My Writing Process: Brainstorming

Whenever I write, I have found that I always need to write down all my thoughts and ideas before actually forming complete sentences. Although I am not exactly sure why this process is not called brain-spilling, rather than brainstorming, I am certain that it is essential for crafting an effective piece of writing. I like to sit down with a pen and a piece of paper with a heading of topic that I am looking to write about. I make a bulleted list of various words or phrases that I may want to include in my writing, in addition to any ideas that even relates to the topic.

As I was brainstorming for a paper about the realistic fiction, I frequently thought of books that I have read that are considered to be part of that genre. Naturally, I wrote the titles of these books on my brainstorming list. When it came time to write up my first draft, I decided it would be a good idea to include a few of these books in my paper to supply a few examples with summaries of books written in the realistic fiction genre. This is not a thought I had when I originally listed the titles while brainstorming, but it turned out to fit well in the rough draft. Quite often I find that the ideas that I believe I will not include in the writing but decide write down anyways end up becoming a special feature in my piece.

Once I have spilled out my ideas on paper, I frequently attempt to cluster them into common themes or categories. Depending on my mood, sometimes I will simply draw lines to connect the ideas, and other times I use different color highlighters to identify similar or related thoughts. Either way, my brainstorming list becomes a bit more organized when I web the ideas together. I prefer to cluster my thoughts right after I think my list is complete because I have found that I am better able to remember what I was thinking when I wrote what I did. 

Now that the brainstorming and clustering of the ideas is complete, this is where I like to take a break. I feel my best work is written when I give myself time in between the main steps of the writing process. If I do not have much time to wait before I must begin drafting, I give myself a break of at least ten minutes before I begin constructing my rough draft. The last thing a writer should do is rush the process; of course, unless procrastination won the battle!

Mockingbird Book Club Meeting 4

Our meeting on October 15^th was our last session and we planned to complete the book by this time. We all needed a minute to figure out where to start, other than repeating our agreed opinion that this was an excellent novel. Someone brings up the fact that Caitlin’s gym teacher made a rude comment about how he is always given kids with Autism in his classes. This confused Caitlin because she only knows of one kid in the class with Autism, which was not her. The group agreed that it does not seem as though she has connected that Asperger’s is on the Autism spectrum. Someone else thought maybe Caitlin is in denial that she is on the spectrum. Either way, the whole group was disgusted that the gym teacher would say something like this, especially in front of his students.

I talked to the group about how I was incredibly proud of Caitlin for accepting Michael’s friend Josh, who happens to be cousins with the child that killed Caitlin’s brother and Michael’s mom. This really started to show after Caitlin tried to protect Michael when she sees Josh holding his legs on the monkey bars. In the past, Josh has used grabbing onto legs as a way of bullying other children and making them fall. What Caitlin did not realize was that Josh was just trying to help Michael make it across the monkey bars. When Caitlin tells the boys what she thought she saw, Josh became emotional about how other children viewed him and associated him with his cousin’s actions. Despite her difficulty with reading emotions and comprehending empathy, Caitlin begins to comfort Josh and assure him that it will be fine. The group saw this as a turning point for Caitlin and also evidence that she is trying to form relationships.

 Next we discussed the impact that Caitlin’s friendship with Michael had on her development throughout the book. I never thought about how increasing the positive social interactions would have such a positive influence on the life of a person with Asperger’s. It makes sense that socializing is extremely important. The decision to put Caitlin in an extra recess period with the younger children helped to get rid of the intimidation factor that was likely associated with other kids her age. Being with the younger kids helped her experience acceptance from another child. I said to the group that I thought it was so adorable when Michael called Caitlin a “big sister” and she immediately remembered that this type of relationship is what her and Devon had. She felt proud to have Michael for not only her little brother, but also her friend. Having worked with children on the autism spectrum before, I have seen first hand how difficult it can be when it comes to anxiety with social situations. Seeing this type of improvement with Caitlin makes me want to go find friends for these kids that I care for. This type of improvement, especially after losing her brother, is truly groundbreaking.

To end our discussion, we kept saying that we really enjoyed reading this novel. One of the members mentioned that in the author’s note, it says that the author has a child on the Autism spectrum. This explains how she was able to write so well coming from the perspective of a child with Asperger’s. I told the group that I already ordered my own copy of this book so I can have it to share to others. I think this is a book that many people need to read to better understand the mind of the Autistic. It is way too often that these people are misunderstood and this novel is sure to redirect that judgment. Overall, this book club was great and I enjoyed it much more than I expected. I was often looking forward to our meetings and also thought about what I wanted to bring up as I was reading. This book club experience will certainly not be my last!

Mockingbird Book Club Meeting 3

For this meeting on October 13th, the group agreed to read up to chapter 30. Once again, it was difficult for me to stop once I reached that chapter because of how much I enjoy reading it. To start, we talked about how Caitlin’s social worker is not in school because her sister is having a baby. She talks about this as if it is the baby’s fault that Ms. Brook’s sister needs help, but the group agreed that it was comical and also typical for Caitlin to think. We discussed how literal Caitlin takes everything she hears and that it’s very common for people on the Autism spectrum.

One of the group members brought up the time when Caitlin and her dad were talking about how she feels about going to the middle school next year, she said she is fine with going because there is no recess. It was obvious to us that the reason the father asked that question was because that is the school that her brother, Devon, was killed in. After that, Caitlin’s dad asked her if she wants to go to a private school. Caitlin said she would like to go there if it meant she was the only student at the school. We discussed how although Caitlin takes almost all things literally, the father does not try to re-word the questions so she could better understand what he is trying to ask. We think that this is because he is so incredibly hurt and confused about what happened to his son, that he really is not putting in much effort in having productive conversations with his daughter.

I mentioned to the group about how persistent Caitlin is becoming about completing Devon’s Eagle Scout project in hopes to find closure. We all thought it was cute that she drew an eagle on a white shirt and since her brother called her scout, she hoped her father would get the “Eagle + Scout” connection. Also, after finding out that she needed quarter-cut oak to finish the project, she figured cutting wood from an oak tree with a quarter would be the way she could get the materials. Once again, we came back to the idea that Caitlin takes everything literally and we think it would be easier for both her and her dad if he would keep this in mind while speaking with her.

We ended with talking about how difficult it can be for parents of children on the Autism spectrum, especially when a tragedy like this occurs. I believe more support groups are necessary to help the families of kids with Asperger’s to find more people like you and to know they are not alone. The group planned to meet in a few days and to finish the book so we can discuss the ending and the book as a whole. Well, it's time to get reading!

Mockingbird Book Club Meeting 2

For the book club meeting set for October 8th, the group planned to read up to chapter 20 of Mockingbird. I told everyone that it has been difficult for me to stop reading this book because it is really interesting to me. I often find myself wanting to keep going to the next chapter. We began by talking about how the main character, Caitlin, becomes fixated on finding closure with what happened to her brother, even though she does not really know what closure means. She talks to her counselor at school about her attempts to find closure, but does not seem to grasp the idea that it takes time and patience to reach that point.

Someone in the group stated she is amazed that Caitlin, in hopes to meet a new friend at recess, ends up meeting a boy who’s mother was also killed in the school shooting. Although it took a while for her to make this connection, Michael and Caitlin end up helping one another and keeping each other company during recess. When it came time to be assigned “reading buddies”, Caitlin showed a good amount of jealousy that Josh was able to work with Michael instead of her. This natural human emotion is something that has not been displayed by Caitlin until now, which is eye opening for us. We saw this as improvement with relationships and also a good lesson for Caitlin to experience. She can look back at this and remember how it felt while trying to read other people’s emotions in the future.

I brought up that Caitlin is beginning to have some empathy for her father, especially after it is mentioned to her that it upsets him when she talks about Devon as if he is still alive. To try to make her dad feel better, she begins to refer to Devon as “Devon-who-is-dead”, which ends up not helping her father as much as she hoped. When her father asks her what she wants to do for her birthday, Caitlin replies that she wants to go to the mall with Devon. Her dad reminded her that that is not possible and Caitlin responds by saying that it is what she wants to do, even though she knows she can’t do it. In the book club, we discusses that it seems the father is so caught up in his own emotions, that he does not put much effort in trying to ask questions and use words in a way that Caitlin will understand and not take literally. We can imagine that it is difficult to experience; however, we do not understand why he wouldn’t just ask the question in attempt to get the type of answer that he was looking for.

A member of the group mentioned the connection that Caitlin makes to the book To Kill a Mockingbird and how Devon used to call her “Scout”, which was one of the character’s names. Remembering that nickname leads Caitlin to finally feel that it is time to go into Devon’s room like she used to very often in the past. Upon opening the door and reminiscing memories of her brother, Caitlin finds a list that Devon wrote. She realizes that this list is something that her brother made that includes several things that he wanted to teach Caitlin, or what Devon called her, Scout. Coming across this list appears to mean the world to Caitlin and leads her to feel the need to complete her brother’s Eagle Scout project in hopes to find closure. This was touching to the entire group and led us to believe that it will help Caitlin to grow and overcome this difficult time. The group discussion ended with this thought and a plan to read up to chapter 30 for the next meeting. We all seem to enjoy discussing this book and are looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Mockingbird Book Club Meeting 1

         On October 6^th, the book club I am participating in met for the first of four times. We are all reading the novel titled Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine and made a plan to read up to chapter 10 before this meeting. I was looking forward to meeting with this group, especially because of how much I enjoyed the book and wanted to continue reading. As soon as the group got together, we all agreed that it was a very interesting story and an easy-read. We discussed the main character Caitlin, who is a fourteen-year-old girl with asperger’s, an autism spectrum disorder. I mentioned to the group that I did not realize the extent of anxiety that people with asperger’s experience every day. Since this book is written from the perspective of Caitlin, it is clear how difficult many situations can be for a person with asperger’s, especially if a tragedy occurs. 

           Next, one member of the group brought up how surprised she was of all that happened to this poor girl, and how it took some time while reading to find out what exactly happened. Caitlin’s brother Devon, was one of three people that was killed in a school shooting. This type of event is difficult for any person to handle. During the first ten chapters, Caitlin has a hard time processing what happened to her brother. Someone in the group mentioned that Caitlin can tell her father has been upset lately by the way he does not want to talk about Devon and the crying noises she hears when he is in the shower. It’s interesting how reading emotions is a weakness for people on the autism spectrum and it’s something most people take for granted. The concept of “stuffed animaling”, which Caitlin describes as staring at something until it becomes blurry, is spoken of in the group discussion. It makes it easier for Caitlin to look at because it becomes “fuzzy”. Straining her eyes to un-focus her vision seems to be a coping mechanism for Caitlin.

         To wrap up our discussion, the group agreed to read up to chapter 20 before our next meeting in a few days. So far I do enjoy this experience. The book is especially interesting to me and I like to have the chance to talk about it with my peers. I feel it is more effective than simply answering response questions. I enjoy the freedom that goes along with a book club and that we all can bring up anything we want to regarding the novel. In all, I am truly looking forward to reading the next section and meeting up with the group again soon.

Reader's Workshop

I like to think of reader’s workshop as an education tool of the future. Although it is not necessarily a new strategy in teaching, the various components of reader’s workshop and their impact on struggling readers are becoming well known to many teachers across the country. What is especially great about this approach is that students are able to choose which books they would like to read on an individual basis. No longer are students forced to only read books that the teacher assigns. This alters the attitude of many students from unmotivated with negative feelings regarding reading, to engaged and eager to read their book of choice.

This is how it works. Reader’s workshop begins with a mini lesson about a skill or strategy involving reading. After the lesson, students go back to their seats, or sometimes a comfortable rug or chair, and begin reading their books of choice. This is the time where the teacher has independent conferences with students regarding their reading and gets to know the students on an individual basis. During the conferences, the teacher helps the student set a personal goal to work on. For instance, when Bobby reads out loud to the teacher during their conference, the teacher notices that he seems to be skipping over periods and reading continuously. The teacher tells Bobby that she would like him to work on pausing at periods because that means it is the end of the sentence and the beginning of a new one. This type of individual attention is what our young readers need! Without reader’s workshop, there are very few ways this type of one-on-one interaction can take place. 

Another component to reader’s workshop is a reader’s response journal. Depending on the teacher’s preference, this journal could be used in a variety ways. Some examples of sections that may be a part in this journal include: vocabulary, connections, a reading log, personal goals, reflections, and genre guides. Reader’s response journals are excellent for not only students to share their thoughts in writing, but also for teachers to use to drive instruction. These journals can also be used for other purposes, like scaffolding for students and to assess students’ progress. Personally, I like the idea of giving the students self-assessment prompts because it helps them to see what the teacher is expecting from them and how they can improve individually. The component of a reader’s response journal within reader’s workshop is a simple way for students to connect their reading to writing. 

Mini lessons are especially important to reader’s workshop because it employs short instruction preceding the much-needed independent reading time. These 10-15 minute lessons have a narrow focus that is based on content knowledge. Seeing they are so short, students are able to focus much more than if it was a longer lesson. Mini-lessons also can be based on teachable moments that are spontaneously brought on by interaction during individual conferences. It is often common that if one student displays uncertainty on a particular topic, another student in the class may as well. This is where mini-lessons come into play. Also, I like the idea of having students sitting on a carpet in front of the teacher so they are more comfortable than at their desks. After the lesson, teachers may direct students to focus on something specific in their reading that they worked on in their mini lessons; for example, they may need practice with distinguishing between fiction and nonfiction. Other teachers may want their students to focus more on their individual goals that are set during conferences and simply have the mini lesson as something to think about. I think it’s a great idea to have mini-lessons right before independent reading because it allows students to practice what they just learned. Overall, mini lessons are great for introducing new content or reinforcing old without overwhelming students with a long lesson.

         Not only does reader’s workshop make reading more enjoyable for students, but it also creates a supportive environment where students respect one another and their teacher. Students are given choices as to what they want to read and write in their journals, and independent goals and challenges to work on. Reader’s workshop is beneficial for all students, but especially the weakest readers because they are able to get individualized attention that they may not have received otherwise. Classrooms with reader’s workshop foster positive attitudes towards reading and an increased self-confidence. No longer do students have to view reading as a terrible thing, but instead as a source of pleasure and knowledge. This attitude towards reading is what every teacher hopes for their students.

Using Literacy Centers in the Classroom

I can hear it now. Those two words were almost as exciting as recess or lunchtime. It meant that for the next hour or so, my classmates and I were going to explore the activities that the teacher set up around the classroom. Not only that, but we practically got to do it by ourselves. Seeing the words "Center Time" on the schedule that was posted daily on the whiteboard made every student in my classroom smile.

Although my memory of what we did in center time mostly consists of arts and crafts projects and puzzles, the idea of setting up various stations around the classroom for students to work independently at is brilliant. Center time allows for teachers to either observe students working at the stations, or it gives the teacher time to work with a small group of students on skill instruction or guided activities. The grouping of students can be up to the teacher, whether its homogenous or heterogeneous. Certain activities could work better for groups of students on the same level and others when they are not. Center time is especially helpful when working with language arts because there are so many aspects of the subject that students can always benefit from reinforcement. 

Literacy centers are great for providing students with activities to practice a variety of literacy components on a frequent basis. When working with literacy centers, the stations should focus on areas like vocabulary, writing, fluency, comprehension, phonics, and phonemic awareness. All of these important components can be practiced in literacy centers in a variety of ways based the specific literacy concepts that are being worked on in class.

       

  An important aspect of literacy centers is that the students must already have had a lesson on it in the classroom before practicing it on their own. Although it may seem obvious to some, literacy centers should never be used as an alternative to instruction! Students also should be given directions on each station to avoid confusion and wasting any valuable classroom time. Rotating centers in one set direction will help avoid chaos when moving from one station to the next. It is also helpful to have a poster stating the grouping of the students during this activity. I really like the idea of having a “station checklist” at every center for students to refer to as they are working so they can monitor their progress. It is essential to have a system to keep things organized at the stations. This could mean having a “turn-in basket” for students to have a place to put their completed work. It also can be beneficial to have a rule that all stations must be left as they were when they arrived there. Literacy centers will go much smoother if there is structure that is consistent, regardless of the activities that are at the stations. 

When using literacy centers in a classroom with various abilities, it is necessary to provide struggling students with assistance or tools that have been shown to be helpful in the classroom. Students with disabilities in the classroom may benefit from more specific instructions at the stations, verbal instructions, or sometimes an alternative activity. Any students with accommodations should be allowed to use them when working in literacy centers. Some of these helpful accommodations could include a reading tracker, larger print, and fewer questions to answer. Modifications and accommodations can make it possible so everyone can participate and benefit from the literacy centers in the classroom.

In addition to literacy, center time can be used as a fun way to reinforce any subject areas. Not only does is give students some independence and practice with following directions, but it also gives the teacher time to work with a small group of students or observe the students in the stations. Although I will most likely to stick to one subject at a time when designing a routine of center time stations, I definitely plan to use this in my future classroom.