On our first day of class we made nameplates. We folded white cardstock in thirds, wrote our first names in large block letters and included at least two symbols that represent something of ourselves. I put a campfire because I enjoy camping and spend many weekends in the woods, and a pencil because I'm a writer. We shared our nameplates with the class. This was a way to begin to create community by the talking done during the making of the nameplates and in the sharing of them, and to integrate art into our writing class. It also helps me to begin knowing everyone's names.
The syllabus is on the Blackboard and lists main assignments. A master schedule was sent around the circle for students to sign up to teach a lesson with a partner and to sign up for a day to either read aloud a book or provide a writing sample or writing activity. I'll post a tentative schedule on the Blackboard over the weekend.
We looked at a writing sample of a second grade student. It was a journal entry in Sept of the school year. We considered what the student did well before looking at areas needing improvement, because so often we see the bad before noticing the good.
Students left class by handing me an exit slip. This was an index card with a written response to the prompt "What I wonder about teaching writing is ..." This will help me know what topics I need to be sure to include in the schedule.
Homework is to read Fletcher Ch 1-3 (and Ch 7 if there's time) and to look at Appendix A in Routman and check 5 beliefs about writing that we agree with.
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