Critical Writes - A Critical Component!

Over the past month, I have covered 4 of The Fundamental Five components as detailed by Sean Cain and Mike Laird.  I have purposefully been leaving one component, Critical Writes, for the end for several reasons.  For one, it is a meaty topic.  As well, it tends to bring tension to the discussion table. And finally, I just don't know how well I understand it myself! However, through rereading and some researching I have come to realize the Critical Writes do not have to be as distressing as my mind makes them out to be!

One thing you must know about me is that I am a writer and a writing teacher. I LOVE to write.  It's my niche'. Because of this love for writing, I have always used it as a study tool.  I completely understand the value of writing as a learning tool.  However, when tasked with the idea of writing in every class with every student, I grimaced (just a little bit).  How much time would I have to spend our of my precious 50 minutes writing something other than our writing? We just spent 30 minutes working on a draft...does that count? Or do I make them write some more? How am I going to keep up with all of this writing? Will my kids be so tired of writing in Math, Science, Social Studies and Reading, that they will resent writing more? I was overwhelmed with questions. I asked lots of questions. I reread that chapter... a lot. Just because it involves the word "write" does NOT mean I have to read paragraph after paragraph everyday.  Writing can be many things. It does not always have to be a formal, just purposeful.

One of my TpT products that work as great critical writes. Tweet a response!
You can even limit students to a certain number of characters.
Find it free: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sweet-Tweets-1499876

So here are some key components to remember when implementing the Critical Write.

• Carve out between 5-10 minutes for the task.  This is all dependent on the task and the student's ability.
• Make sure the task is clearly tied to the learning objective
• Be creative but rigorous with the task

Some things to avoid are free writes (please do not get me started on "journals" that are just free writing with little purpose), fill in the blanks, and copied activities.  Some of the easiest to implement activities are things like a Top 10 list, exit slip, 2 minutes summary, question you still have, etc. There are many ways to keep a student writing!

I know this week is crazy (at least in Texas) with testing, but do one thing this week please.  Find a way to build a critical write into your lessons. I plan on using a Critical Write with the book Michael Recycle for Earth Day this week. I will update you on it!  Plan 10 minutes in each content area to have students write. Watch the rigor, relevance, and retention of your lessons rise.

And now....an announcement!  Next week, I will be wrapping up the Fun 5 series BUT I will be doing an extension series on....you guessed it... Critical Writes! Each week, I will  search for and try out 3-4 new ways to write critically in ANY classroom.  So tune in to learn more about Critical Writes!