Day 1 of the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge has arrived. I had planned to spend my February break gathering ideas in my notebook and starting to write posts so that when March 1 arrived, I’d have some material ready to go. I could just cut and paste stuff into my blog. But, alas, March 1 is here and I have written nothing. Not one notebook entry. Not one blog post. Nada. Absolutely nothing.
I am disappointed in myself, but I have a growth mindset. So all day today I’ve been telling myself, “Well, I haven’t started yet…..” And so here I am, starting.
I’ve decided to start with a bit of a plan. We talk to our students about the importance of rehearsal before writing. We encourage them to jot ideas in a notebook, tell their stories to a partner, plan across pages, map out a story or article. I’m going to do just that. I’m thinking that maybe I’ll try to organize my SOLC month into mini writing units. Here’s my plan (for now):
Unit 1: Social Action Writing: I’d like to think and write about what’s happening in the world right now (We teach kids to write in order to understand and to consider multiple perspectives. I need to try that.)
Unit 2: Poetry: Our second graders are entering a poetry unit and I’d love to try out some of the work we are asking them to do, especially in the area of revision.
Unit 3: Informational Writing: Maybe this is a good place to write about coaching, teaching and learning, developing agency, and other topics.
Unit 4: Reflective Writing: I’ve always wanted to keep a reflective journal and write about my teaching and learning on a daily basis. This might be the place to try that out.
There. I’ve started. I’ve written my first post. I’ve planned a journey. Now, let’s see where this journey takes me. After all, isn’t that the point of being a writer?
Writing to Learn, Learning to Write 
I think having a plan is such a great idea. I have been filling in a calendar slowly as my plan.
I can’t wait to start reading your posts!
Your first paragraph made me laugh! I’ve been doing this for eight years, and every year, I tell myself I’m going to stockpile some slices, so I have something to fall back on. One year I went so far as to make a list of 31 slices I might write. I think I used two of them. But it sounds like you are starting out with a great plan! Best of luck!
I also planned to do some prep work over break… didn’t happen. I am excited by your plan and can’t wait to see how that goes for you. Cheers to year two my original SOL friend!
Your opening paragraph is so relevant to any writer! It’s funny how we thing planning is so important when, as you discovered, the most important thing is putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard! Look forward to reading all that you have to share!!
I like having a plan, but I also want to make sure I’m willing to go where the pen takes me.