I See the Finish Line!

photo by Lanc Grandahl

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              The countdown has begun. The race to the finish is upon us: yearbooks, deadlines, shows, portfolios, report cards, field trips, and field days.
              For our classroom, we’ve decided that the more normal and consistent we keep our classroom, the more sanity we will retain. The kids will be more secure and learning will continue to happen-even until the end.
            As for writing -because our schedule is choppy and irregular- I pull out the templates and we write….a bit slower than usual…but we write.  We share, revisit how to write each genre, and go over the chants. We spend more time critiquing each others’ work and give as many awards as I can for stellar essays, stories, or analyzing of the authors’ messages.  If time is short, I read a book, and use it to “orally” go over response to lit. 
                  The finish line is in sight. I pull out writing from the beginning of the year and see how far they have come. I remind myself it has all been worth it; even the small steps. In my mind, I categorize what worked well and things to revise. I smile as I see them mature into little writers and those who share their voice with the world.  As I look forward to closing it out, the pieces that stick with me are: consistency, sharing, engaging, editing (no marks just circles), and empowering students as writers and editors, creating students who can’t live without learning new things!