“I am a writer”

This morning I was walking the fifth grade hallway, moving students into block 1 quickly so they could begin the writing section of the PSSA.  Of course, as I was hurrying them I was also chatting with them.  What I heard was encouraging, uplifting, and just plain awesome!  I spoke with kids who were smiling and enthusiastic about taking the test, what?!?  “I can do this” one student told me, “my teacher has given me a lot of feedback about adding content and I feel ready to do that”.  Another said, “I know I have to have a plan before I write and that will help me to stay organized.”  The one that really got me was the student who told me, “we are really good writers in this class, we impress everyone who reads our writing!”

In those statements I can see and hear all of the work teachers have put into their writing instruction.  Out teachers have begun to empower our students as writers.  Making them believe they are writers is the biggest step in developing writers.  I don’t know if the test scores will show it,  I don’t really care right now, I know we are developing writers here…just ask them.