The Power of Share and a Purpose to Write

The students in my classroom share/celebrate their own writing (or books/poems written by others that they enjoy) on a regular basis. As a matter of fact- they can count on a piece of every one of our days being dedicated to just that. This week, we began to dig a little deeper into the craft of writing poetry. Each year, my students create a collection of poems that is left in our classroom library for future classes to enjoy. It is so wonderful to see the student's reaction to a poem of a sibling or friend that had been in my class previously being shared during "share time". The conversation naturally leads to questions on whether or not I will be sharing their poems in years to come with my future students. "Of course" is my response. The poetry workshop that followed was diligent and purposeful as the children now realize their poems are meant for an audience- whether it be their parents at our annual Poetry Pocket Celebration or for the future students that will live in the classroom. When students know that their writing will be shared with others, it is, perhaps, the most inspirational purpose we can give them to write.