Writing Checklist

I think it is Don Murray’s quote: “writing is hard fun”. I shared that I wanted to improve as a writer.  And, I am writing more.  My job requires it.  But, quite honestly I’m not sure I’d call it fun yet! I often think “I know what needs to be communicated, but I don’t know how to do it”.   As I was reading about the writing process, I often came across “Writing Checklist” – a rubric of sorts that Lucy Calkins and so many others use with students.  The checklist resonated with me, and I think it would even help me with my writing.  

I bring up this example because it’s “real life”.  Because I am a “newbie” principal, my journey with writing is speeding up – last week I needed to write at least five communications that needed to be clear and concise.  I went through the writing process with practically every one of those pieces – planning, revising, more revising, more deletions, more moving sentences, more paragraphs, correcting spelling, punctuation – and finally “publishing” i.e. sending it to person/s to consider.  If I had not gone through the process, the message would be all over the place and the person/s wouldn’t put much stock in what I was saying. 

It dawned on me that you teachers of writing are ahead of me – You teach writing – you reflect on the different stages; you consider what the next step is for this little writer; you might even have check lists that motivate your budding author to reflect; perhaps you are able to pull out benchmark pieces of writing to model what the student need.    

As I write this, I know that teachers who “get into the weeds” with their growing authors – write with them – are sure to learn more about the writing process.  You have the talent and know-how to grow authors.  You are putting in the hard work in your writing workshops and know the truth that “writing is hard fun”.  

Marty

Courntey, our literacy coach, is writing lesson 
plans to 5h grade team. She's so good at 
thinking about her audience! 
India, a 5th grade student, is working on explaining 
her thinking for a eSpark assignment

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