Entry #1

When thinking back to the writing activities and exercises I did with my fifth grade students, there are many core principles of writing that I value and believe are important for children as they write.  First I feel that students should not be left to feel their way through a writing activity.  I feel that directions such as format, audience, etc should be clear from the teacher.  I feel that brainstorming as a class is a great way to get ideas flowing.  I believe planning as a class builds students' confidence in their writing.  Students write very differently if they are writing for a journal entry compared towriting for the principal as I found with my fifth grade class.  Although students need to be guided there must be room for them to show their own individuality.  Whether it be their own opinion or the viewpoint they would like to write from.  In order for the students to feel confident, I believe students must also have adequate time to complete their written pieces.  This can be time in class as well as adequate time to complete the assignment out of school.  Conferencing is a core principle that I value strongly.  I feel that students should get adequate encouragement from their teacher on their written work.  

  ...... TO BE CONTINUED