Enhancing Student Writing: My Journey
By Tiffany Groves
Growing up, I always wanted to help people. That passion was instilled in me by my mother, who has had a tremendous impact on shaping who I am and what kind of teacher I am today. She taught me the importance of working hard and showing integrity. I watched my mom as a middle school math teacher for many years, and now as a high school and middle school principal. My passion for helping others took many forms throughout my childhood, but when I went to college, I decided to become an elementary teacher based on her example. As I thought about becoming a mother one day, I also wanted to be the kind of teacher that I desire for my own children.
Once I became a teacher, I saw firsthand the challenges that young children face. As much as I strive to help my students rise above the challenges in their young lives, I know that my circle of influence extends only as far as my classroom. I do everything in my power to influence my students during the school day. I want to help them succeed in academics, as well as in any emotional or social situation they may face. I am fortunate to work in an environment where my co-workers seek to do the same for their students. We work together to provide a safe and supportive environment for every student.
As teachers, we are called to teach citizenship and character while also teaching content. Junction City Elementary has some amazing teachers who have refined their instructional practices to help all students learn. We have been named a School of Distinction by the Kentucky Department of Education because of the hard work of our teachers and students.
While we are performing well in math and reading, our writing results still need some improvement. Fifth graders take the On-Demand writing test every year. Every teacher has the opportunity to impact their current students. I want to share some of the strategies that I found effective in helping my students become better writers. You can choose to take what you like and what you think will work in your classroom or tweak something to make it better suited for your students.
One commonality that was missing from my students’ writing was using new vocabulary words. Knowing many of my students did not have the experiences or opportunities to broaden their vocabulary, I decided to take some steps to help them. During one of my graduate classes, we discussed the importance of students learning vocabulary words. In the book, Creating Literacy Instruction For All Students by T.G. Gunning, several techniques were suggested for teachers to help their students with vocabulary. I adapted one of those strategies for my students. I created a vocabulary wall where we put new words that we found in our read-aloud books. Our vocabulary wall grew, and toward the end of the year, I noticed the students were able to use these words in their speech and writing. Every time the students used a vocabulary word within their writing, they highlighted or circled it in order to draw attention to the new word. Some students found other words in their own books, so we created a vocabulary page in their writing journals that they could refer to as they were writing. After discussing these vocabulary words, the students were able to make connections from other books and experiences in their own lives.
Another strategy that that helped my students was “Glows and Grows”. This was an idea that formed from a recent staff meeting. After the students finished their 4-square and paragraph, they partnered up with another finished classmate. During this time, the students read each other’s writing, then gave three areas in which their partner’s writing glowed. Afterwards, they gave one area that they felt their partner could grow as a writer. I found that my students enjoyed reading each other’s writing, and it gave them another avenue to share something that they had worked hard to create.
The last strategy that helped my students the most was using student-focused rubrics. Each year, we are asked to score our students’ writing pieces. While this is helpful information for teachers, the rubrics were not helpful for students to use on their own writing. The rubrics were teacher-focused, and if I wanted my students to become better writers, then I needed them to have a rubric to score themselves on a daily basis. I took the teacher rubrics and used the proficient column to design the student-focused rubrics for my students. My goal in creating these rubrics was for students to be proficient in their writing by including all of the components on the student rubric. If the student did not, then he or she knew to keep working and adding the necessary components. There were two columns: one for the students to self-assess and one for me to assess the students’ writing. It was very helpful for the students to know how they were doing on a daily basis.
It was an exciting journey with my students. I loved watching them become more confident in their writing abilities. Some students did not enjoy writing, but since being more intentional with my instructional methods, I have noticed students choosing to write more often, and they are more excited to show me or their friends their finished pieces.
Once I became a teacher, I saw firsthand the challenges that young children face. As much as I strive to help my students rise above the challenges in their young lives, I know that my circle of influence extends only as far as my classroom. I do everything in my power to influence my students during the school day. I want to help them succeed in academics, as well as in any emotional or social situation they may face. I am fortunate to work in an environment where my co-workers seek to do the same for their students. We work together to provide a safe and supportive environment for every student.
As teachers, we are called to teach citizenship and character while also teaching content. Junction City Elementary has some amazing teachers who have refined their instructional practices to help all students learn. We have been named a School of Distinction by the Kentucky Department of Education because of the hard work of our teachers and students.
While we are performing well in math and reading, our writing results still need some improvement. Fifth graders take the On-Demand writing test every year. Every teacher has the opportunity to impact their current students. I want to share some of the strategies that I found effective in helping my students become better writers. You can choose to take what you like and what you think will work in your classroom or tweak something to make it better suited for your students.
One commonality that was missing from my students’ writing was using new vocabulary words. Knowing many of my students did not have the experiences or opportunities to broaden their vocabulary, I decided to take some steps to help them. During one of my graduate classes, we discussed the importance of students learning vocabulary words. In the book, Creating Literacy Instruction For All Students by T.G. Gunning, several techniques were suggested for teachers to help their students with vocabulary. I adapted one of those strategies for my students. I created a vocabulary wall where we put new words that we found in our read-aloud books. Our vocabulary wall grew, and toward the end of the year, I noticed the students were able to use these words in their speech and writing. Every time the students used a vocabulary word within their writing, they highlighted or circled it in order to draw attention to the new word. Some students found other words in their own books, so we created a vocabulary page in their writing journals that they could refer to as they were writing. After discussing these vocabulary words, the students were able to make connections from other books and experiences in their own lives.
Another strategy that that helped my students was “Glows and Grows”. This was an idea that formed from a recent staff meeting. After the students finished their 4-square and paragraph, they partnered up with another finished classmate. During this time, the students read each other’s writing, then gave three areas in which their partner’s writing glowed. Afterwards, they gave one area that they felt their partner could grow as a writer. I found that my students enjoyed reading each other’s writing, and it gave them another avenue to share something that they had worked hard to create.
The last strategy that helped my students the most was using student-focused rubrics. Each year, we are asked to score our students’ writing pieces. While this is helpful information for teachers, the rubrics were not helpful for students to use on their own writing. The rubrics were teacher-focused, and if I wanted my students to become better writers, then I needed them to have a rubric to score themselves on a daily basis. I took the teacher rubrics and used the proficient column to design the student-focused rubrics for my students. My goal in creating these rubrics was for students to be proficient in their writing by including all of the components on the student rubric. If the student did not, then he or she knew to keep working and adding the necessary components. There were two columns: one for the students to self-assess and one for me to assess the students’ writing. It was very helpful for the students to know how they were doing on a daily basis.
It was an exciting journey with my students. I loved watching them become more confident in their writing abilities. Some students did not enjoy writing, but since being more intentional with my instructional methods, I have noticed students choosing to write more often, and they are more excited to show me or their friends their finished pieces.