The first week of school went by fast, but it was a good one. I can honestly say that I am optimistic about this year. I can tell from our writing practice this week that all students have a desire to become better writers. The classroom was quiet, pens and pencils were dancing on lined paper, and best of all, students were thinking and learning about themselves as writers. To start the year, we had speed meetings and introduced ourselves to three other peers in the class. We interviewed each other asking questions such as: what do you expect to learn in this class? How can we help each other succeed? What kind of support do you need to reach your goal? And a few other questions. Here are some of the answers to the above questions: I expect to learn…English, how to improve my writing skills, grammar, reading strategies, how to write a good essay, about literature, how to write better paragraphs, and how to be successful. We can help each other succeed by…working together, communication, studying, helping each other with questions, supporting each other, learning and following directions, and paying attention to the coach. The support we need is…writing support, teacher and student support, friend's support, grammar support, and homework support. Undoubtedly, throughout the class's answers, there was a recurring theme--teamwork. If we work together as a team then we will learn more because we each have unique experiences and knowledge.
The writing prompts for this week were: summer writing, what do you know about writing, and semester questions.
Summer Writing
"This summer I traveled to San Francisco to go visit my aunt." Alejandra R.
"This summer I traveled to Malibu and went to Malibu Beach." Jennifer O.
"When I went to my reunion, I tried a whole bunch of new foods like my grandma's homemade pasta that she learned how to make from Italy." Deanna W.
"My younger uncle came down from Phoenix, Arizona to visit for the summer." Angel N.
"I learned a lot about my family heritage." Arkeen T.
"I learned that you can't drive in the snow without chains." Loralee P.
"I learned that smiling is very good for your heart." Jessica R.
"I just stayed home, went to the mountains for a while, hiked again, and walked around to see nature's beauty." Angela R.
What do you know about writing?
"Writing and reading is an important factor in life." Maurice S.
"Writing is everywhere in the world. Writing is for everyone." Melena C.
"Use commas with conjunctions." Michael A.
"Each paragraph has to have a topic sentence." Anthony G.
"Stick to the topic." Patricia L.
"When writing, you could express how you feel, and just be creative." Jimena D.
"Writing helps you with your mood, and inspiring things happen when your writing." Ronaldo O.
"If you master the element of writing, you will succeed in life." Jose S.
"You have to be open-minded and have a good imagination. You have to be expressive about what you are writing." Steve Z.
Semester Questions
"My greatest hope for this semester is to improve my writing. I want to be able to write longer essays." Vanessa A.
"I want to be a better writer and reader." Billy F.
"I hope I get good grades and meet new friends." Reina G.
"I want to do good in all my classes." Savanna V.
"My greatest hope for this semester is to pass all my classes with A's and B's." Sydney D.
"I stay positive by thinking positive! I also write sometimes to stay positive." Crystal V.
"I stay positive by playing softball, track or cheering, listening to music, and not letting anyone get to me." Jendaya S.
"I stay positive by riding my bike." Joel S.
"I stay positive by knowing that my family always supports me." Marilyn F.
"To stay positive, I just stay calm." Muyleng T.
"One thing I would like you to know about me is I am always around if you need a friend." Juliette D.
Excellent job writers! I am looking forward to a great second week.
Mr. J.
"Stay Alert Stay Alive!"