Writing Delight

Day 7 of 31 at Two Writing Teachers!

A week ago at this time, I was jittery with anxious excitement, wondering what the classroom challenge would be like.  Would my students enjoy slicing as much as I do?  Would they find that true community of writers that I've found, and would it give them the confidence, enthusiasm, and hunger for writing that it's given me?

On Day 7 of the challenge, I'm delighted to say that's exactly what has happened.  My students are writing, and they are loving it!  When I was hoping for delight in my classroom, this is just what I was hoping for.

What does it look like?  Kids are typing away in the computer lab, so engrossed in their writing that they aren't flirting or joking around or checking their phones or checking the clock.  Kids who hardly get excited about anything are pointing out their comments to each other, asking me who the commenters are, and replying to the comments they've received.  Kids are delighting in writing.

• The "But Mrs. M, I HATE writing!" kids are writing.
• The missing-assignment kids are writing. 
• The "I need more of a challenge" kids are writing.
• Kids are writing after school, in the evening, and late at night.
• Kids are writing on the weekend.
• Kids are writing when they're home sick.
• Kids are writing on a snow day.
• Kids are writing on their mobile devices.
• Kids are writing to interact with their readers.
• Kids are writing to share their joy, their activities, and their everyday victories.
• Kids are writing to share their love of family, their traditions, and their memories.
• Kids are writing to share their thinking and their culture.
• Kids are bravely writing their way through unbearable sadness, senseless violence, devastating hardship, loneliness, responsibility, and anxiety.

Kids ARE WRITING!