How is Writing Like a Jigsaw Puzzle?

So. I don't consider myself a great writer. I actually don't like it THAT much. I think it's because every time I sit down to write, I feel. And sometimes I'm just not in the mood to feel. It's the reason I have never watched ONE SECOND of the hit show, "This Is Us," because everyone talks about how raw it is and how real it is and how much they SOBBED at the end of every episode.

Um.

I cry at Apple commercials. So watching an emotional show like that makes me feel like I'd be putting myself through torture. I know those reading this have seen the show, and yes, I know if (and when) I do, I will thoroughly enjoy it. But I'm waiting for the right time. 

Back to the subject at hand. 

Even though I don't particularly enjoy writing, I have filled 5 journals since my tween years. It's fun to look back and see what once was considered vastly important in my life, gradually shifts into just a funny, distant memory. (For instance, in 2001, I was seriously concerned about whether or not I worded my chats right in my AOL IM that I wrote down the ENTIRE conversation between me and my crush over 4 pages and then continued to analyze it with myself in my journal. *insert eye roll emoji here.*) So. I don't like personal writing, but I write to cleanse. 

There is a whole other part to writing that I actually LOVE, and that is teaching writing. I wish, wish, wish upon a star that I could go back in time and be taught through the Lucy Calkins writing program. I know it has flaws, as everything does, but what it DOES do, it does well. I taught the program to Second Graders for 6 years in a Title 1 school. And every year, at some point, I would hear students grooooooan when Writers Workshop was over.

"Just 5 more minutes, pleeeease??" "Can I share what I wrote today??" 

Every year, we got to a place in writing where the students would be able to quietly write for a 40 minute session as I went around and conferenced one-on-one with students. Watching students who felt like they couldn't write turn into amazingly descriptive writers brought joy to my heart. Every time. I attribute their success to the Writing Process. I have found that once children understand the puzzle outline, they can fill in the jigsaw with vocabulary words, descriptive language, conclusions, glossaries, etc. I have found that, besides repetition and conferences, the main things that help students internalize the writing process are 1. modeling, 2. anchor charts, and 3. paper choices. 

The modeling comes from my own stories and mentor texts, of course, but the whole-class writing (immersion) is SO beneficial and FUN. By now you've probably noticed the pictures sprinkled around this post. These are snippets from an immersion writing piece leading into our Informational Writing unit. I worked with the kids to brainstorm a topic that our class, collectively, knows a lot about (so everyone can contribute). Wouldn't you believe it? They picked ME! Now, it's not encouraged to pick a person during immersion week, but they convinced me by shouting EVERYTHING that they already knew about me. So we gave it a whirl. 

As a class we came up with a table of contents, and we wrote the chapters together. I would take their ideas and help formulate cohesive and grammatically correct sentences. We picked a vocabulary word from each page to add to our Table of Contents, and we wrote the definitions together. (Side note: I am a huge fan of Big Books, so I took chart paper and cut it in half for each of the pages to make it BIG.) We then split up into small groups to complete the illustrations. Once the book was written, we read it aloud as a class and displayed it for the rest of the trimester. Guests would walk through our classroom and the students would insist that they read the book they wrote! Past students of mine came in one day, wrote compliments on stickies, and stuck them to our book. It was a beautiful thing. 

Ok so now I want to say a little thing about paper choices. 

I love paper choices.

Paper choices are the legends in the road map to a finished piece of writing.  

I know some people have their own way of managing papers in writers workshop... Some people like students to have total free rein when it comes to choosing which papers they want to use, and some people like to pre-staple books with the papers already in the correct order.  

 I am somewhere in the middle of this. And I do not think that there is one right answer. However, what has made me feel successful in teaching student writing is creating paper choices for students where the path to a complete book is straightforward and not chaotic. For example, instead of offering the same blank paper with a box and a line for every page in the book (with the expectation that students will create their own Table of Contents, Introductory Page, etc.), I think providing a blank page with lines and the words "Introduction" at the top is reasonable. It allows students to see and understand where that page goes in their writing piece without the pressure of creating that paper source from scratch. So rather than pre-stapling books, I provide models and checklists so the students are able to put their booklet together by themselves - like a jigsaw puzzle! 

If you're a seasoned teacher, you might have some thoughts on this. PLEASE SHARE! I want to learn. I am simply sharing what I've found, however there is much to learn and always will be. If you're just starting out on your teaching journey, please know that you do not have to reinvent the wheel. Many of us have already done it for you. 

Below are ALL of the writing resources I have created, and can be used as a supplement for an entire year of writing fun! These particular pages I used for 2nd grade, but there is a variety that can coincide with lower or higher grades. I offer different styles of chapter pages and a Table of Contents that have more lines and less lines on the page. Take a peek and take your pick! Let me know if there is anything you need customized or if there's a new resource you would like to see! 

Happy Teaching and Happy Writing!