Significance
Conducting this action research was significant because it not only taught me a new way to introduce and coach students in their writing, but it also gave my kindergartners a positive introduction into writing and creating their own personal and meaningful topics. The students academically improved in their writing while writing more independently and they were able to find choice in their writing. The interpersonal relationships with my students and myself grew, along with the classrooms overall perception and esteem for writing.
Finding what works for your classroom and your students. Literacy practices.
It was important for me as an educator and for my students to focus in and find new positive alternatives to my writing curriculum. Writing is something that will continue to follow my students from kindergarten on, in school and in their careers. I wanted to make sure that not only did my students have a positive outlook on education and school their first year, but I wanted them to enjoy writing and gain independence in their writing. It is important for students to learn confidence and esteem early on, and to feel comfortable to be creative and to write independently. Additionally, to be able to receive feedback and to edit their work. These are behaviors that will follow them throughout their school career and beyond. Learning these behaviors early on and to take them with a positive note will be helpful for their future careers.
In an article written by Regina Richards titled "Understanding Why Students Avoid Writing," she explains that once the students need a purpose for what they are writing, and once they find their purpose then they will find enjoyment in their writing. This I noticed to be very true when working on this action research with my students. They each had developed their own purpose and their own goals for their writing. It was hard for myself to learn how to give students the freedom to pick their own topics. This initially was hard for the students to come up with their own ideas because they so badly just wanted an answer. This is when I realized what I was doing was needed and was the right thing to do. My students wanted so badly for the ideas to be given to them, to please me and to give "the right answer" that I realized their creativity was slowly being tucked away. I want them to be daredevils in their education and not to try to please me or "search for a specific answer." Once students realized this from me and that freedom of their own thoughts were greatly valued they found their enjoyment in writing what they pleased. I had several different sentence frames on my wall that were there if they wanted it, and mostly for my ELL students. I gave them topics such as "Write one fact about brown bears," but, essentially, what to write was up to them. They all had set their own goals for how much they wanted to write and how long they will take. I was able to help the students refine and edit their work from my feedback I provided. They ended up enjoying the freedom of writing whatever they wanted and being able to express their thoughts, and being able to share those ideas with their peers.
During my initial research on writing independence among kindergartners I came across a lot of information on the Writers Workshop model and it has added many positive components to my classroom, but trying to follow a specific model without taking into account my classroom environment and my students individual needs was not beneficial to their writing. I found that I needed to take the classroom environment, my students individual needs, and put those aspects together with the research. I know from this research for my future students that creativity is important in writing and that this can be hindered when the students worries about the grammar, the spelling and what they believe the "right answer" is. I have to create a positive learning environment where students feel safe to express themselves. This is another reason why I have seen from this research how important differentiating for students is. It is difficult for the teacher to properly and effectively differentiate, but from my action research I have noticed how important it is and what a change it has made in my students.
Writing freely and writing phonetically help students gain independence in their writing.
Writer’s Workshop was most successful for students because it helped them develop an interest in writing, as well as fostered self-esteem. In Johnson's, Never Too Early to Write he mentions that for students to succeed and feel confident, it was necessary for them to start writing at their own developmentally appropriate level. That scribbling and drawing were necessary for early writing development and that is how the students find importance in their writing. The Writer's Workshop model I followed helped me understand that as a teacher and to let my students progress at their own speed.
I realized how important and beneficial it was to let my students write phonetically and freely. I was unaware before my research that when teaching students how to write that it was not only okay, but beneficial for them to write phonetically and freely. At the beginning of the research I noticed many students wrote words they already knew how to spell, but as time went on they started to feel more confident to write words or simple letters that they knew not how to spell correctly, but felt confident enough to try. I noticed the students who began to do this more often gained confidence and their writing improved. They also asked for help less, and worked independently for longer periods of time. Student's also gained a better understanding of phonics and by stretching out the sounds they heard and wrote that same process carried over into their reading. By it being okay to not spell every word correctly and simply writing freely they gained confidence and enjoyment in writing.
Writing phonetically helped my students become more aware of sounds in words when reading and writing. I noticed that when I would read to my students or go over new sounds such as the digraphs "ch, sh and th" they began putting those sounds in their writing. Sometimes they used them correctly, but sometimes not. For example, I noticed for awhile before I taught the spelling for the sound "the" students used a 'd' in its place. I never would've thought of that, but it is the closest sound. When I taught the "th" sound students made the connection that, they had tried using that sound before. One student commented when I asked, "what words they know that have the "th" sound?" She said, "They!" I told her she was absolutely correct, and she commented, "I have been spelling it da! I thought it was the 'd' sound!" It was so great to see her make the connection then the rest of the class followed with their connections. I then found it in their writing. This made me even more confident in this method. Writing phonetically and freely gave students the schema to utilize and really learn this new spelling to a sound I taught them. This is just one example of the many connections I have seen them make and because of this their writing has grown on its own, and they are learning the correct spelling on their own and at their own pace.
Other aspects of writing such as spacing, periods and capital letters, this is taught by myself to the class, but is differentiated. When I see the student is ready to move on to the next level of writing I am able to teach that student explicitly through my small groups or individually. Differentiating for my students gives all of my students the opportunity to work at their own pace and a set of goals to work on for their own level. I have seen the progression from my students responses while writing, lecturing and even reading and I know that writing phonetically and teaching students to write this way is beneficial to their growth in writing. Many students have made such a progression since the beginning of the year and they have this confidence and independence in their writing, that I believe is due to the writing phonetically model.
Receiving feedback from peers and teacher help students self-esteem and to reflect on one's writing.
It is important for students to understand feedback and to grow from feedback. It is very important to word everything carefully in order to motivate the child and to not make themselves feel bad about themselves. I learned that working with the students and looking at their work and making a positive comment followed by a question then followed by a positive comment worked for most of my students. The question is usually the part where I felt the student could edit and stretch, help them realize their error or the area they can fix on their own. By sandwiching it with two positive comments the child isn't felt as if they did not produce good work and it helps keep their self esteem up. This is another aspect of my research that I differentiated. My students in order to maintain and gain independence needed to be talked to differently and needed different writing goals according to their level and personality. For example one of my higher leveled students she receives feedback from me now about writing at least three sentences, she goes back and edits her spelling, and she is learning grammar such as capitalization and period placements. I know her well and I know that she enjoys this feedback and she will make the corrections needed. I have another lower leveled student whose confidence is fragile, and he receives a high level amount of praise, but I will have him work on one single aspect of his writing such a space needed between words. From this research and feedback I have realized how important knowing your students is, and how important it is for their growth as learners it is to differentiate and to get to know them personally. Although this wasn't the aim of my research, but making home visits, and having lunch with my students has helped in my classroom and in their writing specifically in how I teach each student. This is a habit and practice I will carry with me into future classrooms, I will from day one make and effort to get to know my students well and for them to get to know me well. This is important for a positive and effective learning environment that all teachers should practice.
Kempf said it best that, "Conferring teaches young children that adults think of them as writers, and students learn that teachers take writing work seriously"(Kempf, 2013). During the research I made sure to address my students as writers and would often relate to writers and authors whenever reading a book. I would also share my own writing struggles and triumphs during lessons and individual meetings or whenever appropriate. My students were proud of their work they produced because they knew I was proud and how important writing was as a classroom culture. We shared writing often with each other, and by doing this and receiving feedback from peers as well as me their confidence grew. "Writing conferences with Kindergartners can lead to a student trying new things, having fun with writing, and therefore creating a better understanding of themselves as writers" (Kempf, 2013).
They worked independently for longer periods of time and wanted to talk about their work with me and their peers. The independent and small group conferring is what led the students to reach out to other students and to me, and this ultimately is what created a more positive learning environment.
Working independently or in small groups is a great way to differentiate for students and to target and assist with their needs.
Calkins wrote, “Teach the writer, not the writing” (Fletcher and Portalupi, 2001, p. 52). During the mini-lessons, the independent conferences and the small groups I was able to model many different strategies that the students need according to their own level. I was able to either help and review phonics, help students build simple sentences, help students learn to focus and write one word at a time, teach students how to re-read their writing, stretch out and spell words and how to use punctuation and spacing. There were a wide variety of writing strategies that I was able to target and teach the students when working with small groups by their level. I began to understand where my students were struggling and what extra modeling they needed.
The small groups also gave the students an opportunity to ask me questions and to show me their work. It also gave an opportunity for their peers to help by spelling words together or by helping form sentences or ideas. This differentiating helped my students take their writing more seriously and gave them an opportunity to ask questions and learn at their own pace. It was great to hear and understand what the students needed and it led to a collaborative writing environment.
This was the time where differentiating effectively became the forefront of the writing practice in my classroom. This is where I realized that my students had all grown to be at a wide range of levels, they all received feedback differently and they all were at different stages in their writing development. When working in these small groups I learned that working closely with students is needed within the classroom in order to really understand what I need to do to help my students. Whole class instruction was the only way I taught at the beginning of this action research. I realized that students need more and they all have different needs. For future classes I will make sure to utilize classroom time to work with a small group of students, by either using a centers model or giving independent work. Whatever it is I decide to do, I know that it is essential to get that little bit of time to work with students closely. I noticed a huge difference in my observations and the needs of my students from phase two that I didn't really understand before. My students also are now getting the support they need.
Limitations
The scope of my study was limited to my specific classroom, at my specific school, in my specific neighborhood. Due to this my findings are limited only to my classroom specifically, in no way can I generalize that similar results would occur in a different classroom with different situations. Additionally, I was the teacher and researcher of this action research. I was limited to the amount of time I could spend on this research and I had a bias opinion of what would work with in my classroom setting, due to the personal knowledge of my students, my school and the want for the plan to succeed.
Many factors attributed to my students growth as writers and their writing independence.
SLA Teacher/7th Grade Buddies
I can't say that my students writing independence achievement was solely based on what I did in the classroom for the writing portion of ELA. My students also have a Spanish Language Arts teacher and the both of us would come up with Writers Workshop units collaboratively. Therefore our students received the same lesson twice in each day once in Spanish and once in English. This gave our students more time and opportunity to write, but it also helped the ELL students by receiving the lessons in their native language as well.
Additionally, the 7th grade Humanities teacher and I set up a schedule where the 7th graders partner up with a kindergartner to go over phonics, reading and writing. They come to my class for 15 minutes a day, and I prepare lessons for them to do with their kindergarten buddy based on my kindergartners level. I prepare phonics worksheets and games, or reading material. This has helped the kindergartners get more individual attention and has helped them learn their basic phonic sounds, or how to blend. I have noticed that working with their buddies the kindergartners have gained more confidence and have found more of a purpose to learn to write. This is because their 7th grade buddies can write and they want to be like them, or because they want to impress them as well.
Limited Time
Due to the limited time I had with the students because of the schools rotation model, and the computer lab time. I wasn't able to spend as much time as researched suggested or what I would of liked to on writing. I had to cut out a few days of writing because of other priorities that needed to be done. Additionally, during their computer lab time they had individualized reading and writing assignments based on their MAP scores. This gave them more individualized and differentiated work, but it also led to less classroom time. This computer lab time could have also been a contributing factor to my students writing independence, confidence, interest and achievement.
Assessing the limitations
My limitations of my research I believe gave my students the extra help in their writing, but it also took time away that I would of wished to be devoted to writing. However, when beginning this action research the SLA teacher was not using the Writers Workshop model. Knowing that I have limited time in the classroom with the students, because of ELA time and my desire to really advance my students independence and growth in writing, I decided to ask the SLA teacher to work on this with me. She has a strong desire to learn and to help our students achieve and she was on board immediately. We shared our observations and I would share my research. We planned and implemented identical interventions according to our observations and research. This gave students the extra time needed and solved the problem I faced with limited time in my classroom. In Spanish you spell phonetically regardless, and I believe this helped the students achieve in both languages by being free to write phonetically in English as well.
I am able to assess the impact of my Writers Workshop model due to my observations and the students work. Although the SLA teacher followed the same model, she taught different content and had students write about different topics. My ELL students therefore needed to use English topics I taught and needed to use English phonics. I can say that definitely the writing in Spanish is beneficial, but the work we did in English I am able to see through their work and my observations that it helped them gain independence and confidence in their second language. For my English speaking students I can say that what we did in my classroom helped them receive instruction and the freedom of creativity in their native language that they may struggle with in SLA.
Reflections
Learning what works for me and my classroom.
I learned that I cannot adhere to any model and to take ownership of my own classroom. This was the most important thing I learned from this action research. I wanted to follow the Writers Workshop model and felt when it wasn't working how it was suppose to in my classroom that I was failing. I realized through this research, that the components of the Writers Workshop model are useful and beneficial to my classroom, but I had to make it my own by modeling to my specific classroom and my specific student.
I learned that not every class or student is the same, so my curriculum and my instruction should not be expected to be the same. I learned from my students what they needed and I fit the curriculum and instruction to them. I remember hearing someone speak at a TESOL conference I attended while implementing this research. Her name was Dr. Anna Joaquin and she said, "We all hear great ideas and great things we want to use, but apply that one thing to the right class, right student, and right learner." It was a powerful statement for me. It really was the instance I realized that I am doing this research to benefit my students, but I am looking at other classrooms and other research that is beneficial, but not with my students. This was the instant when I looked at my observation notes clearly, my students work, listened to my students and looked at my students schedule that my Phase Two took a turn and I was changed in the way I think of my curriculum. This is important for my current and future practice in all areas of my teaching. I understood that there is no clear cut way of teaching and that theories and the research are there to help guide teachers to use these methodologies in a way that fits their class and their students. As the research in my classroom progressed, so did my lessons and so did my students.
Relationships with my students.
By doing this research and having to write myself, I found my own weaknesses in writing and began to reflect on how I felt about writing. The truth of the matter is, I still don't enjoy it, and I find it very difficult to convey my thoughts and meaning clearly, especially in an academic setting. I would read my peers work and my husband's own writing, and I envy how well they write. By doing this and really looking into what motivates me as a writer and why I don't enjoy writing has helped me connect with my students and to think of ways where my students won't follow my path.
This research has led me to be vulnerable with my students and empathize the same struggles they feel. I also knew that if my students felt like writing was a struggle they would no longer enjoy it. So, it motivated me to get to know each of my students as a writer, and to help alleviate those struggles and make writing more enjoyable. Depending on the child and their own needs. I know that writing a lot isn't the answer to good writing, but that writing on a variety of topics and having a teacher that provides clear modeling and support helps make good writing.
Building this relationship with my students came from my observations of my students, and my realization that they needed more individual and differentiated instruction. I began visiting my students at home, talking to their parents, and having lunch with a different set of students weekly. Doing that little bit of extra effort led my students to feel more comfortable with me, and it helped them feel more comfortable in the classroom. I noticed this with the students who I did home visits with and lunch with first. They began participating more in class, asking questions and asking for feedback not only on their writing, but on other work. I, in turn, was able to understand their needs and I knew how to differentiate for them not only academically, but how to address them properly. It helps me realize that some of my students can receive a list of corrections, while others can only have one correction at a time and need more positive feedback than anything. I have strong personalities and vulnerable personalities, which all needed nurturing and me to foster their growth differently. Building my relationships with my students is something I will always make an effort to achieve for my future classes and I truly believe it is worth the time and effort for every teacher to practice.
Appreciation for learning and reflecting on my practice.
Through this action research I learned a lot about my own learning and about my practice as a teacher. I found that keeping record and reflecting on the lessons helped me strive to make better lessons and find errors that didn't work or aspects of my lessons that worked. I brought my work and what happened in the classroom with me everywhere I went. I believe this has made me a better teacher for it.
Reflecting as a teacher with myself and other educators is not the only aspect learned and gained from this research, but the reflecting with students and their work. It is so beneficial to reflect on what was learned or what happened in the day with your students. This gives them the practice and the tools to look back at what they did, and to think what else could they have done, what did they like or what they could of done differently. Reflecting as a class has become a closure to the day and has really brought the importance of their learning to the classroom and give them a voice in their learning. It also has given me the opportunity to see what my students are thinking and the learning they are getting out of their day, and a chance to share how I felt with my students. It has created a stronger learning community within the classroom.
Additionally, taking a close look at my students work and comparing their work to previous work and others work has really gave me insight to my students growth and a way to assess what my students need from me as their teacher. This action research has made me much more reflective and observant in many aspects of my personal and professional life, and I will carry that with me into my practice for the present and future.
Conducting this action research was significant because it not only taught me a new way to introduce and coach students in their writing, but it also gave my kindergartners a positive introduction into writing and creating their own personal and meaningful topics. The students academically improved in their writing while writing more independently and they were able to find choice in their writing. The interpersonal relationships with my students and myself grew, along with the classrooms overall perception and esteem for writing.
Finding what works for your classroom and your students. Literacy practices.
It was important for me as an educator and for my students to focus in and find new positive alternatives to my writing curriculum. Writing is something that will continue to follow my students from kindergarten on, in school and in their careers. I wanted to make sure that not only did my students have a positive outlook on education and school their first year, but I wanted them to enjoy writing and gain independence in their writing. It is important for students to learn confidence and esteem early on, and to feel comfortable to be creative and to write independently. Additionally, to be able to receive feedback and to edit their work. These are behaviors that will follow them throughout their school career and beyond. Learning these behaviors early on and to take them with a positive note will be helpful for their future careers.
In an article written by Regina Richards titled "Understanding Why Students Avoid Writing," she explains that once the students need a purpose for what they are writing, and once they find their purpose then they will find enjoyment in their writing. This I noticed to be very true when working on this action research with my students. They each had developed their own purpose and their own goals for their writing. It was hard for myself to learn how to give students the freedom to pick their own topics. This initially was hard for the students to come up with their own ideas because they so badly just wanted an answer. This is when I realized what I was doing was needed and was the right thing to do. My students wanted so badly for the ideas to be given to them, to please me and to give "the right answer" that I realized their creativity was slowly being tucked away. I want them to be daredevils in their education and not to try to please me or "search for a specific answer." Once students realized this from me and that freedom of their own thoughts were greatly valued they found their enjoyment in writing what they pleased. I had several different sentence frames on my wall that were there if they wanted it, and mostly for my ELL students. I gave them topics such as "Write one fact about brown bears," but, essentially, what to write was up to them. They all had set their own goals for how much they wanted to write and how long they will take. I was able to help the students refine and edit their work from my feedback I provided. They ended up enjoying the freedom of writing whatever they wanted and being able to express their thoughts, and being able to share those ideas with their peers.
During my initial research on writing independence among kindergartners I came across a lot of information on the Writers Workshop model and it has added many positive components to my classroom, but trying to follow a specific model without taking into account my classroom environment and my students individual needs was not beneficial to their writing. I found that I needed to take the classroom environment, my students individual needs, and put those aspects together with the research. I know from this research for my future students that creativity is important in writing and that this can be hindered when the students worries about the grammar, the spelling and what they believe the "right answer" is. I have to create a positive learning environment where students feel safe to express themselves. This is another reason why I have seen from this research how important differentiating for students is. It is difficult for the teacher to properly and effectively differentiate, but from my action research I have noticed how important it is and what a change it has made in my students.
Writing freely and writing phonetically help students gain independence in their writing.
Writer’s Workshop was most successful for students because it helped them develop an interest in writing, as well as fostered self-esteem. In Johnson's, Never Too Early to Write he mentions that for students to succeed and feel confident, it was necessary for them to start writing at their own developmentally appropriate level. That scribbling and drawing were necessary for early writing development and that is how the students find importance in their writing. The Writer's Workshop model I followed helped me understand that as a teacher and to let my students progress at their own speed.
I realized how important and beneficial it was to let my students write phonetically and freely. I was unaware before my research that when teaching students how to write that it was not only okay, but beneficial for them to write phonetically and freely. At the beginning of the research I noticed many students wrote words they already knew how to spell, but as time went on they started to feel more confident to write words or simple letters that they knew not how to spell correctly, but felt confident enough to try. I noticed the students who began to do this more often gained confidence and their writing improved. They also asked for help less, and worked independently for longer periods of time. Student's also gained a better understanding of phonics and by stretching out the sounds they heard and wrote that same process carried over into their reading. By it being okay to not spell every word correctly and simply writing freely they gained confidence and enjoyment in writing.
Writing phonetically helped my students become more aware of sounds in words when reading and writing. I noticed that when I would read to my students or go over new sounds such as the digraphs "ch, sh and th" they began putting those sounds in their writing. Sometimes they used them correctly, but sometimes not. For example, I noticed for awhile before I taught the spelling for the sound "the" students used a 'd' in its place. I never would've thought of that, but it is the closest sound. When I taught the "th" sound students made the connection that, they had tried using that sound before. One student commented when I asked, "what words they know that have the "th" sound?" She said, "They!" I told her she was absolutely correct, and she commented, "I have been spelling it da! I thought it was the 'd' sound!" It was so great to see her make the connection then the rest of the class followed with their connections. I then found it in their writing. This made me even more confident in this method. Writing phonetically and freely gave students the schema to utilize and really learn this new spelling to a sound I taught them. This is just one example of the many connections I have seen them make and because of this their writing has grown on its own, and they are learning the correct spelling on their own and at their own pace.
Other aspects of writing such as spacing, periods and capital letters, this is taught by myself to the class, but is differentiated. When I see the student is ready to move on to the next level of writing I am able to teach that student explicitly through my small groups or individually. Differentiating for my students gives all of my students the opportunity to work at their own pace and a set of goals to work on for their own level. I have seen the progression from my students responses while writing, lecturing and even reading and I know that writing phonetically and teaching students to write this way is beneficial to their growth in writing. Many students have made such a progression since the beginning of the year and they have this confidence and independence in their writing, that I believe is due to the writing phonetically model.
Receiving feedback from peers and teacher help students self-esteem and to reflect on one's writing.
It is important for students to understand feedback and to grow from feedback. It is very important to word everything carefully in order to motivate the child and to not make themselves feel bad about themselves. I learned that working with the students and looking at their work and making a positive comment followed by a question then followed by a positive comment worked for most of my students. The question is usually the part where I felt the student could edit and stretch, help them realize their error or the area they can fix on their own. By sandwiching it with two positive comments the child isn't felt as if they did not produce good work and it helps keep their self esteem up. This is another aspect of my research that I differentiated. My students in order to maintain and gain independence needed to be talked to differently and needed different writing goals according to their level and personality. For example one of my higher leveled students she receives feedback from me now about writing at least three sentences, she goes back and edits her spelling, and she is learning grammar such as capitalization and period placements. I know her well and I know that she enjoys this feedback and she will make the corrections needed. I have another lower leveled student whose confidence is fragile, and he receives a high level amount of praise, but I will have him work on one single aspect of his writing such a space needed between words. From this research and feedback I have realized how important knowing your students is, and how important it is for their growth as learners it is to differentiate and to get to know them personally. Although this wasn't the aim of my research, but making home visits, and having lunch with my students has helped in my classroom and in their writing specifically in how I teach each student. This is a habit and practice I will carry with me into future classrooms, I will from day one make and effort to get to know my students well and for them to get to know me well. This is important for a positive and effective learning environment that all teachers should practice.
Kempf said it best that, "Conferring teaches young children that adults think of them as writers, and students learn that teachers take writing work seriously"(Kempf, 2013). During the research I made sure to address my students as writers and would often relate to writers and authors whenever reading a book. I would also share my own writing struggles and triumphs during lessons and individual meetings or whenever appropriate. My students were proud of their work they produced because they knew I was proud and how important writing was as a classroom culture. We shared writing often with each other, and by doing this and receiving feedback from peers as well as me their confidence grew. "Writing conferences with Kindergartners can lead to a student trying new things, having fun with writing, and therefore creating a better understanding of themselves as writers" (Kempf, 2013).
They worked independently for longer periods of time and wanted to talk about their work with me and their peers. The independent and small group conferring is what led the students to reach out to other students and to me, and this ultimately is what created a more positive learning environment.
Working independently or in small groups is a great way to differentiate for students and to target and assist with their needs.
Calkins wrote, “Teach the writer, not the writing” (Fletcher and Portalupi, 2001, p. 52). During the mini-lessons, the independent conferences and the small groups I was able to model many different strategies that the students need according to their own level. I was able to either help and review phonics, help students build simple sentences, help students learn to focus and write one word at a time, teach students how to re-read their writing, stretch out and spell words and how to use punctuation and spacing. There were a wide variety of writing strategies that I was able to target and teach the students when working with small groups by their level. I began to understand where my students were struggling and what extra modeling they needed.
The small groups also gave the students an opportunity to ask me questions and to show me their work. It also gave an opportunity for their peers to help by spelling words together or by helping form sentences or ideas. This differentiating helped my students take their writing more seriously and gave them an opportunity to ask questions and learn at their own pace. It was great to hear and understand what the students needed and it led to a collaborative writing environment.
This was the time where differentiating effectively became the forefront of the writing practice in my classroom. This is where I realized that my students had all grown to be at a wide range of levels, they all received feedback differently and they all were at different stages in their writing development. When working in these small groups I learned that working closely with students is needed within the classroom in order to really understand what I need to do to help my students. Whole class instruction was the only way I taught at the beginning of this action research. I realized that students need more and they all have different needs. For future classes I will make sure to utilize classroom time to work with a small group of students, by either using a centers model or giving independent work. Whatever it is I decide to do, I know that it is essential to get that little bit of time to work with students closely. I noticed a huge difference in my observations and the needs of my students from phase two that I didn't really understand before. My students also are now getting the support they need.
Limitations
The scope of my study was limited to my specific classroom, at my specific school, in my specific neighborhood. Due to this my findings are limited only to my classroom specifically, in no way can I generalize that similar results would occur in a different classroom with different situations. Additionally, I was the teacher and researcher of this action research. I was limited to the amount of time I could spend on this research and I had a bias opinion of what would work with in my classroom setting, due to the personal knowledge of my students, my school and the want for the plan to succeed.
Many factors attributed to my students growth as writers and their writing independence.
SLA Teacher/7th Grade Buddies
I can't say that my students writing independence achievement was solely based on what I did in the classroom for the writing portion of ELA. My students also have a Spanish Language Arts teacher and the both of us would come up with Writers Workshop units collaboratively. Therefore our students received the same lesson twice in each day once in Spanish and once in English. This gave our students more time and opportunity to write, but it also helped the ELL students by receiving the lessons in their native language as well.
Additionally, the 7th grade Humanities teacher and I set up a schedule where the 7th graders partner up with a kindergartner to go over phonics, reading and writing. They come to my class for 15 minutes a day, and I prepare lessons for them to do with their kindergarten buddy based on my kindergartners level. I prepare phonics worksheets and games, or reading material. This has helped the kindergartners get more individual attention and has helped them learn their basic phonic sounds, or how to blend. I have noticed that working with their buddies the kindergartners have gained more confidence and have found more of a purpose to learn to write. This is because their 7th grade buddies can write and they want to be like them, or because they want to impress them as well.
Limited Time
Due to the limited time I had with the students because of the schools rotation model, and the computer lab time. I wasn't able to spend as much time as researched suggested or what I would of liked to on writing. I had to cut out a few days of writing because of other priorities that needed to be done. Additionally, during their computer lab time they had individualized reading and writing assignments based on their MAP scores. This gave them more individualized and differentiated work, but it also led to less classroom time. This computer lab time could have also been a contributing factor to my students writing independence, confidence, interest and achievement.
Assessing the limitations
My limitations of my research I believe gave my students the extra help in their writing, but it also took time away that I would of wished to be devoted to writing. However, when beginning this action research the SLA teacher was not using the Writers Workshop model. Knowing that I have limited time in the classroom with the students, because of ELA time and my desire to really advance my students independence and growth in writing, I decided to ask the SLA teacher to work on this with me. She has a strong desire to learn and to help our students achieve and she was on board immediately. We shared our observations and I would share my research. We planned and implemented identical interventions according to our observations and research. This gave students the extra time needed and solved the problem I faced with limited time in my classroom. In Spanish you spell phonetically regardless, and I believe this helped the students achieve in both languages by being free to write phonetically in English as well.
I am able to assess the impact of my Writers Workshop model due to my observations and the students work. Although the SLA teacher followed the same model, she taught different content and had students write about different topics. My ELL students therefore needed to use English topics I taught and needed to use English phonics. I can say that definitely the writing in Spanish is beneficial, but the work we did in English I am able to see through their work and my observations that it helped them gain independence and confidence in their second language. For my English speaking students I can say that what we did in my classroom helped them receive instruction and the freedom of creativity in their native language that they may struggle with in SLA.
Reflections
Learning what works for me and my classroom.
I learned that I cannot adhere to any model and to take ownership of my own classroom. This was the most important thing I learned from this action research. I wanted to follow the Writers Workshop model and felt when it wasn't working how it was suppose to in my classroom that I was failing. I realized through this research, that the components of the Writers Workshop model are useful and beneficial to my classroom, but I had to make it my own by modeling to my specific classroom and my specific student.
I learned that not every class or student is the same, so my curriculum and my instruction should not be expected to be the same. I learned from my students what they needed and I fit the curriculum and instruction to them. I remember hearing someone speak at a TESOL conference I attended while implementing this research. Her name was Dr. Anna Joaquin and she said, "We all hear great ideas and great things we want to use, but apply that one thing to the right class, right student, and right learner." It was a powerful statement for me. It really was the instance I realized that I am doing this research to benefit my students, but I am looking at other classrooms and other research that is beneficial, but not with my students. This was the instant when I looked at my observation notes clearly, my students work, listened to my students and looked at my students schedule that my Phase Two took a turn and I was changed in the way I think of my curriculum. This is important for my current and future practice in all areas of my teaching. I understood that there is no clear cut way of teaching and that theories and the research are there to help guide teachers to use these methodologies in a way that fits their class and their students. As the research in my classroom progressed, so did my lessons and so did my students.
Relationships with my students.
By doing this research and having to write myself, I found my own weaknesses in writing and began to reflect on how I felt about writing. The truth of the matter is, I still don't enjoy it, and I find it very difficult to convey my thoughts and meaning clearly, especially in an academic setting. I would read my peers work and my husband's own writing, and I envy how well they write. By doing this and really looking into what motivates me as a writer and why I don't enjoy writing has helped me connect with my students and to think of ways where my students won't follow my path.
This research has led me to be vulnerable with my students and empathize the same struggles they feel. I also knew that if my students felt like writing was a struggle they would no longer enjoy it. So, it motivated me to get to know each of my students as a writer, and to help alleviate those struggles and make writing more enjoyable. Depending on the child and their own needs. I know that writing a lot isn't the answer to good writing, but that writing on a variety of topics and having a teacher that provides clear modeling and support helps make good writing.
Building this relationship with my students came from my observations of my students, and my realization that they needed more individual and differentiated instruction. I began visiting my students at home, talking to their parents, and having lunch with a different set of students weekly. Doing that little bit of extra effort led my students to feel more comfortable with me, and it helped them feel more comfortable in the classroom. I noticed this with the students who I did home visits with and lunch with first. They began participating more in class, asking questions and asking for feedback not only on their writing, but on other work. I, in turn, was able to understand their needs and I knew how to differentiate for them not only academically, but how to address them properly. It helps me realize that some of my students can receive a list of corrections, while others can only have one correction at a time and need more positive feedback than anything. I have strong personalities and vulnerable personalities, which all needed nurturing and me to foster their growth differently. Building my relationships with my students is something I will always make an effort to achieve for my future classes and I truly believe it is worth the time and effort for every teacher to practice.
Appreciation for learning and reflecting on my practice.
Through this action research I learned a lot about my own learning and about my practice as a teacher. I found that keeping record and reflecting on the lessons helped me strive to make better lessons and find errors that didn't work or aspects of my lessons that worked. I brought my work and what happened in the classroom with me everywhere I went. I believe this has made me a better teacher for it.
Reflecting as a teacher with myself and other educators is not the only aspect learned and gained from this research, but the reflecting with students and their work. It is so beneficial to reflect on what was learned or what happened in the day with your students. This gives them the practice and the tools to look back at what they did, and to think what else could they have done, what did they like or what they could of done differently. Reflecting as a class has become a closure to the day and has really brought the importance of their learning to the classroom and give them a voice in their learning. It also has given me the opportunity to see what my students are thinking and the learning they are getting out of their day, and a chance to share how I felt with my students. It has created a stronger learning community within the classroom.
Additionally, taking a close look at my students work and comparing their work to previous work and others work has really gave me insight to my students growth and a way to assess what my students need from me as their teacher. This action research has made me much more reflective and observant in many aspects of my personal and professional life, and I will carry that with me into my practice for the present and future.