Chapter 4 Raise Your Expectations

As interesting as the beginning of the book was, this chapter started getting to the lesson part of writing. The entire chapter focused on expectations and results from those expectations. I agree with the statement that we need to be sticklers with any work that goes public. This is very hard in first grade. Some students still struggle with letter formation. A statement on page 56 stayed with me. In the middle of the page a paragragh ended with this statement.

It's amazing what high expectations and explicit teaching can do.

This is what I want to learn to do with my students. I want to have high expectations of all students and know how to explicitly teach writing. The statement about it's not okay to rely on scripted, one size fits all programs hit home. I think I am always looking for the perfect program and not wanting to take bits and pieces and create my own writing program. The first grade examples and teaching tips were wonderful. I am eager to try some of these. I think schoolwide expectations would create better writers. This would be a challenge to implement, but well worth the effort. I have a new goal for my students- to write a full page in twenty minutes in the spring. I also know I need to model and show my students what I expect. They have to see it and see a way to make it happen. I loved her example that one demonstration is rarely enough. There are so many things I have to been shown again and again how to complete. I will try to focus on the writer first and then the lessons. Until the student thinks of himself as a writer, no real improvement is possible. This is true in all subject areas!! Relationships matter.