Photo Day #26 - Our First Writer's Workshop

I know this may seem like kind of an odd picture to post, but, to me, it was such a great way to capture how truly excited I am about the new reading/writing workshop plans that I have this year!  Today we had our very first Writer's Workshop in the fifth grade!  I actually had my kids come sit up by my easel-board with their journals in hand, and we chatted for a while about "Where do authors get their ideas?". We started creating a list; they were really thinking!  We could have gone on for a quite a bit longer, but we ran out of time and space!  I then introduced the "JOT list" part of their journal (the place where they "jot" ideas that could later be turned into a "long write"), and sent them on their way to begin their JOT list.  In order to get the creative juices flowing, we listened to Moonlight Sonata  while writing.  After about five minutes, we met together, and they shared some of their ideas.  I then assigned them their first journaling "long write."  With the classical music still playing in the background, they began to write.  I was so proud of my kidlets!  They wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote - just like real authors!  Before ten minutes was up I only had two little guys come up and tell me they were "done."  When I asked both if they had told me EVERYTHING about subject - "I mean EVERYTHING!" - they both grinned sheepishly and headed back to their journal!  I love reading and writing and it's so very exciting to pass on that passion to the next generation!