Interactive and Enhanced Writing Center

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

As a child, I have always had a passion for writing. I would make attempts to jot down something any and every chance that I got. I can vividly recall times during my summer vacation where my mother would laugh at me. She would laugh at me because I was always using my notebook paper and writing utensils to be creative. As far back as I can remember, I would attempt to write my own plays, television shows and sometimes I would attempt to write songs. I always knew I had to be writing something. Today, as a second year teacher in a 6th grade classrooom, I would love to continnue to build upoon that love for writing into my students. It is also a big focus in my area of teaching. Writing will not only allow them to expand their minds creatively, but it will also assist in their process of becoming productive citizens within their communities and the world. My school is located on the southwest side of Chicago and houses students from two overcrowded schools. Both schools have populations (one Latino and one African-American) that are being placed together for the first time. Within my classroom there will be approximately 30 students. Being that I teach 6th grade Languauge Arts, these items will be utilized by all students within this grade level. I feel that this enhanced writing center can be one that will assist them in coming together as a cohesive community, while at the same time, enhancing their writing skills. While I will be teaching writing on a daily basis to my students, I would like to take the writing process to another level. I already have the necessary components of a standard writing center. This center houses items such as pens, pencils, loose leaf notebook paper, rulers, envelopes, colored pencils, gel pens, staplers, colored and construction paper and a basic three-hole puncher. I would like to make this writing center one that is not only fun, but also a center that allows them to be creative. Within this center I would like to add a two items. The first is a basic book-binding machine. The maching will allow them to take their writing projects to another level. A level of being "published." The other item(s) I would like to add are bins. The bins would allow them to place and store their projects as they take them through the writing process. I feel that these items will allow the students' imaginations to run "wild and vividly." They will also allow them to take pride and ownership in their work. With proper guidance and modeled "mini-lessons", it will also allow them to develop numerous ideas to write and publish the own books. Some of the ideas that I am working on include my class communicating with other 6th grade classrooms from sister schools and possibly schools within other states. This center will assist me in meeting state standards through my teaching of writing, while also allowing the students to enjoy the art of writing with a number of "additives" to make the process fun and interactive.