I Don't Know What to Write About
How many times did I hear that in my elementary classrooms over the years? I have been wanting to get back to my blog and I sat down this afternoon to do so. I immediately thought, "I don't know what to write about." That's not accurate. I have so many things to write about that the ideas are clogging up my head. This summer has been one of growth in my writing and my desire to write and I have a list of things I want to write about. I recently went on an organization kick (I'm a west!) and cleaned and organized drawers, cupboards, and closets. I found so many pieces of my history to write about. I relived happy memories of my children when they were small. I located my treasured picture of my dad at 18 in his army uniform. I've had some painful experiences lately that have brought important life lessons I could process and share. I have some really funny stories to pen. I have so much to write about that it's difficult to focus and clear the clutter and hone in on one topic. My writing mind is racing. It's a new feeling for me and I am loving it. The possibilities feel endless both in my personal writing and professional writing. Now, to carve out the time to tackle some of the more pressing projects!
Many of my previous elementary students, K-6, would cry out, "I don't know what to write about!" I don't subscribe to the blank slate or empty vessel metaphor so they surely had something to write. Some of them were really saying, "I don't think I'm good at this and I don't want to do it." Others were saying, "What if no one likes what I write? It is too big of a risk." Others were saying, "I don't mind writing but you're probably going to ask us to share and I don't want to so I don't want to put anything on paper." Today I wonder if some of them were like me as I stare at the blank screen. It's not that they didn't know what to write about, it was that they had too much to write about and didn't know where to start. This is my teaching A-Ha moment of the day.
If I were to go back to the elementary writing classroom I would spend more time working with students and modeling for students how to narrow down the world into a topic. I would let them know that sometimes writers start something and don't like it and walk away for awhile. It's just important to start, to give it a go. So much of writing instruction in school is built around supplying students with a prompt and a genre. When we allow students "free" writing time it can be extremely uncomfortable. I get it. I love structure. It has taken me a long time to enjoy the freedom of writing things of my choice and not just things for my job and work. Many of our students need some support structures to climb on as they grow as writers. How many times did I say to that struggling student in exasperation, "Just write"? There is legitimacy in that at times. Today I sat down at my blog and just wrote and I'll end up with a post. But, my students were exasperated, too, with that response. They were trying to tell me that they needed more support, more structure, more safety.
For today, for this moment, I'm simply writing and posting a blog and practicing my craft. I'm not writing the world's greatest novel or a tier one professional article and that's okay right now. I am simply putting my voice to words, expressing myself, and that is my wish for our youngest writers as well. I want them to be okay with simply giving it a go and letting the words come.
Many of my previous elementary students, K-6, would cry out, "I don't know what to write about!" I don't subscribe to the blank slate or empty vessel metaphor so they surely had something to write. Some of them were really saying, "I don't think I'm good at this and I don't want to do it." Others were saying, "What if no one likes what I write? It is too big of a risk." Others were saying, "I don't mind writing but you're probably going to ask us to share and I don't want to so I don't want to put anything on paper." Today I wonder if some of them were like me as I stare at the blank screen. It's not that they didn't know what to write about, it was that they had too much to write about and didn't know where to start. This is my teaching A-Ha moment of the day.
If I were to go back to the elementary writing classroom I would spend more time working with students and modeling for students how to narrow down the world into a topic. I would let them know that sometimes writers start something and don't like it and walk away for awhile. It's just important to start, to give it a go. So much of writing instruction in school is built around supplying students with a prompt and a genre. When we allow students "free" writing time it can be extremely uncomfortable. I get it. I love structure. It has taken me a long time to enjoy the freedom of writing things of my choice and not just things for my job and work. Many of our students need some support structures to climb on as they grow as writers. How many times did I say to that struggling student in exasperation, "Just write"? There is legitimacy in that at times. Today I sat down at my blog and just wrote and I'll end up with a post. But, my students were exasperated, too, with that response. They were trying to tell me that they needed more support, more structure, more safety.
For today, for this moment, I'm simply writing and posting a blog and practicing my craft. I'm not writing the world's greatest novel or a tier one professional article and that's okay right now. I am simply putting my voice to words, expressing myself, and that is my wish for our youngest writers as well. I want them to be okay with simply giving it a go and letting the words come.
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