LLED Ray Ch. 1-5

Many people believe that the classroom is supposed to be a place where teachers lecture children as they sit quietly and take notes. This could not be further from the truth! A classroom should be where children go to express themselves freely. Some may want to get away from issues at home or simply feel that being at school encourages them to be whatever they set their minds to. This was the case for me atleast. I loved being at school. No arguing with mom about chores or fighting with my little brother about who plays the games first. I could go and be Quez and enjoy my time learning and being challenged by my teachers. I want my students to have the same experinces.

I have had the pleasure of seeing the writing process in action both last semester and already in my 2 days of field work this semester. The process is fundamental but if taught correctly can drastically change a child's writing technique into something amazing. Reflecting back on the writing process I really feel as though it helped with the structure of writing when I took the 5th grade, 8th grade, and high school writing tests! Children should learn how to place their thoughts on paper. It gives them a sence of ownership. Noone else can steal their thoughts and a child thinking is a powerful thing!

After these readings I see the importance of having a writing workshop in the classroom. I never thought to have this before. We only discussed reading workshops in our past classes (well atleast in detail). I hope to continue to learn more about the importance of writing. Whether we feel our writing is good or bad, it's ours and we should never shy away from saying what is on our minds. Even if that means writing it down on a sheet of paper!