3J - this one's for you!!!
I struggle too!
I have struggled as a writer for many years and I found it to be a chore. It is ironic that I just referred to myself as a writer as I would have never considered myself a writer before I started this blog.
September:
In one of my first 3rd grade writing lessons of the year, I told my 25 eager students that writing is HARD for me! I told them I have to WORK at it. It definitely doesn't come as easy for me as math (which is my favorite subject). I told them that I started a blog as a challenge to remind myself to be grateful for my life that was hand-picked for me and TO BECOME A BETTER WRITER!
After I told my students about the blog, a few interested students asked if they could see it. I showed them what it looked like and I read one, maybe two, posts and told them we needed to move on to our lesson. I didn't expect 3rd grade students to be interested in what I had to say on a personal blog, but THEY DID!
I found that the challenge was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. After a few published posts and numerous deleted posts, I found that writing the blog posts became a bit easier each and every time. I persevered through the rough times.
Fast-forward to January:
We are working on persuasive speeches in writing and today we were brainstorming ideas on what would be appropriate topics to write about.
Some of the ideas generated:
*not enough food served at lunch
*how to keep our school clean
*better playground fields and equipment
*more time for writing
I know - brace yourselves! Many of the students agreed that they wished we had more time for writing in our day. (This was a huge teacher moment - I secretly did the Hallelujah as I wrote their response on chart paper). Since writing is a bit more difficult for me, I feel I have to put my whole teaching heart and soul into each and every lesson so the students don't realize - I struggle too!
The exciting part of all of this is that my students will read this blog post and realize that I do struggle at times and am definitely not perfect. I can tell my students over and over how they need to work hard and put effort into their work, but I don't think that can hold a candle to when they realize that I too am a student in a different way. I am a student who struggles and gets frustrated as well because my work doesn't always look perfect or exactly how I expected it to come out.
So, to my treasures in 3J:
I want you, students in 3J, to know that not every content area is going to be "a piece of cake". Some areas are easier and require very little effort, however, the areas that require you to THINK and WORK HARD usually will bring more satisfaction in the end. You all have "hidden talents" (thank you Miss Knudson for this one) and are amazing in your own unique way.
*Just remember - struggling today does not mean you will struggle tomorrow
Hard work, perseverance , mistakes, mistakes, and more mistakes will help you meet the goal you have set for yourself and I have no doubt in my mind that you can do it!
Mrs. Jung
I have struggled as a writer for many years and I found it to be a chore. It is ironic that I just referred to myself as a writer as I would have never considered myself a writer before I started this blog.
September:
In one of my first 3rd grade writing lessons of the year, I told my 25 eager students that writing is HARD for me! I told them I have to WORK at it. It definitely doesn't come as easy for me as math (which is my favorite subject). I told them that I started a blog as a challenge to remind myself to be grateful for my life that was hand-picked for me and TO BECOME A BETTER WRITER!
After I told my students about the blog, a few interested students asked if they could see it. I showed them what it looked like and I read one, maybe two, posts and told them we needed to move on to our lesson. I didn't expect 3rd grade students to be interested in what I had to say on a personal blog, but THEY DID!
I found that the challenge was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. After a few published posts and numerous deleted posts, I found that writing the blog posts became a bit easier each and every time. I persevered through the rough times.
Fast-forward to January:
We are working on persuasive speeches in writing and today we were brainstorming ideas on what would be appropriate topics to write about.
Some of the ideas generated:
*not enough food served at lunch
*how to keep our school clean
*better playground fields and equipment
*more time for writing
I know - brace yourselves! Many of the students agreed that they wished we had more time for writing in our day. (This was a huge teacher moment - I secretly did the Hallelujah as I wrote their response on chart paper). Since writing is a bit more difficult for me, I feel I have to put my whole teaching heart and soul into each and every lesson so the students don't realize - I struggle too!
The exciting part of all of this is that my students will read this blog post and realize that I do struggle at times and am definitely not perfect. I can tell my students over and over how they need to work hard and put effort into their work, but I don't think that can hold a candle to when they realize that I too am a student in a different way. I am a student who struggles and gets frustrated as well because my work doesn't always look perfect or exactly how I expected it to come out.
So, to my treasures in 3J:
I want you, students in 3J, to know that not every content area is going to be "a piece of cake". Some areas are easier and require very little effort, however, the areas that require you to THINK and WORK HARD usually will bring more satisfaction in the end. You all have "hidden talents" (thank you Miss Knudson for this one) and are amazing in your own unique way.
*Just remember - struggling today does not mean you will struggle tomorrow
Hard work, perseverance , mistakes, mistakes, and more mistakes will help you meet the goal you have set for yourself and I have no doubt in my mind that you can do it!
Mrs. Jung
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