When I enter Mrs. Barthel’s classroom her students are gathered on the carpet in front of the old worn blue easy chair that sits so comfortably in. She smiles and chuckles readily with her students, her easy going and cheerful style shining through.
Before getting called away, I had a few minutes to be thoroughly entertained and impressed by the third grade writers in this class sharing their carefully crafted pieces about their families. The quality of these pieces was incredible, each one following a common template that had been defined, but introducing the uniqueness of their family as a whole and each individual family member.
One thing that really stood out to me in watching these 3rd graders, was how intuned they were to the reactions of their peers, as they shared their writing. Benny was especially fun to watch, pausing skillfully after each humorous part of his writing to allow time for peers to soak it up, giggle a bit, and then settle in to hear what was coming next.
When the announcement came over the loud speaker, “Mrs. Yates please report to the office”, I was so disappointed. I was forced to walk away from such energy and excitement. I was forced to walk away from the opportunity to observe young writers basking in the glow of success that comes with the ultimate achievement of writing . . . making a connection with your audience.
No comments:
Post a Comment