Self-Reflection Shows in Their Writings

 

           Another common thread I found in my conferences and

 

work samples was of  self-reflection.  There is more to writing

 

well, after all, than having repertoires of strategies and

 

techniques.  Good writers use strategies and techniques

 

thoughtfully because they’ve learned to step back from their

 

writing and reflect on what they’re doing (Anderson, 2000).  My

 

students have learned to ask themselves questions such as

 

“How’s it going?” and “What am I trying to do here?” and “What

 

do I need to do to make this work?”  They are becoming

 

reflective writers.  Using these questions in my conferences I

 

have made my students begin to ask these questions

 

themselves, independent of me.  All three of my students

 

reflected after each conference we had.  This was evident to me

 

because of the changes they made in their writing piece.

 

Brianna

 

          Brianna and Ashley both went back after a conference and

 

changed their leads after we had talked about the different

 

types of leads.  They could start their narratives with a question,

 

dialogue, sound effect or emotion.  Ashley started her story

 

with  ”Hi, my name is…” and Brianna started her story with “My

 

mom and I live in a zoo.”  We talked about where they had seen

 

that before in a mentor text and they both agreed that wasn’t

 

something they had ever seen an author do in a book.  I sent

 

them off to reflect on what might be a better way for them to

 

start their stories and, in turn, get the reader excited to read

 

their narrative.  Both Ashley and Brianna changed their leads

 

and made them much more exciting and left the reader wanting

 

to read. Photo 1 shows how Brianna reflected on her lead and

 

changed it to a question.  Video 1, Brianna comes up with

 

leads, I hadn't even thought of, that she learned

 

through mentor texts.  

 

Ashley

 

       Ashley also changed the way she wrote her narrative.  She

 

had struggled several times with words, pictures and even the

 

dialogue.  Photo 2  illustrates how she reflected on her decision

 

to use sticky notes.  In one of our conferences, we talked about

 

what would be a better way so she wouldn’t have to keep

 

starting over on her narrative. 

 

           Me:  How could you continue to write your story, but not

 

have to start over after a mistake?  Do you remember what we

 

talked about in an early on mini-lesson about writing our

 

narratives?

 

          Ashley:  You told us to use sticky notes. 

         

          Me:  Yes, let me show you what Cameron did when he first

 

started writing.  (I showed her Cameron’s piece.)  What do you

 

think?  Do you think this would help you with your writing

 

piece?  When you have all your words down on sticky notes then

 

you could go back, edit them and rewrite them on your pages. 

 

          Ashley:  I think that would work.

 

          Me:    Can you think of some other strategy for fixing the

 

problem you are having?

 

          Ashley:  I could use white out on some of the pages.  Or

 

maybe put a new page over the old page. 

 

          Me:  I think those are all great ideas.  Now you have

 

several strategies you could use besides starting over. 

 

           

           I loved that she was able to reflect on the way she was

 

writing her narrative and come up with a better and more

 

efficient way to continue.  Ashley now has a strategy she can

 

use, not only in this writing piece, but all her writings.  Teach the

 

writer, not the writing.  I’m reminded research says when I’m

 

conferring, am I simply helping with this one particular piece of

 

writing, or this one literary work, or am I giving the student

 

information he or she can take along to future projects and

 

books (Hindley, 1996).  I try to keep this in the back of my mind

 

while I’m naming, nudging and teaching. 

 

Cameron

 

        Cameron took what I taught him about dialogue and went

 

back and corrected his pages as well.  Photos 3 and 4

 

demonstrate the changes he made to his piece and how he was

 

able to use dialogue correctly in his next pieces.  He didn’t make

 

the excuse as he did in our first conference that he would do

 

that at the end when he was finished. Cameron continued to

 

make progress and became reflective in his writings.  During

 

one of our final conferences on his narrative I asked him how

 

things were going.  Anderson (2015) suggests by asking an open

 

ended question a student is  invited to discuss what

 

they're doing as a writer (Anderson, 2015). 

 

          Cameron:  Things are going well, Mrs. Seubert.

 

          Me:  What have you learned about yourself as a writer? 

 

          Cameron:  I’ve learned that I don’t always know all the

 

answers and I can learn a lot from mentor texts.

 

          Me:  I’m so happy you said that, it takes a lot to admit we

 

don’t always have all the answers.  Even Mrs. Seubert needs

 

help from mentors.  You know the project I’ve been working on

 

for my Masters? 

 

          Cameron:  Yes.

 

          Me:  I’ve also had mentors to look at and help me with my

 

project.  They taught me a lot and I’ve become a better

 

writer because of them. 

         

          Cameron:  Wow, that’s cool.  

 

          I found that in the same way I reflect on my finished

 

writing pieces, I should also teach my students to reflect that

 

way as well.  While as sophisticated as reflection can seem, it

 

can be done.  I learned to take a little more time at the end of

 

Writing Workshop to let my students share what they

 

discovered about writing, as well as about themselves as

 

writers, and how these discoveries will change how they write in

 

the future.