In the last session as the writing group we went over how the students would write any genre in the best possible way using all that they learned while in this group. We went over crafting sentences using adjectives, adverbs, complex interrupters, zig zag sentences, simple, compound and complex sentences, linking ideas within paragraphs and linking paragraphs.

In the last piece of writing the students wrote, they were meant to make sure they crafted their sentences as they wrote. They also had to show me that they used all the different things they learned for crafting their sentences well. Their pieces of writing were extra ordinarily good.

I was so pleased that the students were writing very well.

At the end of our writing group programme, last term, the writing group took a mid year e-asttle writing test.

It will be interesting to see if the students used all that they had learned over the term in their writing test.

An exciting day at Glenbrae School

On Tuesday 19th June 2018,  Glenbrae School was buzzing with excitement. Students and staff were excited alike. Anyone entering the school was wondering what all the excitement was about. Well, it was the day we all showcased our favourite characters in books we loved reading, most.

The entire school assembled in the hall for a class by class character parade. Room 1 with new entrants and year 1 students looked the cutest dressed up as their favourite characters. Every class paraded around the hall. Students and staff paraded with pride. It was hilarious to see Mrs Ripata, Miss Pauvale and Mr Nath dancing away in their costumes. This was so much fun.

The poetry recitals from each class were so good. Some students spoke clearly and projected their voices. Room 7 students recited poems about refugees and also recited up side down poems. This was interesting enough to keep the audience engaged.

After lunch, we had the Story Line performance that presented fun story telling about how important it is to read and enjoy reading.

The day ended with all of us at Glenbrae still excited and buzzing about the great day we had around reading books and dressing up as our favourite characters.

The writing group was asked to write an article about the events of the day. Students were grouped and assigned parts of the day they had to report about. To see how articles are written in the East and Bays Courier, we accessed the newspaper online and read articles in the newspaper. We then unpacked the structure and language features of the writing an article as a reporter. We discussed who the audience was and what the purpose for writing this report was. After this the students were reminded that after they drafted their parts, they would deliberately craft their sentences and paragraphs to make the writing interesting for being published in the East and Bays Courier.
Students are writing and crafting their portions of the article. Need to finish this and make sure the paragraphs all link, the article is informative and showcases Glenbrae School as a school of choice.

Writing for the East & Bays Courier

The Writing group did a great job and wrote an article to be published in the East & Bays Courier.

Glenbrae School's Book Week Celebrations











I am so proud of the writing group. Davarni Soane-Rakete's story has also been sent to the children's magazine Toi Toi to be published.

Neil Geoffrey's visit

The author, Neil Geoffrey visited the writing group and the other junior classes who enjoyed listening to his story Gassy Goosey and the Hawk that he wrote. What better way to show our students that anyone can be an author if we know who we are writing for and why?

The excited writing group spoke with the author. They discussed what they thought about the book he had written. They asked him questions about the process he used to write his book. They asked him which part of the process he enjoyed the most. The author told the group that he most enjoyed drafting his imaginary, oral stories he made up to narrate to his own children. The other thing he enjoyed was working with the illustrator to make sure the illustrations matched the ideas he had written down.

The author told the writing group to keep writing a lot with an audience and purpose in mind.
He said that there was a lot of joy in writing. He assured the students in the writing group that
they needed to believe in their abilities to write and polish their writing before publishing.

From talking with the author the students did understand that crafting their sentences

deliberately will improve the way they write for an audience.
Our endeavour to work on crafting sentences, made sense for the students
after this great experience.

Author Neil Geoffrey's visit to Glenbrae School - Excitement over this!

Author Neil Geoffrey got back to the students in the writing group and assured them that he would visit them on Monday 18th June 2018 at Glenbrae School. This he did through Chris B who relayed the message. Excitement over this was obvious! The students were excited. Neil Geoffrey was coming to discuss with them the book review that the students did for his first book Gassey Goosey that is soon to be published. 

The students planned what to say to him about the book review they did and convey some ideas for the next book that he could write.  They collaborated and came up with questions they would ask him.

The students also went to the junior and senior classes - year 0 to year 5 students and read the book Gassey Goosey to them. Besides the students who went to read to the students, two student observers also went to the different classes to observe the reactions of the students who were listening to the story being read so they could confirm that the book was written for a younger audience.

Doing the book review helped these students in the writing group understand the fact that to write a narrative for a target audience is a big process and that it takes time and effort to write, read, re read, edit and proof read, craft sentences all the while to improve their narrative and bring it to a stage that the book is ready for publishing. They are excited to meet with the author as they are curious to know how long it took for the author to write his story which is now ready for publishing. They are keen to ask the author which part of the writing process he most enjoyed and why and other burning questions they have. 
I will keep everyone posted as to what happened when the author visited the group.

Students in the writing group completed their narratives and provided positive, thoughtful and helpful peer feedback to each other. They were honest in their feedback. I noticed that after receiving feedback from peers, the students wanted clarifications, challenged the peer feedback in a friendly manner and pointed to the evidence in the narrative in case the students were told to do something that they had already done. This was heartening to see. I loved listening in and felt proud of how students were giving and receiving feedback. 

I provided the students effective feedback too. I told the students to tell me if they thought that the feedback was not accurate or effective.  The students said that the feedforward they received was very helpful.

Students are at this moment responding to both peer and teacher feedback and crafting their sentences and paragraphs to improve their writing. 

On asking if the process we were following was good or needed improvement, the students responded that the process was good but the time given for responding to feedback was less than what they expected. 

I have started working with one student at a time, going through the feedback provided and what the student did as a response. This I think is enabling the students to understand the feedback and respond appropriately. 

I am enjoying this process. I am proud of one student whose narrative is ready for publishing in the magazine Toi Toi.

Noticing about me as a teacher

It’s exciting to see teachers adopting the idea of thoughtfully considered reflective questions for themselves, as well as for the learners, in continued pursuit of the goal of developing the whole child – and the whole teacher! – rather than simply focusing on curriculum content.

If I want the children in my class to be creative, how might I encourage creative experimentation? How will I foster creative thinking and problem solving?

From:

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE ABOUT YOURSELF AS A TEACHER? JUNE 2, 2018 | WHATEDSAID

https://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2018/06/02/what-do-you-notice-about-yourself-as-a-teacher/ 

Well, after reading this excerpt from WhatEdsaid, I worked on doing something different to encourage creative experimentation. My writing group got a chance to review a book that was written by Neil Geoffrey and illustrated by Richard Hlt. This book "Gassy Goosey" is a first time author's book-yet to be published. What better chance than reviewing this book for my writers in my group to experience. This process of reviewing the book was a great chance for the students to read the book and talk about the style of writing, the ideas, the vocabulary and the audience and purpose for writing this book. My group thoroughly enjoyed reviewing the book. They are now keen on reading the book to the younger students in the school in order to test out they were right in saying that this book was written for 5 to 7 year olds for enjoying listening to the story. 

Reviewing the book also gave my group a chance to understand what it takes to be an author and a good illustrator.

The students have also e-mailed the author to invite him over to discuss what they reviewed with reasons. We are waiting for Neil Geoffrey to meet with them and receive feedback for his next book. This I think is creative experimentation. I have fostered creative thinking and problem solving.