Writing with Rebekah's Mom

Two weeks ago, we were so fortunate to have Rebekah's Mom (Ms. Duckett) share her writing life with our class. I had taken so many wonderful pictures of Ms. Duckett sharing her journals and ideas with our kids, but the pictures were accidentally deleted from the digital camera. But I did take lots of notes, and I wanted to share some of the big ideas she shared with us:

• Choose a journal or notebook that you love. You are much more likely to write in a notebook that you connect with.
• The texture of a notebook is important. Ms. Duckett has found that smooth, slick notebooks tend to fall apart. Choose a quality notebook that will last.
• The size of your notebook is very important. Choose a notebook that's convenient to transport. You never know when you'll find an idea, and it's very useful to have your notebook handy.
• Learn to look for ideas all around you (Ms. Duckett told a very interesting story about a squirrel - she took the time to stop and notice life around her).
• Your notebook is a safe place to write - you're the main audience!
• "So the thinker of thoughts will become the writer of words" - what an incredible quote! It reminds me of a poem we sometimes say in our classroom: "What I think, I can say. What I say, I can write. What I write, I can read. What I read, I can share."
• It's fun to look back at notebooks and journals you've kept in the past and see how you've changed and grown.
• Your life is worth writing about!

At the end of her presentation, I asked Ms. Duckett to share some of her thoughts about writing - some parting wisdom for our class. I was lucky enough not to erase this from my video camera!

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