That's a Wrap!

After 10 weeks, the class has come to a rapid end.  I wasn't sure what to expect coming in to this course, and I suppose I some what expected it to be more English-oriented.  Instead, I now have a more complete understanding of how writing can be incorporated within every discipline.  This will be useful to me in my teaching practice when it comes time to work and collaborate with teachers of other subjects, and I hope that I will have the opportunity to share in the writing progress of my students with my colleagues in collaborative activities and assignments.

I also have learned a lot about how to evaluate student writing, which is one of the main reasons I signed up for the course.  The subjective nature of marking writing is something that I have always been a bit wary of, but I now feel as though I have the basic tools I need to effectively and fairly evaluate writing of all forms and genres.  The many sources that my colleagues shared plus rubrics and checklists like the 6+1 Writing Traits, and the course book filled with mini lessons and activity ideas will be invaluable to me.

My favourite aspect of the course, however, was mentoring a grade 8 student from Hawthorne public school.  I had never worked with a student of that age before, and it was an incredibly eye-opening experience.  It was so refreshing to read some of the writing my student produced and to realize how affluent and talented children are.  It gave me great hope for the future, and reaffirmed why I am here and what I am doing.  I am very grateful to be going into the world of education fully equipped to lead students on the journey of writing and learning.