Writing Publication Parties

#TeachWriteOber19

Day 11

In the last few weeks, I've been invited to several writing celebrations across the district. Thanks to fearless leaders who nudged their teachers to set publication dates and dedicated educators who went above and beyond to create buzz around the event, kids were excited and nervous to share their narrative writing with an authentic audience.

Yesterday, as I walked into Decatur Intermediate School, I was thrilled to see parents gathering to hear their children share their writing. Palpable positive energy permeated the room. It was almost like attending a piano recital or a karate competition where parents proudly stood by to celebrate the accomplishments of their children. Some of the teachers used their own money to provide refreshments, and the kiddos were eager to have others read their stories. What was not lost on me was the simple fact that these writing events were occurring in fifth and sixth-grade classrooms. You see, STAAR writing is not currently tested in these grade levels, and historically writing has been neglected everywhere except 4th and 7th grade.

My next stop was Rann Elementary, where enthusiastic first-grade kiddos stood before their classmates and read their small-moment books. Their teachers had created a backdrop that read, "We Are Writers", and each child was invited to sign the poster, adding their name to a list of famous authors such as Eric Carle, Kevin Henkes, and Dr. Suess. I've heard it said that what gets celebrated gets repeated. I feel certain these students felt seen, heard, and valued today because their teachers went out of their way to shine a spotlight on their writing.

Amidst a tsunami of change in language arts and a plethora of competing priorities, these teachers carved out time to create positive energy around a subject area that is often associated with drudgery and stress. As Mel Levin reminds us, "Writing is the largest orchestra a kid's mind has to conduct."