#WWWW

I do my best thinking in the shower.

This fall it was in the shower that #WWWW was born.  My grandfather had just died, and I was thinking of family memories I would like to capture in writing.  (He had a way of saying, "Well, Kim!" that made me feel like the only person in the room.)  I was lamenting the fact that I rarely get time to write for myself while being a full-time teacher and a full-time mom.  Soon I realized that my students probably feel the same way.  While I provide lots of choice in terms of genre and topic, students rarely get complete freedom with their writing.  "Why not give it to them?" I thought.  They can still achieve academic objectives through this writing, and maybe, just maybe, they will learn to enjoy it a bit more.

So Write Whatcha Want Wednesday (#WWWW) was born.  This year in my dual-enrollment College Composition class, each student has created and designed his/her own blog.  Students are blogging about sports, music interests, and random teenage drama.  Some of them have created unique themes and worlds where fictional characters are created and random words generate engaging short stories.  One high school senior weekly adds a chapter to her own personal search for a biological aunt who was adopted as an infant.  They are truly writing what they want with an authentic audience in mind.  I’ve compiled all of their blogs on a shared Symbaloo, and I also tweet their posts, hoping to increase their audience.

Each Wednesday as students file into my room, they see #WWWW on the daily agenda.  Most Wednesdays there is a palpable buzz in the room when students remember they get to write for their blogs.  “Oh yes!  It’s Write Whatcha Want Wednesday!”  Some days students come with ideas in mind, ready to get started; other days they sit and think before they put finger to keyboard.  

Some of my students struggle with the complete freedom, something unknown to them in the academic world.  (The former grade-driven, tell-me-what-to-do high school student in me can relate.)  For them I provide lists of prompts and conference about a possible topic.  Still, they write.

And I write, too.  Inspired by my students, I started my teaching blog because I knew that I, too, needed to refine my voice and write for a specific audience.  I don’t post just on Wednesdays, but I am taking the conscious time to work on my own writing, to model that the process is never perfected.

From #WWWW blog writings I have been able to pull mentor sentences with voice and style.  I’ve learned more about my students’ personal interests and motivations.  I’ve seen their writing change and grow as they write for an authentic audience.  (Of course they frequently check their blog stats!)  And I realize that giving up my ownership as a teacher has been a small price to pay.  I selfishly hope that the fluency and freedom find their way into their assigned essays as well, that perhaps the excitement will spread from Wednesday to the days we work on research papers and This I Believe essays.  For that, time will be the tell.

We would love to grow our #WWWW network.  If other teachers have some spare time on Wednesdays, give your students freedom and share our hashtag.  You will be amazed at what they produce for Write Whatcha Want Wednesday!

Kimberly Witt weaves words and wrangles students at Okoboji High School. She loves tea, cardigans, early bedtimes, and other grandma-like interests. She is not, however, a grandma. She blogs at teachhappy.weebly.com.

November Invitation to Write: "What's New?"

The November “Invitation to Write” is here!

This month the ICTE faithful want to know what you’ve tried new this year. What new activity, new classroom setup, new organizational strategy, new technology, or even new attitude or approach to students have you attempted so far? Did you bring something back from the ICTE Conference that you’ve used? Have you learned something new from a colleague? From a student? What have you altered in terms of your grading philosophy, the way you provide feedback, or how you handle the enormity of the paper load? What have you added to your routine? Perhaps more importantly, what have you removed? This can be changes you’ve made that directly affect students, or ways you’ve altered your approach to the profession and strategies you use to energize yourself. 

We want success stories, failures, reflection, and advice. Mostly, we want to hear your voice writing about your journey in your classroom.

As before, submit your piece through our submission form on the ICTE website or via email to shannondykstra@gmail.com. Suggested length is 400-600 words, though it is certainly a flexible framework. We look forward to sharing your work on our ICTE Teacher Page and publicizing it through our Facebook Group and Twitter account. Put together a piece this week, and invite one other person on your staff to do the same. Let’s all get better together.  

Shannon Dykstra

ICTE Online Content Editor

I Should Have Closed My Laptop

I should have closed my laptop. Why didn’t I? It’s not complicated. I had convinced myself that what I was doing was really important. I was Skyping with a group of teachers to show them how I use a digital tool to document school work. For them, it was possibly useful. For me -- a second-year teacher -- it made me feel self-important. Enough so that I missed a pretty big opportunity. I lost sight of what mattered.

But when a student from the previous year came in to say hi, I should have closed my laptop. I should have told the teachers on Skype that I needed a minute, or as long as my visitor wanted to chat, and closed my laptop.

But I didn’t. I gave Malorie a half-hearted wave and mouthed, “I’m on Skype. Sorry!” to her. I cringe every time I think about it.

The greatest thing that can happen for a teacher is to have a former student come back to see them. That is visual, tangible evidence that the teacher made an impact.

And I wasted that opportunity.

So, Malorie, feel free to stop by again sometime. Catch me up on where you’ve been and where you’re going.

I promise: this time, I’ll close my laptop.


Russ Goerend: Husband, dad, teacher, son, writer, reader. Having fun with all three. Some other stuff, too.