Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Writer's Notebooks...Resources to Get Started!

A big thanks and shout out to Kate Messner for launching the Teachers Write! 2016 virtual writing camp and inviting educators to reflect and write about what we want to put in our Writer's Notebooks this summer... (Teacher's Write! 6.27.16 Blog).

I hope you enjoy reading my blog about getting started with Writer's Notebooks! 
There are some *fabulous* resources shared that have brought me great success as a writer and as a teacher of writing. Enjoy! 

Humble Beginnings...
I first learned about using a Writer's Notebook as a participant in the Indiana Writing Project's Summer Institute in 2000.  During four intensive weeks of professional development and writing, I learned how to become a better teacher of writing. I learned a lot of great strategies that summer, but the following four ideas changed my pedagogical beliefs, my instructional delivery, and increased the writing enjoyment and achievement of my students:

(1) Teaching writing using the 'Writing Workshop' method,
(2) Using picture books to teach writing (now commonly referred to as 'Mentor Text'),
(3) Being a writer and using authentic experiences to teach writing and motivate children to write, and
(4) Using a Writer's Notebook.

Getting Started...
Over the years, I have given away thousands of composition notebooks to children either in my elementary classes or enrolled in my summer, fall, and spring writing camps. The assignment for Day 1 and Day 2 has always been the same - introduce the writer's notebook and then take time to decorate the notebook so that it resembles who you are, what you love, and what inspires you to write. We covered the notebook with pictures, poems, memorabilia, etc. and applied clear packing tape over the front and back cover to 'seal the deal'.

What came next was a series of writing ideas or 'seeds' for future writing projects. Below are a few books that were helpful to get my students started:



Nowadays, you can go online and search Google Images or Pinterest for ideas to share with students!

My students love using a writer's notebook to fuel their writing. Some students have shared that having a notebook just for writing ideas encourages them to live that 'Writerly Life'; a culture that I try to build in my classroom or camp workshop.

Here are some *fabulous* resources online for getting started and using Writer's Notebooks:
1. Lessons and Tips from Corbett Harrison
2. Ideas for the Writer's Notebook from Julie Ballew
3. Setting Up a Writer's Notebook with Kriscia Cabrall

A Time to Reflect...
As I reflect over the years of using a writing notebook with my students (or personally as a writer), I realize that I have gravitated towards wanting my student's Writer's Notebook to be 'too perfect' or planned out. What began years ago as a scrapbook of sorts, housing anything that inspired writing has  over the years become a carefully crafted interactive notebook used more like a writer's handbook (containing a table of contents, mini-lesson notes, 1/2 page handouts, etc.). While there is a need for a writing handbook, this should not have taken the place of the Writer's Notebook.

So...'a change is coming' and the change begins with me! This summer, I am starting a new Writer's Notebook. This notebook will contain all the ideas that pop into my head i.e. character sketches, potential topics/titles, snatches of conversation, fierce wonderings, fears, dreams, memorabilia, information gleaned from perusing mentor writer's blogs and websites, etc. - seeds that could eventually grow into future pieces of writing projects. I don't know what it will end up looking like, but I don't care! What matters most of all is that I reignite my love and passion for writing! That I reach the personal goal that I borrowed from Ralph Fletcher and use to inspire my students, "Never a day without a line of writing!"

Looking Ahead...
I plan to share my notebook with educators and students that I have the honor of working with during the 2016-17 school year.  Hopefully it will inspire others to get the 'Write Attitude'! Hopefully I will get inspired to 'Write-On' and publish a 2nd book. I plan to find ways to share my writing and knowledge of teaching writing with a wider audience. There's nothing to it but to do it! The time is 'Just Write!'

*Side-note: My first self-published book is titled, My Hallelujah Journal (Click to purchase). It is a compilation of poems written over several years in notebooks that I wrote in to heal from the loss of my brother Mario who passed away when he was only 14 years old. After sharing my poems with others at work, church, and in my community, I was encouraged to compile them in a book. While doing this, I felt the need to add words of encouragement, scriptures, and a place for readers to journal in the morning and at night each day. It is a writing notebook for others to use on their spiritual journey of building a relationship with God.



~Joyce Jamerson,
CEO/Consultant for Jamerson Education Solutions, LLC

I Practice What I Teach...I Write! Summer 2016 Writing Goals

Teachers Write 2016! Virtual Writing Camp...

So I'm 'practicing what I teach' this summer in a way that I've never practiced before. I'm participating in a virtual writing camp online. Here is a link if you are interested in joining in on the fun: http://www.katemessner.com/teachers-write/

This experience is serving personal and professional goals that I set for myself. 

(1) I'm a writer so I need to take time out of my hectic schedule to write. Writing is like breathing for my soul. I can tell how much I miss it when I take time to get back into the swing of things. However, the longer I'm away from it, the harder it seems to make time for it. This is an attempt on my part to carve out the time to write. It is an appointment I've made with myself. 

(2) I am a teacher of writing so I need to sharpen my skills, add to my toolbox, etc. From experience teaching over the past 20 years, I know a lot about teaching writing, however I don't know everything there is to know. I have so much more to learn! I'm looking forward to writing with published authors! I am continuing to do what I have advised others to do as teachers for a long time now...learn from mentor writers. 

(3) I started this blog some time ago and have only posted a few sporadic things here and there to share a smidgen of the writing work I have been blessed to present to others since launching my business, Jamerson Education Solutions, LLC. I post on Facebook on a weekly basis (https://www.facebook.com/JamersonEducationSolutions ), however the posts tend to be ideas or articles that I want to share with my followers that come from other educators. I have so much to share from my own experiences. From my mind. From my heart. So, after following the advice of Ruth Culham and having a meeting with my 'Writing Teacher-Self', I've decided to blog on a more consistent basis.

So, here I go! I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and allowing you to step into my life as an educator and life-long learner! Write-On!