Skip to main content

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.

Labels:

Comments

  1. Stacey ShubitzAugust 29, 2017 at 5:28 PM

    I don't know why you haven't written it before, but you did now. So glad you did!

    You and your students are in for an incredible, writing-filled year!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jennifer LaffinAugust 29, 2017 at 7:30 PM

    Love the notebook that says: "The Beginning." The life of a writer has to begin with that first notebook. What a tremendous gift you have given to your students. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. RamonaAugust 30, 2017 at 12:38 AM

    I love the enthusiasm of this post! And that you're the real deal when it comes to writing notebooks. Here's to a beautiful beginning!

    ReplyDelete
  4. DogtraxAugust 30, 2017 at 5:39 AM

    yeah!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Margaret SimonAugust 30, 2017 at 12:59 PM

    Awesomeness!

    ReplyDelete
  6. LoraleeSeptember 7, 2017 at 3:36 AM

    Such excitement! And you rock!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Amy LVSeptember 11, 2017 at 3:46 PM

    I can't even stand this. I feel this same way with a new notebook...as you saw with the yellow one! If your young notebookers have any interest...once they're off and running...it's be my pleasure to have them share peeks into these pages at Sharing Our Notebooks! xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. jan godown anninoDecember 15, 2017 at 7:00 PM

    This is a gift to us all! And how about that true line "Warning! Mistakes will be made!"
    Appreciations for turning on these writers to their enormous energy for words.

    ReplyDelete
  9. shogemAugust 4, 2018 at 4:25 PM

    Michelle what a great way to start school & get engagement on the fist day.
    Meg

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please share your thoughts. I love comments!

Popular posts from this blog

Whatever Happened To...

Sharing this post on Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Do you ever wonder whatever happened to your students after the year you spend together? I imagine how my students are finding life...are they happy? Successful? Do they still read? Write? What is going on with them?   I taught fifth grade for eight years. Fifth grade was such a fun year to teach because the students were still young enough that school was something they loved and old enough that they could show some real signs of independence. Fifth grade is the oldest grade in our elementary schools, so the students enjoyed their final year before moving onto middle school and the challenges that came with that new adventure.  2007 was a tough year for me personally. My dad collapsed in September of that year and then died in March of that same school year. He lived thousands of miles away, so my mind was definitely unfocused that year...but that year, Catie was in my class.  Catie was a quiet stude...
29 comments
Read more

Chasing My Dream

I'm doing it. I'm chasing my dream. I've always wanted to run writing retreats and workshops for people, but I've always been too scared to do anything about it...until now. I don't know what's changed...maybe I've changed. I'm not allowing the fear to stop me anymore. I've started Selah Writing Retreats.  The past couple of weeks I've been getting the business end in order. I thought I would hate that...I don't. It's scary, but I am surprising myself with how efficient I am. Yesterday I went to a bank to set up a bank account. The woman I met with was kind and helpful and so enthusiastic about my dream. My website is set up. I've done lots of work on it. I hope you stop by and let me know what you think. It's  selahwritingretreats.com . Balancing creative with business has been challenging but fun. Creating the website, getting a federal tax id, making business cards, planning dates... My favorite voxer group is called Butt Ki...
21 comments
Read more

I Love Me...All of Me

I'm fat. It's true. I'm not looking for comments like, "Oh you're not fat." I am. I want to take that word back. When we say that now, it has a negative connotation. I'm tired of that. I'm done. I'm fat. I'm working on loving my body just the way it is...by reading a book. I confess I'm reading the book on my Kindle app because I was embarrassed about the title. It's called, "Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls" and it's written by Jes Baker . Her mission is self-love...for all. I've highlighted so many lines, I can't possibly share them all, but here are some of my favorites: "Our bodies are our physical bookmarks that hold space for us in the world. Our bodies are magnificent houses for everything else that we are. Our bodies are a part of us, just as our kindness, talents, and passion are a part of us." (p.10)  "Your size is irrelevant to your ability to find fulfillment, purpose, love, a se...
21 comments
Read more