Publish or Perish.... Sounds like LIFE or DEATH...

   I enjoyed this weeks readings because I like to believe that I am a fairly organized individual whom will use the space in my classroom to the fullest. In chapter seven of Wood Ray I liked the section that spoke about the use of space in a classroom for writing workshop. Last semester I was assigned to a first grade classroom and my mentor teacher held writing workshop. During the time for her focus lesson she would have her students come sit in the floor on her rug and she would sit as well. In this classroom it was not as big of a deal for students to move to the floor because this is where she held morning meeting as well. I enjoyed observing her lessons on the carpet because each child truly payed attention to the lesson even though they were not in their regular seats. I noticed in the book that Wood Ray suggested having students switch up who sits where. I am not sure if this is for the older children or if the reason it worked so well with my students is because they are used to sitting on the carpet .But my students never needed direction as to where to sit. Additionally my mentor teacher did allow for her students to sit any where in her room they wanted when working on their notebooks. She believed students needed their own private space to think and work. I completely agree that students should have this freedom to pick where they feel comfortable to write!

   Chapter 8 taught me that writing workshops take time and deep thought to come up with and that using kits can be trouble some. I remember when I was in school one of my teachers had such a kit. Each week we had to pick a topic out of the hat and write a paper about it. That particular year I remember absolutely dreading picking a topic each week for fear that I would get a topic to write about that I would have nothing to relate to. For instance one time I got the topic, “ Write about a time where you, your mom and dad went on vacation”. Yeah... way to make me feel bad that my parents were divorced. I know that it should not have bothered me but if I could have picked my own topics I may have been more likely to write about my favorite vacation with my mom. I hope to foster a writing workshop where students are comfortable to write about things going on in their life. I want them to feel safe to be “real” with their classmates.

   The last chapter... chapter 19 was an interesting chapter. This whole idea of publish or perish troubles me. I read this as either publish your piece or fail. In class I learned that students should feel comfortable to start a piece and either finish it or leave it and start a new. The author makes a good point that students should have a deadline so that they are working towards a goal. However I do not feel it is fair to suggest that every student must finish every piece. I know I just asked you about abandoning a piece because I was at a dead end and could no longer add anything to it. So would it be fair to say I fail because I did not finish that piece or would it be better of me because I may write an even better piece? Such a conundrum and I believe that this is something that I will have to think about...