© Thoughtful Learning
With the new school year beginning, you no doubt are creating wish lists for your classroom. Consider including some of the following writing goals:
I want my students to . . .
- Feel good about writing because it gives them an opportunity to explore and shape their own thinking.
- Write about topics that truly interest them.
- Establish a regular writing routine to develop their writing fluency.
- Know that improvement is a certainty if they make a sincere effort.
- Understand the value of pushing their thinking to the brink of confusion, if need be, to form their best ideas.
- Participate in a writing workshop, learning together with their classmates and me.
- Interact comfortably with one another about their writing.
- Feel that their presence matters, that they have something worthwhile to add to the class.
- Appreciate that quality writing takes time and patience.
- Feel excited about the creative opportunities that writing offers them.
- Know that writing can help them make sense of the uncertainties associated with adolescence.
- Appreciate writing as an effective learning tool.
- Develop strong, evidence-based ideas.
- Discuss writing using terms such as focus, clarity, elaboration, voice, and sensory details.
- Experiment with different forms of writing—exposition, argument, and narration.
- Produce at least one extended piece of writing that requires authentic research.
- Never be without a good book.
- Discover a new favorite writer and know why they find his or her books so appealing.
- Acquire a writer’s ear for good writing and a writer’s eye for potential writing ideas.
- Appreciate the many publishing opportunities available to them and try at least two or three of them.
- Compile a portfolio that showcases their abilities as a writer.
- Realize, by the end of the year, that writing can enrich their lives.