Miss Amy {Poetry Friday}

you

guided me

you 

guided we

invitations

opening doors

offering 

a starting point

encouraging

a high five 

a smile

a kind gentle word

guiding

collecting words

all poetry

possibilities

modeling 

mentoring

me

and we

@Mandy E Robek

Our distance learning journey was brightened each day by working with Amy Ludwig Vanderwater's Keeping a Notebook Series.  At first when my teaching world had been turned upside down, I used exclusively Amy's daily videos for my writing instruction.  I watched and observed teaching moves she made to guide her audience.  I watched my students connect and respond to her ideas growing their own writing.  During our morning meeting responses I started getting a "high five Mrs. Robek, just like Miss Amy."  After spring break, we began a poetry unit and I continued using Amy's generous sharing.  As my student's shared their writing with me, I began noticing teaching moves I could make to help accelerate their writing or reinforce an idea Amy shared.  Our writing workshop grew.  We'd watch Miss Amy's video and then I would try Miss Amy's idea in my notebook - snapping a picture to share and recording my thinking over the photo using the tool Seesaw.  Sometimes, a few students would address Miss Amy in their writing sharing with a connection, wondering, or telling her they wanted to do something different today as a writer.  Distance doesn't seem like the right word here for our learning together.  Our continuous structure and repeated visits brought connections - we had connected learning.  Thank you Amy for making something challenging doable.  Hugs.  XO.  - Mandy

Thank you Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink for hosting Poetry Friday this week.