RMWP Camp Day 3

7:40-4:00

Schedule:
- Critique dance poem/Discuss ways to change prose to poetry
- Computer lab - completely finish emotion poem and work on others
- "Painting with Participles" lesson
- Prezi on Surrealism
- Surrealist collages with magazine images
- Quickwrite poem about collage
- Writing time
- Computer lab/writing time

Today I noticed that I was more able to offer valuable suggestions to the students after reading their work. I am very impressed with the way they directly ask about changes that need to be made. During the morning conferences, I really only worked with three students. I am realizing that I need to manage my time more wisely so that the students do not feel dependent on me and so I can see more students and be more helpful.

As I conference, I try to guide with questions more than make suggestions. This afternoon, I worked with a younger student who was struggling to focus and had not gotten much accomplished. We moved into the hall and created a draft that was fairly strong. I wonder if I may have controlled the overall idea and direction too heavily. However, I left the word selection to her, and she seemed pleased. I was extremely impressed when we were discussing ways to communicate a happy feeling, and she decided she wanted to use the word "euphoric." She's going into fourth grade!

When discussing the plan for tomorrow, I admitted that although I am growing, I still do not feel confident to give any student final approval on their work. It truly is different to be in an assisting role. These are not my students. These are not my lessons. These are not my assignments. I do not feel as though I have full understanding of the expectations, so I cannot declare when they have been met.

In another brief moment of guidance, today I learned that it usually works very well to tie writing with art because developing writers tend to need a visual.

I also learned through experience that a young writer's commitment to rhyming can basically ruin a poem. :)