I aspire to write...

I once thought that writing was something to hate. Lists, jottings, and phrases, that was all I did. I called that writing. Inspiring my kiddos to write was painful. I wasn't much of an inspiration. They seemed more motivated than me. I often felt like I was squashing their hunger to write. I often just avoided it. "I'd much rather teach Math! I'm good at that." I'd tell myself. I'd act on it too. Sorry to all those kids who lost out on writing. Whose ability to write has been stunted because of their 3rd grade teacher. But, I bet your pretty darn good at Math!
October 2006. This is when my life as a teacher, my career as I knew it, was flipped upside down and inside out and then flipped again. I attended an All Write! Conference. Ruth Ayres was the presenter. I sat, arms folded, knowing I was going to walk out with good ideas, but ideas that I would never use. Ideas where the results seemed so unattainable that there was no way I was going to put time and effort into them. Ruth calmly began her presentation. Seemingly giving great thought to how she said things...how she presented. I liked her presentation style. My folded arms loosened. She continued on.
It wasn't long before I was engrossed. I was hanging on her every thought. Her every word. I was learning so much. I was retaining so much. I was certain these were things I could do. Things I could easily take back to my classroom. I was beginning to feel a little like writing wasn't so bad. BUT, I was not committing to liking it. No way, No how was I going to say those words that may express that writing was an enjoyable way to pass the time.
Soon Ruth was onto this thing called a Writer's Notebook. I had these. Heck, I had about 6 of these. Almost all were still in the Target bag that I brought them home in. They were gorgeous, dainty, and they screamed me. On the inside, however, they were empty. I had intentions of writing in them. I just never felt inspired.
By the time our 3 day conference was over my arms were loose, I was getting so many great ideas and thoughts that I knew could be and would be used in my classroom. I was a true believer in writing. I was a writing teacher, a motivator, and a lover of writing. I am not sure what kind of magic wand was waved over me during those three days, but something most certainly clicked with me. Something happened that has changed me. I now enjoy teaching writing and writing on a personal level. My Writer's Notebook is filled with lists, dark clouds of worries, short stories, poetry, pictures, and memories. I love sharing it with my kiddos and inspiring them to write. I enjoy feeding that hunger that they have to get their ideas down and share them in an open forum.
I still feel I have a ways to go, but I am on my way. I hope this blog helps me to get even more comfortable with my personal writing because...
I aspire to write.