To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.
Choice Cycle 3: Living the Life of a Writer
Day 6: Freedom in topic choice
Challenge: Today, look for ways you can encourage students to write about topics that matter in their lives. Find out why students are writing the story, poem, or essay that they are working on. More important, give students the freedom and encouragement to abandon any draft that isn’t making them happy. There are too many important lessons to teach for students to waste precious time writing unimportant pieces.
What makes you hesitant to relinquish the freedom of topic choice to students?
What makes you excited about this possibility?
Consider your most meaningful writing experiences. Are they times when someone forced a topic on you or when you decided the topic for yourself?