My students and I have been looking forward to the National Writing Project’s Write Out, a writing event that takes place in October. NWP partners with the National Parks to create videos and writing prompts designed to get kids outside to write. Last Friday, I handed each student a 5×7 blank book and told them it would be their Write-Out notebook. What is it about having a new clean colorful book that makes you want to write?
After watching a short video from Ranger Chris from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, we went outside to the playground to observe nature and write haiku poems. I wrote alongside them. I shared how I sketch in my notebook. Sketching is low-stakes art. Sketching helps to motivate and enhance writing while making their notebooks a safe place to explore.
Back inside, students were enthusiastic about sharing their poems. Because I teach multiple groups at two different schools, we use Fanschool for sharing our writing.
If you have a minute, it would be exciting to my students if you wrote comments on their first ever haiku poems:
Max wrote “The Daytime”
Kailyn wrote about a butterfly in the grass.
We found moth caterpillars near the trees. Adelyn and Sadie wrote about them.
Carson wrote about the sugarcane field.
John-Robert’s poem.
Give yourself some time today to be outside and observe nature. Share your haiku with us.
I am sharing my poems on Instagram.
Reflections on the Teche 