Launching Writer's Notebooks

How is it possible that I've never written this blog post before?!?! Today, this day, notebook launching day...it's my favorite day of the beginning of the year! It's so exciting! The energy is palpable!

We begin by talking about what writing is. This helps me get a peek into their previous writing experiences and the emotions surrounding them. Here's what I heard today...

These answers gave me such joy and hope. It's evidence of students who already feel successful as writers. Next, I shared my life as a writer. I love when I show them my very first notebook and hear the gasps when they see what year I began writing...1982. 

After we discuss my experience with writer's notebooks, I say, "Writers, you need notebooks." Students begin shuffling around until they see the giant pile of wrapped notebooks...

I begin passing them out and the volume slowly goes up. Students start whispering and soon, they are cheering. The sound of hearing their joy as they unwrap their packages is like no other I've ever heard. It's JOY! 

Once the students open their notebooks, they notice that there's something inside...

I wrote a poem for them. It seems as if they enjoy the poem. And now, they are off! Writers, begin writing...

All this and it's only day one with our notebooks! Watch out world, here we come!

Thank you to the Two Writing Teachers for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers.