Sheri set a timer and did a free write for six minutes because someone else did the same, so here I am, jumping on the bandwagon on day two. And I should know how to do this: I freewrite all the time in my teaching practice because I am forever trying to convince my students that it is OK – even good – to just write. My goal for them by the end of the semester is seven minutes. I have no idea why, but there it is. And truthfully, for grade 9, at this point we’re aiming for five solid minutes of writing.
I need to admit that I have deleted a few times already – but I swear this is mostly free writing and if I were handwriting this, I would have just crossed things out, so that counts.
Why do I free write with them? I honestly think that seeing someone else write, watching their process and their struggles, noticing how they pause and keep going, seeing what they throw away and what they keep, can help students understand that writing isn’t about presenting perfected ideas – in fact, it’s about the opposite of that: writing is about honing ideas, checking them out, looking at them from different angles, dressing them up in words and seeing what they look like, finding the places where the ideas aren’t entirely complete…
That’s a lot of mixed metaphors, but hey, it’s a free write.
So I write in front of my students, near my students, among my students. In class, I tell students that a preposition is anything you can do to a cloud – you can go in front of a cloud, near a cloud, through a cloud, over a cloud – and then we write sentences with prepositions, playing with making very long, very silly sentences.
I started this blog in part to experience for myself some of the things my students experience: writing on a deadline, writing when I don’t feel like it, writing when I don’t have much to say, writing knowing that someone else will read it.
Time is up. Now I’ve done my one-minute post-writing clean-up (another trick I use – so they re-read and make a few changes) so I can post this. Then, tomorrow, when we’re writing, I’ll have proof that freewriting is “real” and even shareable. Maybe this will even help them write more.
Persistence and Pedagogy 
I’ll have to borrow the “one-minute post-writing clean-up” — it might make editing more engaging and doable for my 5th grade writers! As a fellow free-writing fan, thanks for reminding me that this is an option for slicing!
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I agree! I’ve been trying to encourage this as a habit when we hear the complaints about spelling and punctuation. Make time for it!
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“I write in front of my students, near my students, among my students.” I used to do this all of the time. It really helped them understand the writing process. So many thought that when a writer sits down their piece is written in one sitting. They would see me change my mind on a sentence, a paragraph, or an entire piece. They’d ask questions & I’d answer them. It was my favorite part of the day.
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I agree that it iss important to write with, near, and among our students. I truly believe that they see us in a different light when we do – no longer a teacher but a writer just like them.
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Thanks, Mandy. I resist starting, but once started I usually continue. Any tips on getting started. Thank you.
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Ananda,
Pretty good for six minutes. Love the one minute cleanup idea. Like you, I often wrote w/ students. When I taught AP Lit that meant analyzing a new to me poem those first few years. I’m now thinking about how to teach structuring a free write. Back in the speech teaching years, students did a lot of impromptu speaking (topic, one minute prep, speak). How might that transfer to writing? is a question I’ve been returning to often. I doubt most will believe me, but my blog posts are almost always free writes in that I have an idea in my head, and once I start the post I do t revise. I only proofread.
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I enjoyed reading your free writing so much! I’ll have to try this out with my fourth graders as well. Have a timer set and just free write things that flow in your mind. Thank you for this slice!
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This year I have a student who thinks the whole time the timer is going. Nothing gets down on the paper. He’s getting better at it, but I worry about him, you know. Free writing for me is just pure joy time. Give me a time limit and I’m off and going. I love modeling this for kids, but sometimes, some days, I feel like my ability to free write intimidates them. Why is teaching so hard?
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Seems like there were timed writings all around today. I like the idea of a one minute clean-up. I took nine minutes and got an extra minute b/c the cookies weren’t done. I was inspired by edified listener who probably was inspired by someone else. And before we know it, the bandwagon is filled with fellow writers.
I like these words from your post: “writing is about honing ideas, checking them out, looking at them from different angles, dressing them up in words and seeing what they look like, finding the places where the ideas aren’t entirely complete…” Would love to share them with student writers if I were still in the classroom.
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I love this! It’s such a good exercise.
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I want to share this slice with colleagues, specifically the paragraph about why you started this blog. I have the highest respect for teachers who write alongside their students!
I may also attempt the timer strategy and see how it goes.
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“I started this blog in part to experience for myself some of the things my students experience: writing on a deadline, writing when I don’t feel like it, writing when I don’t have much to say, writing knowing that someone else will read it.”
100%
Me too.
Your students benefit from your increased compassion, and empathy, and insider-knowledge.
The bit about clouds and prepositions will stay with me. One fast freewrite and you offer such a window into the way you teach. Tom Newkirk was the first teacher to write in front of me, near me, alongside me. It was the most radical act of my entire education. Revolutionary. It was 30 years ago!
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Free writing. Also in the sense that it shouldn’t cost us much, it’s practically free. Or that there are few limits placed on what emerges – just write whatever until the bell rings. Free, free, free – who wouldn’t like that feeling? I’m sure that modeling for your students is one of the most effective tools at your disposal. (I have no idea if any of this makes sense. Thanks for just rolling with it/me.)
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I’m totally stealing Sheri’s timed freewrite slice idea too. I’m always ready to jump on a slicing bandwagon! Reading Sheri’s post, I was surprised to realize that I don’t think I’ve ever used timed freewriting as a way to generate a slice, even though I use it all the time in the classroom (and now working with faculty writing groups).
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I do this, too! I even have my notebook under the AVER and they see my writing as they write. They see me scratch out, add, go back, etc. Honestly, I don’t know how much it helps my particular group of students? But this would be a great question to ask them!
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