Chapter 5: Do More Shared Writing

I really liked the way this chapter demonstrated step by step how to best maximize the time in the classroom while doing a shared writing piece. It made feel good when I recognized activities and conversation that take place in my classroom. However, I also picked up lots of great ideas to make our shared writing time together even more enjoyable and how to make a super story without taking hours to put it together. Shared writing, even though enjoyable, seems to always take such a long time to put together and I always felt guilty if I would speed it up and pull their ideas together quickly. Now, I feel as if I have been given permission to do just that. :) In the past, we have done much more shared writing than this year. I am not sure what happened, but I am excited about finishing one story we have been working on and moving on to another. The kids love it!

To demonstrate sequencing and organization, I cut and scramble sentences from text we have read and then the students put them in order. This is similar to what Regie Routman did with younger groups of students who put words together in sentences.

I really enjoyed this chapter especially because of the step by step instructions of the best practices of shared writing. I am anxious to get started with my kids!!

Chapter 4: Raise Your Expectations

In Chapter 4, Raise Your Expectations, I really enjoyed reading about Gail Westbrook, the first grade teacher who motivated her students to write and to write with excitement. The posters on page 58 would be a powerful tool in the classroom as those are the things we ask students to do when they write. With these posters visually displayed in the classroom, it can be a reminder to them as they are writing. Also, they may want to have this information on a sheet of paper they can refer to when needed. They could keep these in their organizational folders or in their writing notebooks.

I agree that a positive comment on a student's writing is such a powerful motivator! Because, when you think about it, most of the time that student has put their heart and soul into that writing and if we start with a negative comment, it may destroy their writing confidence for a while. (As in ALL curriculum.)

I did struggle with comments she made about students' writing notebooks. My feeling has been that the writing notebooks are the property of the students and they should feel ownership and pride in their notebooks. I guess I feel that if I begin to dictate what they can and cannot do in their notebooks as they write, I take away a little of their ownership, creativity and the risk-free environment for writing.

I definitely feel that neatness is very important but more so for the final published copy.

Chapter 3: Share Your Writing Life

I do feel that writing with students is a great way to bond with your students as the book suggests. As a class, we usually write a story together about digging to the other side of the world. It is a great way for me to see them brainstorm ideas and deliver those ideas to the rest of the class. Also, they see me as a struggling author who brainstorms and has some good AND some not so good ideas. :)


I agree that it is important for teachers to be themselves as they compose a story. The students then will feel the freedom to express themselves in a risk free environment.