pedagogy authentic. Let curriculum inform your work, but never let it ‘be’ your work. It must be shaped to fit the learning needs of learners. Writer's Notebook Freedom Stories still reach my ears of schools where Writer's Notebooks are being presented to students in ways that unintentionally limit their potential to influen...