Writers' Notebooks -- What's the Big Deal?

As a self-proclaimed writer and soon-to-be-published author, I'm a tad embarrassed to admit that I never understood writers' notebooks until this summer.  I understood journals -- journals are easy -- but the difference between a journal and the ever-elusive writer's notebook?  I didn't get it.  Then everything changed.

This summer I attended a professional development class to help me teach writing based on standards and built on passion.  I never expected a writer's notebook to enter the conversation.  But boy, did it ever.  My professor had a bursting behemoth of a notebook on her desk, all but spewing papers, clips, and napkins onto the floor.  When she held it up for the class to see, she pointed at travel brochures she had accumulated over many road trips, menus with exotic food names, notes handwritten by friends and family, and an endless conglomeration of paraphernalia from her daily adventures.  Nowhere did I see an obligatory run-down of a blah-blah day.  Not once did I glimpse an essay.  Or haiku.  Or short story.  So this was a writer's notebook -- a concrete thought bubble brimming with inspiration.

Not thirty minutes after class, I stood in the back-to-school aisle (which seriously appears earlier every year) and picked out my fifty-cent composition book to claim as my own faithful companion.  I decided to glue scrapbooking paper to the right-hand side of each page spread as a background on which to washi-tape my inspiration.  The left-hand side I left blank for little notes to myself.  (I know I would forget why I taped that randomness in there otherwise.)  See, isn't it pretty?

Still, I needed to find a way to make this concept work in my classroom.  My students constantly complain that they "can't think of anything to write" or "don't care that much about anything."  Yeah, right!  I often wish I could point to something in a student's brain and say, "See?  You're interesting!  You think!  You notice things!  You have opinions!"  Now I can point to their writers' notebooks.  But how can I measure something as abstract as inspiration?  First, I put together a checklist of various inspirational categories I would like to see in my students' notebooks.  I then created page dividers for each of these categories:  fascinating words, inspirational quotes, sensory photos, etc.  Each divider has several examples so my students can get a good idea of what to look for in that category, and hopefully my examples will inspire them, as well!  I probably could have left it there, but I know some of my kiddos (especially the guys) will want a little direction as to the actual taping in of ideas, so I created a few cut-outs with space to write, as well as some comment cut-outs to eccentuate what they've found.  I think they turned out pretty well!

I can hardly wait for the school year to begin so I can descend upon my classroom with passion and inspiration, but until then -- happy planning it is!  (If you would like to see my student version in more detail, check it out in my TpT store!)

Happy Planning!

Writing Prompt Flow Charts

"I don't know what to write about . . . "

Sound familiar?

When I first started teaching, I was shocked to discover how many students felt completely lost when given a "free write"  assignment.  I love coming up with new writing ideas -- doesn't everybody?  

I soon learned that not everybody is exactly like me (thank goodness, actually) and decided to come up with some creative alternatives for students who prefer writing prompts to stimulate their imagination.  My favorite idea so far:  writing prompt flow charts.

Flow charts allow students to find their own personalized writing prompts based on their interests and/or current mood.  Check out the flow chart below!  If a student doesn't like the first prompt he chooses, he can answer the questions again for a different outcome.  I'm feeling inspired to make a whole notebook full of these and keep it at the back of my classroom for students who need inspiration.  What do you think?

5 Reasons to Promote Publishing in the ELA Classroom

Many teachers devote a classroom bulletin board to the display of exemplary student work.  I have my own version of this "brag wall" for my students, but instead of posting the papers with the highest grades or most impressive quality, I choose student work that has actually been real-world published -- for money.  Here's why:

1.  I want my students to realize that there is more to life than good grades.  Straight-A students know that they're smart, and most get plenty of praise from their teachers already.  However, many successful adults had terrible grades in high school, and many straight-A students have thrown their lives away.  This year I worked with a student who had learning disabilities that made writing especially difficult for her.  I encouraged her to write about those struggles, and she did.  She sent in her story to an inspirational magazine for teens, and even though her verbs weren't conjugated correctly and her commas popped up where they shouldn't, the magazine editor appreciated her story and published it for payment.  Now other teenagers who have the same struggle will read her article and have hope.  That's the kind of thing I'm proud of -- students actually using what talents they have to make a difference.

2.  I want my students to get paid.  Sure, this may sound superficial.  We should write because we want to write, right?  But I have found that an 80-dollar check makes writing suddenly more relevant to a teenager.  I can hardly believe the astonishment on my students' faces each year when I tell them they have the opportunity to make a couple hundred bucks, just for doing their homework in my class.  They ask me to repeat myself, they ask me to clarify, and they ask me to repeat myself again.  They have the hardest time believing that schoolwork could actually lead to their financial success.  Personally, I feel like high school is the best time to learn this truth.  Besides, high-school kids are often either broke or dependent, and I want to teach them how to use their own talents and resources to provide for themselves.  A few paid articles here and there probably won't make them a living, but it's certainly a noble way to earn some extra income!

3.  I want to improve my school's reputation.  Getting students published is obviously good PR for a teacher, but I genuinely want to improve the reputation of my school's program in order for them to attract a larger number of students and donations, as this will lead to even greater success in the future.  Parents want to enroll their students in a program that pushes them to achieve impressive milestones beyond the normal academic expectations.  A program that pushes its students to submit articles for community or national publication will naturally attract more people!  I believe that each teacher should become a team player for his or her school.  This is my way of contributing to our academic community

If any teachers would like to add their own student-publishing successes, please comment below.  I would love to hear from you!