Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Tapped





Happy 9th annual Slice of Life Story Challenge!
Thanks to the team at Two Writing Teachers for cultivating such a
supportive writing community. If you'd like to participate by blogging
everyday during the month of March, head over to TWT to get the details.
 

The coffee is set to brew at o'dark thirty in my house.  I woke to the nutty scent of a dark roast. I love a strong cup of coffee. I made my way to the kitchen stepping over dog toys, the tile cold on my bare feet. I grabbed a glass from a kitchen cabinet and turned to the sink to for water. I held the glass under the goose-neck faucet.  I turned the knob for cold water. Nothing. No water came spilling out of the faucet.

We live out in the country and draw our water from a well. I'd gotten comfortable with the water service person we recently hired. I've been feeling comfortable with the service, so I haven't checked on the well or the pump in a while.

It is easy to take things for granted especially when things seem to be running smoothly. I take things for granted at home and I have known myself to take things for granted in my classroom too.

By this time of year writing routines are humming along in class. Our state writing test is this week. During our last grade-level practice the prompt derailed students, so I built in time to practice taking apart writing prompts this week.


I am confident the kids are ready. They have had a lot of writing practice. Students have been writing with me and for themselves or others since August (and before if you take prior experience into account).

Though they have prior experience writing, many have not had a lot of experience with our new state requirements for argumentive and informative writing. Today, kids reviewed two argument prompts and two informative prompts using editorial cartoons as source material. Working in triads, students did a quick "pass" for each. They talked about purpose, audience, sides and sources (for argument) and sensory detail and sources (for informative). 
 
 

Just when I thought we were finished and could tap out of the prompt practice a  student asked,

"Does an informative essay need a counter argument?"
 
 I sighed inside. Then cleared up the student's misunderstanding.
 
It is easy to assume kids have a firm grip on the differences between argument and informative writing. By February it feels like I've taught and reviewed and touched argument and expository writing a million times. It feels that way to me because to me, argumentative and informative writing are familiar modes. To some of my tenth graders though,  argument is still new territory. 

The test is in three days. I am going to make the most of our final practice and review, so that when kids sit down to write not  the prompts are as clear as the water that will hopefully be running from my taps this afternoon.  I called a contractor and as of lunch time, they were on their way to get the job done.
 
Clean water and effective writing, two things I am not taking for granted today.
 
 


16 comments:

  1. I wonder, what if we were spending as much time with a list that you could create as learning priorities, where would we be now?
    Bonnie K.

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  2. I love your thinking here! It's important to remember that while it feels like we have taught things OVER & OVER again, much of it's new to our students! I learned this through my participation in the art club. Ahhh...you've inspired a blog post. Thank you for always pushing my thinking, my friend!

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  3. I love that you're able to appreciate the simple things in life. Great story.

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  4. I love that you're able to appreciate the simple things in life. Great story.

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  5. Love the connection between tapped out of water, and students being tapped out in writing. Glad to know your water will be back online soon, and that students will be focused because of your time spent clearing up misunderstandings. :)
    Happy writing to them and also best of luck!

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  6. I love the connection you made between writing and water. We can't take anything for granted as teachers. I admit I do get tired of colleagues who complain about what they kids don't know or what they haven't been taught before. Then roll up your sleeves and teach it, I say. And teach it again, if necessary. That's what we do. Loved this post.

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  7. I'm with you...teach and reteach - no matter what grade, no matter what type of writing. Fingers crossed for your testing season, Lee Ann.

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  8. I'm with you...teach and reteach - no matter what grade, no matter what type of writing. Fingers crossed for your testing season, Lee Ann.

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  9. I'm with you...teach and reteach - no matter what grade, no matter what type of writing. Fingers crossed for your testing season, Lee Ann.

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  10. Lee Ann, I love the intro as a lead in to your piece. Your students are probably more than test ready with all that you have provided for them and you are ready for your water maintenance-two marvelous things to celebrate on Day `.

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  11. I hope you found coffee this morning too...to get untapped! The kids are performing! Spring break will also fill our well!

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  12. There you are! I've been thirsting for a Lee Ann post!Living in the desert, water is often at the surface of my thoughts, as is the distinction between exposition and argument. BTW, I love using cartoons as writing prompts.

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  13. Oh, my! I hope you found water tonight. What a pain. We are so lucky to have what we need, aren't we? Our state test started today, too. Another teacher told me that one of her students got stuck on the word, "excerpt." I wanted to die. How many times have we talked about that? Keep on going, that's what I say! Have a great rest-of-the-week. Jennifer Sniadecki

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  14. Those assumptions are hard to let go, especially when one believes, & sees evidence for, one has taught a lesson well. Confusion reigns sometimes when students (people) are trying to put it all together in one package. I hope your water will be okay, and am sure the students will be.

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  15. I always love how you find connections between everyday things and teaching, Lee Ann! (And I'm glad I'm not the only one whose kids need a million... and one! exposures to something before they "get" it!)

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  16. Love this... Your writing is always so thoughtful. Makes me want to be a student in your class.

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