PRESENTATION NAME

Teachers As WritersJ. KoehlerMcCollum High SchoolAugust 18, 2014Warm-upSome statements about reading and writing are posted on the wall. Find the statement that best describes your feelings about your reading and writing skills when you were a child in school.Be ready to do something with this information as we get started.

Why Im here.Write4sanantonio resourcesGo to

write4sanantonio.wickispaces.com

Contact me at: koehler.joni@gmail.com

ObjectiveToday is about understanding yourself as a writer and a reader. Youll consider the following questions:What are some of my earliest experiences with reading and writing? How have they shaped me as a literate being?How does my own conception of myself as a reader and writer inform the way I ask my students to read and write?How can I use my thinking today to make one subtle, meaningful change in my classroom? AgendaIntroduction and Warm-upMy writing/reading selfBreakMy teaching selfReflections- One new approach

Warm-upTalk to a neighbor about which of the statements on the wall best described you as a reader and writer when you were a child in school. Tell your neighbor how this made you feel, and how it affected both your educational and life experiences.

Constitutive WordsLanguage, then, is not merely, representational (though it is that), it is constitutive. It actually creates realities and invites identities.Johnstone, (p. 9)

My Teaching lifeWorked in the Lytle Independent School District for 17 years. I was a Junior High ELA teacher for 10 years. For the last 7 years I was a Collaborative Learning Leader. M.A. from UTSA in December 2011. I was 51.

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My Writing LifeStarted on the front porch, with a $6.00 guitar from Juarez and a song about being American. The only line I remember Im an American, and thats all.A teacher who told me, on reading a poem in which I mentioned Blueberry Pancakes, You should think about being a writer.The handing over of the guitar and the one comment made by a teacher have been constitutive to me in my writing life. I took the confidence my parents placed in me by buying the guitar and turned it into many, many self-written songs, sung for the entertainment of myself in the privacy of my room.This teachers words stayed with me, and when my daughter graduated from high school I published a personal narrative in Brain,Child magazine. Two years later, I won the Emerging Fiction Writers Award in Our Stories, an online magazine. I also got nominated for the online equivalent of a Pushcart for the story I published in that magazine, called The Difference in Green. 10Personal Universe DeskA tool developed by Michael McClureUses a set of words developed by an individual to generate a set of cards that spark ideas for writing.

http://lime-tree.blogspot.com/2007/04/michael-mcclures-personal-universe-deck.html2

11Our Mini-PUDsStart with a list.On a piece of paper, write:Two books from your childhoodTwo feeling words associated with your early literacy experiencesTwo action verbsTwo places that were important to you in childhoodTwo things that someone said to you in childhood about your reading and writing ability12

Our Mini-PUDSNow, take your list and randomly place two words on each 3 X 5 card, like this.13

Our Mini-PUDSNow, shuffle your cards, or have your neighbor shuffle them. Pick one card at random and put it on the desk in front of you.14Now, we writeYou can frame your writing about what is on your card any way you want to. There is no wrong answer.You dont have to share unless you want to.* If you are stuck, try a fibonacci poem.Line 1- 1 wordLine 2 1 wordLine 3 2 wordsLine 4 3 words, etc15Share TimeWhen we share, we are going to practice noticing and naming(Johnston, pg. 11-21).After someone shares, we want three people to either notice something (i.eI noticed that you used the word like four times) or name (i.e. I think you are talking about some of the frustration you felt as a young reader in this piece).Writer just listens.16Noticing the Model, Naming StrategiesWhat steps did we take before we actually wrote our pieces related to early literacy?How did those set us up to write?How did we share?What did we do to ensure protection for participants?What strategies worked for you? Did you need additional support? What support would your students need if you asked them to do the same assignment?

We started with a warm-up. You had time to look at statements and think about how you fit into those statements. There was think time. Then you talked with a neighbor about what you thought, why, and how it made you feel.Then, I presented you with a model of some of my thinking.We discussed the Personal Universe Desk and created a mini-version of this desk. This was additional opportunity for you to brainstorm. Built into the PUD was the implication that you were creating a tool kit for writing that could be expanded in the future. It was a resource. When we started to write, I told you to write whatever you wanted, but gave a scaffolded activity for anyone who felt stuck. You had freedom if you wanted it, guidance if you needed it.When we shared, you could opt out. I would make students who opted out hand me their writing so that I could personally provide the feedback they need. Noticing and naming is a way to provide feedback about what students have to say and to build a sense of independence and confidence(or agency) in their own writing. 17My Teaching SelfThere are hidden costs in telling people things.(Johnston, pg. 8).Johnston says that when we provide the information for children, we pre-empt the students opportunity to build a sense of agency and independence.(pg.8).

Lets think of some examples of things teachers tell students.18Things we tell an examplehttps://You'll shoot your eye out!19Mentor TextsI have four different texts related to personal literacy experiences that Id like for you to read. Youll need to work with a partner or two.

20Mentor TextsAfter you have read the text, complete a graphic organizer and post it on the wall.

Be prepared to share a little bit about your text with the larger group.What the teacher might have been telling.What the student might have heard.What the student did as a result.21Adding to our PUD2 things you have students read/write in your class2 words associated with the feelings your students express when they read or write for you2 action verbs2 places/people/things that are important to your students2 things that you frequently say to your students.

22Our Mini-PUDSNow, take your list and randomly place two words on each 3 X 5 card, like this.

23Time to writeYou can frame your writing about what is on your card any way you want to. There is no wrong answer.You dont have to share unless you want to.* If you are stuck, try a found poem.If you want to do a found poem, Ill come and explain it to you.

24Share TimeWhen we share, we are going to practice noticing and naming(Johnston, pg. 11-21).After someone shares, we want three people to either notice something(i.eI noticed that you used the word like four times) or name (i.e. I think you are talking about some of the frustration you felt as a young reader in this piece).Writer/sharer just listens.25Reflection: Notice the Similarities, Name the changePut both of the pieces you generated today with your Personal Universe Desk in front of you.What similarities do you notice in the two pieces? Do you teach as you were taught?What is one small change you could make to your teaching practices as a result of your work today? We started with a warm-up. You had time to look at statements and think about how you fit into those statements. There was think time. Then you talked with a neighbor about what you thought, why, and how it made you feel.Then, I presented you with a model of some of my thinking.We discussed the Personal Universe Desk and created a mini-version of this desk. This was additional opportunity for you to brainstorm. Built into the PUD was the implication that you were creating a tool kit for writing that could be expanded in the future. It was a resource. When we started to write, I told you to write whatever you wanted, but gave a scaffolded activity for anyone who felt stuck. You had freedom if you wanted it, guidance if you needed it.When we shared, you could opt out. I would make students who opted out hand me their writing so that I could personally provide the feedback they need. Noticing and naming is a way to provide feedback about what students have to say and to build a sense of independence and confidence(or agency) in their own writing. 26ReferencesJohnston, P.(2004). Choice words: how our language affects childrens learning. Stenhouse. Portland, Maine.We started with a warm-up. You had time to look at statements and think about how you fit into those statements. There was think time. Then you talked with a neighbor about what you thought, why, and how it made you feel.Then, I presented you with a model of some of my thinking.We discussed the Personal Universe Desk and created a mini-version of this desk. This was additional opportunity for you to brainstorm. Built into the PUD was the implication that you were creating a tool kit for writing that could be expanded in the future. It was a resource. When we started to write, I told you to write whatever you wanted, but gave a scaffolded activity for anyone who felt stuck. You had freedom if you wanted it, guidance if you needed it.When we shared, you could opt out. I would make students who opted out hand me their writing so that I could personally provide the feedback they need. Noticing and naming is a way to provide feedback about what students have to say and to build a sense of independence and confidence(or agency) in their own writing. 27