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Since this experience of writing and sharing had been a modest success, I decided to plunge ahead in the fall with all of the staff at the school—28 classroom teachers and one special education teacher. I shared my experience with writing over the summer with the group and the fact that my goal was to have everyone write and share our writing at each team meeting. I also asked the teachers to respond with “thank you.”
At the first professional development meeting of the year following my participation in the Summer Institute, I gave each teacher a composition notebook labeled “Literacy Journal.” As I met with groups of teachers, I explained that we would write and share. I did not provide a prompt. I asked the teachers to write whatever they wanted. It was a slow start for some. Others began to write immediately. I wrote alongside them, just as I observed and learned in the Institute. In quick glances away from my writing, I noticed others look around the room, almost frantically, before peer pressure prompted them to put pencil to paper. One teacher even muttered, quietly yet loudly enough for me to hear across the table, “I hate to write.” After some hesitation, she began to write. I said nothing and continued writing.
Upon completion of the short freewrite, I asked each person to pick out a portion to share. They had been told in advance they would be sharing, but this was a gentle reminder. Sharing writing without response felt awkward at first, and discomfort was openly displayed. As we continued the practice of freewriting and the nonjudgmental responses, the process became more natural. The goal is to help the author know that his or her work would not be judged or compared to that of any other. This can free the audience from having to fabricate something positive since we have all been taught, ‘If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.’ And, most importantly, it helps us to listen.
In hindsight, the honesty of the teachers was important in moving forward. The “are you serious?" looks informed me that I would need to provide something—research, experiences of others, data—to support the practice. Comments like “I hate to write” informed me that bringing freewriting to teachers was vital if we were to have our students become proficient writers. The “you’ve got to be kidding me” outburst let me know that others were probably thinking the same and that if I really felt strongly about this practice, I might have to “fight” for it. The coaching relationship I built with these teachers enabled them to feel free enough to express themselves.
Eventually, freewriting became part of the norm for all of our staff literacy meetings. Little by little, the responses of “thank you” from others became more audible and consistent. Teachers began to share that they had been asking students to freewrite and share without response in their classroom and the kids “actually liked it.” Some began to share that instead of “thank you,” they adopted a two snap or two clap response. Whatever the response, the goal was that there would be more writing, more sharing, and more listening.
As the year progressed, the teachers became increasingly comfortable with writing and sharing. Stories of teachers asking students to freewrite and share writing began to surface. As I went into classrooms, I noticed more students sharing their writing.
The summer following my Summer Institute experience and after leading teachers in the act of freewriting for a year, my principal asked me to conduct a two-day literacy institute in our building. Our professional development focus was nonfiction writing. In my efforts to build literacy capacity, I asked several teachers in the building to help in the presentations.
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