Saturday, April 2, 2011

Dialogue Journal

I started a "Dialogue Journal" with Logan this semester (LAST semester....only 32 more teaching days left! Woo-hoo!). Basically, it is a written dialogue that he and I have. I don't grade or correct it. I just read it and respond to him. There are several reasons I have worked this into our day.

1) He feels safe writing whatever he wants to write with no fear of it being covered in blood. Blood?!?!?!?!?! Yeah, that is what I call the blasted red ink -- blood. Do you remember as a students working so hard on something just to get it back covered in red? It is like it broke your heart and it bleed through your teacher's pen....so I call red ink blood. Don't get me wrong, I use red ink...I do. If for no other reason to see where something was incorrect and I don't miss it when averaging the grade and reteaching. However, with the dialogue journal I don't correct it. I don't even use red ink to write back to him in it.

2) Since it is a "Dialogue Journal" I write back to him, thus modeling proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. This actually should affect his writing. See, it is sneaky. I am correcting him, but he does not know it. He just thinks I am responding to him. Get it?

Moving on, the last several journal entries have been about Easter. I just have to share because the pictures he draws are pretty good and the writings are kind of funny. Now, before you read them please keep in mind that he is a 10 year old boy and in order to get and keep a 10 year old boys attention and motivation to write it is good to talk about gross stuff -- farts and poop. I know, I know what am I thinking? Raising a boy in which it is okay to write about stuff like that?!?!?!?!?

I am copying these as he wrote them. I am fairly certain you can figure out what he means! Ummmm...have I mentioned that we are desperately trying to improve his spelling? LOL!

Journal #1
I'm exided about easter. My favoret part is wen we look for easter eggs. I'm going to give a note the easter Bonny saying not to give me chacklet.



My response:
I am looking forward to Easter too! I really like the bunny you drew. The picture is very cute!

Journal #2
Why thank you. I always wondered if the easter bunny has a famliey? Who makes the candy? Or if he has a wife or pet?

My response:
I wonder if the Easter bunny is a boy or girl? I sure hope that no matter what it is, it does not poop jelly beans! I don't think I could even eat candy again if it came from a bunny's butt!

Journal #3:
We'll have to see the movie. Who knows where the chacklet comes from. I figure that ckicklings are the srvens. Do the Bonnes rely talk.
My Response:
I do not know if bunnies really talk. If the jelly beans are bunny poo, than I don't even want to think about what or how the chocolate is made! Do you think the movie is true? How big is the Easter Bunny?

Journal #4
I bet he is as big as a Bidle. do you think the easter bunny has a enemy? I think the white stuf in a cadbury creamer turns into a baby bunny. It's white at first.

My Response:
Who would want to hurt the Easter Bunny? I don't think he has any enemies. Well, maybe if a home had the world's largest cat!

I can't wait until Monday to see what he writes back! I wonder if I lost my "Mother of the Year Award"  for writing such crude responses? Or maybe I earned Teacher of the Year for getting this kid who HATES to write, to write! ;-)


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