I have enjoyed reading Ray's book so far. This book offers good practical advice and ideas about writing workshops. Towards the beginning of her book she says "Each student is able to bring his or her particular interests to the workshop and explore these interests through writing." This concept is so important in school, particularly in writing. Who would want to do something they do not like? What if you had a eat asparagus every day and you hate asparagus? Why would students want to come to school and write everyday about a topic they don't like or are not good at? Giving students choice is the first step to developing writers.
Another key point that Ray makes and I agree with is that "writing is something that you do, not something that you know." She goes on to talk about being a person that writes and being a teacher that writes, not just a writing teacher. What is the definition of "being a writer"? This is an idea she discusses in the book. To "be a writer" do you have to be a professional? Some people consider themselves readers but people do not often call themselves writers. Just because a woman cooks dinner every night for her family she may not refer to herself as a cook. After helping students find their identity in writing they can begin to find what works best for them. Do they write well in short or long periods of time? The more students write, the more they can figure out their strengths and weaknesses.
The tone of teaching is something else Ray discusses in her book and that I have already observed in the field. Ray defines this as "the sum total of the presentation of teaching." This includes all the things teachers do in the classroom to create the atmosphere. My mentor teacher is fun and lets the students have fun. She has energy and allows the students to use their energy in the classroom. She is enthusiastic and the students are equally as enthusiastic. The tone of teaching plays huge roles in the classroom and the quality of the students work. If students are given opportunities to write and they see the teacher writing and the teacher has good tone, then the students are more likely going to write better.
I love your photos! Thanks for posting them. You picked up on many of the big ideas from Ray's book. Choice is central, and writing is especially easy to incorporate choice (if we only allow students to do it!) I agree that the tone of the teacher really matters, too. To some extent, our students reflect our own attitudes back to us. This is especially true when they sense that our hearts aren't in things. If we can show them our own enthusiasm for something like writing, they will likely have a better feeling about it.
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