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Writing Well in Elementary School Matters!

6/27/2022

 
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Writing well in elementary school matters.

Good, effective, articulate writing matters. In elementary school.

I have always known this to be a fact. And I spent most of my career as an educator doing the work of convincing teachers, administrators, central office decision-makers, parents, and students that this is a fact. Writing well in elementary school matters.

I wrote and shared curricula. I held workshops. I supported teachers in classrooms. I led professional development sessions. I taught, co-taught, modeled, scored, graded, mentored, and conferenced. 

But by the time I left the division for which I had worked for 20 years, I did not feel like the change-maker our students and teachers needed and deserved. It wasn't for lack of trying.

Our leadership noted the sinking writing grades of our eighth grade writers...but couldn't see the value in truly investing in and committing to the breadth and width of training and instruction it would take to substantively move the needle on student writing in elementary school.

I struggled to understand how I could have tried so hard and made so little difference. 

Here's what I also know to be a fact. Without exception, as soon as I (or another teacher) helped a student get excited about his/her writing, the hook was in and the art happened.  Even if the decision-makers outside of my K-5 classroom couldn't  or wouldn't understand the value of the elementary writing instruction, my students, their parents, and I certainly did. And so did a fair number of building administrators! We all got it. It was art. It was expression. It was hard work, commitment, thinking, re-thinking. It was mindful, purposeful, and impactful. And it really, really mattered.

Fortunately, I am now the maker of my own decisions and approaches to K-5 writing instruction. And I have something new to share with you all!  It's a reframing of why writing matters. 

Come back next time and we'll dive in. Remember, #allkidscanwrite!

Happy writing!

Christy Weisiger, M.Ed., NBCT

A New Start!

6/13/2022

 
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After 22 years as a teacher, I retired last spring. But even as I left the traditional school building, my passion for helping young students find and share their voices through effective writing still calls me to action.  Students of all ages can learn to think like writers. They NEED to! And, this process of learning can be fun and engaging. It SHOULD be!

​So, if you are looking for a light and engaging bit of writing instruction for your elementary student this summer, I have two courses available at https://all-kids-can-write.teachable.com/. These courses include student-facing videos offering engaging step-by-step instructions and are self-paced. Video lessons do not exceed 11 minutes, so screen time is limited! 1:1 coaching is also available if your student wants or needs explicit feedback. My Graphic Narrative Mini-Course is currently available as a free Sneak Peek! Upcoming courses include Expository, Informational, and Picture Book Biography units.

Happy Writing!


Christy Weisiger, M.Ed., NBCT (fully licensed and holding Reading Specialist and Gifted endorsements in the Commonwealth of Virginia)

#allkidscanwrite

    Why write?

    I once heard the story of a writer who caught her own reflection in a window. She realized that once she moved past that window, the moment of her reflection would be lost to her forever.

    And so it is with all of our lives. 

    Writing is catching a life moment in words... keeping it visible to be remembered, to be cherished, to be learned from.

    Preserving it forever. 

    That is why I write.

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