Entry 12: Reflecting on the Genres

 Reflecting on all the in-depth learning we did on the different genres, I realized that I haven't spent time just thinking about writing in a very long time. I have taken for granted the knowledge that I already had about the different genres and didn't think about how I could expand my own thinking. I would have to thank the class for giving me time to think critically about the different genres and the aspects that go into each one. 

I felt confident about certain genres like the letter writing and the narrative genre. Those are two genres that you become familiar with at an early age. I felt comfortable exploring those genres. I will say that I learned unexpected and very welcomed information about both genres. Thinking in greater detail about the letter genre allowed for me to push myself to think about how to incorporate this genre in the later grades. The presentation group's activities and their online tool helped to spark an idea of morphing the letter writing information with the digital age. I even expanded my thinking in a blog post. The narrative genre was a great chapter to read and full of information. I had forgotten how many little parts come together to make up that genre. I now have a nice and elaborate vocabulary list for the narrative genre that I want to make sure I include in my teaching. I have also learned to slow down and vary my teaching when it comes to this genre because there are so many parts to it. 

The main genre that I feel as if I gained a better understanding of would be descriptive writing. That genre was eye-opening to me and I can say that I now have a deeper understanding of this genre. I have never really taken the chance to think thoughtfully about this genre. When I write, I just try and make my writing as descriptive as possible based off of all the texts that I have read in life. I used my ability as a reader to influence my writing when it came to this genre. Learning the different techniques that Tompkins (2012) mentioned was a great learning experience. Technique 2 which was word choice was where I learned the most. Again, I knew that word choice was important, but this page taught me how to create those important words. Tompkins (2012) gave examples such as "using vivid verbs, add colorful modifiers, avoid "tired" words, and differentiate among similar words" (p.138). These explicit instructions helps me to be a better teacher because it breaks down the steps we must go through to get to descriptive writing. It walks us through what our brains must do and it helps us to be thoughtful when teaching and of what we ask of our students. 

The mentor texts were a great help in learning how to understand exactly what Tompkins (2012) was saying. I often felt that the mentor texts helped to reinforce the ideas presented to us by Tompkins (2012). I would read about something associated with a certain genre in the textbook and would then see it reflected back to me in the mentor text. This created a rich learning environment for me. I was deeply affected by having to go through and find mentor texts. These texts helped me to reach a new level in understanding and of teaching. I can now use texts as a material in my classroom in a engaging way. I now understand the benefits of being a reader and being able to identify pieces of the text you are reading. This whole process has been a great learning experience.