Writing about what's important to you

Students need to be engaged in personal writing on a daily basis. As teachers we need to help students focus on writing about themselves and what is important to them.

Personal writing is writing that you do for yourself~like a conversation with your best friend. 

Personal writing can include entries made in a private journal, notes kept in a school journal, and letters or postcards written to relatives or friends. Some personal writing is meant for the writer alone. Often, private writing later becomes a story, poem, or other form of writing.

I always begin my day with personal writing, and I end my day with personal writing. Think of it as a "writing sandwich." 

As a writer, you need to ask yourself, "What is important to me?" Everyone's answer will be different because each of us is different. Whatever you choose to write, it needs to be important to you.

Personal writing is a great way to explore your thoughts and feelings. When something incredibly good or bad happens, put your thoughts and feelings about it on paper. Writing about your thoughts and emotions regarding the experience will help you put it in perspective~especially if it is something bad. Writing down your thoughts and feelings will clarify them and make them more accessible to you.

Here is a great writing exercise for today: You have probably already had many ideas and experiences today. In your journal, list as many of these as you can recall. Perhaps you could use some of these experiences in your personal writing.

Here is my list:

Reno was afraid of the thunderstorm and got in bathtub. Now, it's a mess and somebody needs to clean it up.

I'm going to have to buy a microSD card for the Garmin as it won't hold the Ireland map.

I called the bank to let them know that we're traveling internationally.

My brother called and invited the oldest to go to a breakfast at the Canadian Embassy in D.C.

Wow~I already have four different things that I can write about.

What are you waiting for?

Melissa Reese Etheridge