Do you enjoy watching a favorite film again and again or rereading a book or putting a beloved song on repeat? List the pros and cons of revisiting the same material over and over.
New to freewriting? Check out our online guide.
A New Model for Teaching Writing
Meet Vincent and Shannon!
Even Language Arts teachers get the writing blues! We wanted to share this enchanting story with you of a loving mom—a former teacher—and her son in our [Brave Writer 101: Guided Writing Process] class.
Once upon a time, this Disney-lovin’ mom was a Language Arts teacher. You’d think that Shannon would ride off into the sunset with the traditional school system, but not so!
The typical brick-and-mortar school system was not working for her neurodiverse son, Vincent, so they embraced homeschooling.
Shannon certainly had the know-how to teach Language Arts. Except one thing. She’d always taught to the test, and now she didn’t want to do that.
[I]t’s difficult for me to hold back my “teacher training”… I was afraid to correct, afraid to comment, and afraid to help him add any details for fear of crushing his passion.
High five, Shannon! In fact, Shannon was doing many of the things we recommend to parents when students are finding their way.
My son started dictating stories to me from a very young age. I was his “secretary.” We had only tried one formal writing curriculum and it was not for us. I was determined to keep writing enjoyable for my son.
But she started to feel like it was not enough.
We literally did NO writing unless he decided to do so… His writing was all over the place, but he did have the content and original ideas.
The balance between teaching mechanics and preserving the fledgling voice of a child is a hard one to walk. Many parents struggle to grow their child’s writing skills without ruining their desire to write at all.
Enter Brave Writer!
Shannon signed up for our Brave Writer 101 class. This is our flagship course where the parent is the student!
Brave Writer coaches:
- Model gentle, constructive feedback to writing
- Show parents how to spur growth in writing, without harsh tactics
- Validate the mind life of the student and help them find their voice
- Provide tools and practices you can use when class is over
Shannon learned a new model for teaching writing. One she knew would work for them.
I learned HOW to support his writing in a positive way without ruining his spirit. Learning how to support him was the most important aspect because I saw how quickly he could grow. My biggest fear had been conquered and he had been supported in a positive and honest way.
It wasn’t long before Shannon noticed the effect this new writing experience was having for Vincent.
[T]he best part about the online course was that my son was getting feedback from someone else other than myself. He was actually excited to see what his teacher had thought of his writing. He’s a pretty confident writer and really wanted that feedback.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises was how many of Shannon’s concerns began to improve on their own.
Over a short time, I watched his writing expand and become more ordered. He used new vocabulary and actually planned before writing. It was a dream come true.
How’s that for win-win?
Vincent is 12 years old now and looks forward to writing more and more! His creativity gets to shine. Shannon tells us he loves to make up stories and write about his passions in a humorous way. What a guy!
Here’s one thing I’ve noticed over the years. It’s not just writing-averse parents and children who need a hand with writing instruction. Our established attitudes regarding writing —whether positive or negative, whether from our own schooling or professional experience—can hold us back.
Bottom line: even if you know how to write well, even if your child loves to write, it’s okay to get a helping hand. We’re here for you!
No Two Kids are the Same
Dragons, bugs, tanks. Origami, poodles, photosynthesis, endangered species, baking the perfect pie.
These are just some of the things our Brave Writer students have written about!
No two kids are the same—with their different
- interests,
- quirks,
- and learning styles.
That’s why so many of us embraced homeschooling in the first place! To let our kids be themselves.
That’s Brave Writer’s mission, too.
We embrace each child as part of our community. We value their quirkiness and individuality and we comment on their writing accordingly. Each student receives feedback tailored to their
- personality,
- abilities,
- and imagination.
Our writing coaches tell me all the time how your kids delight and fascinate them!
The bottom line: our classes are designed not only to instruct, but also celebrate, nurture, love, and lead your fabulous little people.
Thank you for trusting us!
Friday Freewrite: Movie Quotes
On some paper, write down a few of your favorite quotes from different movies. Now cut out individual words or phrases and make a new story with them!
New to freewriting? Check out our online guide.
Expand and Include
Sometimes I feel the world sway under my feet. I knew so many things when I was 22, 34, 41… The stuff I didn’t know came in waves, and like the ocean, the questions came in sets. I’d have one question and it would expand into a series, each one more confounding and nuanced, and even contradictory, than the next.
I was, for instance, a co-sleeping, on demand breast-feeder until my fourth baby broke me. I hadn’t had to test my beliefs to that degree—four kids under 7, a bedwetter, pregnant again, a toddler still nursing, a baby who needed to be attached to my body in order to sleep. I became desperately sleep-deprived.
Broke me, busted up everything I had so smugly known. I looked outside my approved literature and circle of authority because the former answers couldn’t contain my new reality. It felt dangerous and disloyal…and liberating.
And it’s been just like that thousands of times since. A day dawned in my late forties when I saw things differently—that no belief or practice comes pure. No one way solves all the iterations of need. Everything we “know” is contingent on interpretation and context.
In fact, if someone says a thing is 100 percent true, you can be sure that’s context too. It’s a way to get you to pretend you didn’t choose or shouldn’t think for yourself or can’t vary your practice or belief, else you lose membership in the “club.”
I woke up today thinking about how important it is to expand and include. When you run out of options, go outside the safety of what no longer serves. Life gets tight and unworkable when we trap ourselves into rigid systems unrelated to the complexity of being a unique self. We have options. We have choices. We are not alone. We can find well-being. It’s not up to them. It’s up to us.
This post is originally from Instagram and @juliebogartwriter is my account there so come follow along for more conversations like this one!
