Sharing

Isn't sharing what it is all about? The awesome people I work with everyday have been meeting one evening a month after school to think, share and discuss ideas surrounding reading and writing workshop. Sharing was the topic for our monthly get together this evening. I am amazed at the ideas and questions that come from just gabbing with other teachers on staff. The basis for our conversation came from an excerpt from a book called Don't Forget To Share by Leah Mermelstein. I briefly read through this book before school began this year and I am sooo glad I did. Before reading the book, I felt like my share portion of the workshop was semi-productive. A couple students shared aloud, comments were made and then kids would turn and read their writing to a partner. After reading about kinds of share (process, content, progress and craft) and management techniques Leah uses, I began experimenting with some of her ideas. Now I feel like I am more aware and purposeful with share time. Last year, I really noticed I invited kids to share about craft. This year, I am trying to balance kids sharing content, process and progress. I feel a difference in what kids are noticing in each others writing. My next step is to figure out how to lift the level of the comments and questions they have for one another. This week I am thinking about a mini lesson on questions we can use to help each other as writers.