My Godson Keegan
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Thoughts On The Writer's Notebook
I must say that I have been taken by the idea of using a writer's notebook. I have read many articles and chapters about the importance of having a journal or writer's notebook in the classroom. But I must admit I did not see how important it was until now. I think it is important to note how effective it is for teachers to do the writing exercises themselves. The exercises we have done in class have been exciting and original. They force you to write in a way that seems more open ended. I think that many students get bogged down with formal writing in school. I know that I often felt that way in my English classes as a student. The importance of being able to write without the pressures and rules of formal writing is crucial for students to have a good relationship with reading and writing. Now I am not saying that we need to get rid of formal writing such as essays and research papers, I am simply saying that the writer's notebook can be used as a springboard for better writing. A student can easily look into their writer's notebook and turn one of their free writes or scribblings into a short story, essay or even research paper. I can say with the confidence that when I teach in the future I will use the writer's notebook everyday with my students.
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Perhaps the time has come to use these notebooks. Imagine how bogged down students are with information? Emails, text messages, parental noise, teacher tid-bits, etc. They may often get sidetracked when the time comes to discuss the book they are reading recreationally or academically. I started with scraps of paper years ago to note unfamiliar words that I wantes to ultimately look up definitions of, or at least familiarize myself with them for my next encounter. As I have been using a notebook to go with all the books I have read in the past few years, I can say that the notebooks can take students to places where they can explore. Whenever I sit down with a book, I become invigorated to write (including off-book topic). I write about my personal writings in the back of the writers notebook, and after I have got those out of my system, I come back to the text and read and continue to be actively engaged with it.
ReplyDeleteNow it also makes sense to me that you never needed a writer's notebook, as perhaps you had a knack for reading and writing already inherent in you. This may still be the case for some students and individuals that I encounter, but it doesn't hurt to exercise one's hand by putting a pen to paper!