The thought of having a writers notebook and implementing it into your writing instruction must have intrigued you! You came back for more!
So now what? You like the idea, but how in the world do you begin and introduce this to your class?
Step One:
Have all of your students get composition books. Not the expensive ones, just a cheap one.
Step Two:
Begin telling your student about the writers notebook.
" We are going to be using a writers notebook in class! Don't fret! This is going to be more exciting than coming to than previous writings. I will not be grading this notebook. I will not be reading each of your writings. Instead, I am going to teach you different strategies and methods to use in your writers notebook so that all of your writings are not just a paragraph after a paragraph after a paragraph!"
I am even going to have my own writers notebook too! And when you guys are writing, I will be too! This will be a learning experience for all of us!
Step Three:
Since the writers notebooks are yours and may contain personal stories or just creative stores; feel free to decorate the notebook to represent you. This can be done by painting, drawing, adding pictures, literally whatever you want!! They can either do this at home or you can make this class task and have them bring things from home to decorate it with. Either show the students your personal one already decorated, an old one, or photos online.
Step Four:
THE FIRST WRITING! How exciting!!
For the first writing, I would give the students something that they can all write about. Maybe about their name. This is always my favorite one! Have the students write about the meaning of their name, how it originated, if they like their name or not (why?), how their name makes them feel, etc.
For the first writing, I would give them a set amount of time, maybe 3-5 minutes. They may struggle and may not have the stamina to write for that long but it is important to keep them writing! They will build this stamina as they write more and more throughout the year!
Maybe you do not like that one, okay.
-How about have the students describe themselves. What they notice about themselves, physical attributes, what they like to do , etc.
-Create a "where I am from" story. Have the students write about where they are from, what they like to do where they are from, what there favorite or least favorite part of where they are from is.
-Make a list (bucket list, things I like/don't like, my favorite place, my favorite people)
It is important to just get the students writing about something they enjoy or want to write about. This makes writing more fun!
**Remember, as they are writing, you should be too! Model for them how it should look, it might be messy or it might be neat, it might be long or it might be short, you might get stuck and it might flow right out. Show the students that you are apart of the process with them and you are there to support them.
You may want to tell the students that if they would like, they may fold the page down of a page in their notebook that they would not like to share or for anyone to read. This will show the students that you are respecting them and may help to build a stronger relationship with them!
Most importantly have fun! There is so much than you can do with a writers notebook. Writing does not have to be traditional and simply be in paragraph format. Allow, support, and encourage your students to venture out!
Have fun writing y'all!