The Transformative Power of Sharing by Kayla Briseño

Recently, I took a poetry workshop from my favorite poet, Naomi Shihab Nye, in which we wrote, shared and praised each other’s writing.  The effect was quick -- powerful. After that first nugget of praise, I wanted to write more, to push myself, to keep going!  And it carried over in the months to come.  Something transformative was birthed in me that day just because of a little celebrating.

In my classroom, with my student writers, I hold that same power. Each small choice I make within my limited 45 minutes makes all the difference.  I don’t want them to simply pass the test; I want them to become writers who catch the joy and desire to write ravenously and well.  How is this accomplished?  Through sharing and honoring our writing ritualistically.

We regularly share and applaud each others’ experiments after notebook time and writers’ workshop and we have poetry cafes and gallery walks, but here are two things we do in room 218 that are simple yet potent:

Peer Review: Weekly we get to share and receive feedback on our writing.  As we move around the room, we respond to a draft by:

• blessing it (saying specifically what’s good about it)
• addressing it (saying what parts are confusing/unclear) 
• pressing it (giving ideas on what could be improved or removed)

 After having a chance to respond to a few pieces, we share shout outs for the work we loved.

Sparkling Sentences: While looking over any student work, I jot down sentences that have strong diction, are dripping with craft, employ a technique learned or that just sound good. I project them, ask what makes the sentence so sparkly, write their comments next to the sentence and permanently post them.  Not only are the authors being praised, but they are exposed to craft and new possibilities in writing. 

Sharing is often cut because it takes too long or we can’t get students to actually talk about their writing. If it's not about Fortnite or Snapchat, good luck!  But in room 218, sharing is valued and it is vital for spreading joy and growing us all into resilient, passionate writers.


When she’s not in her 6th/7th grade English classroom in San Antonio, Texas, you can find Kayla Briseño in a few places: at home with her favorite 4.75-year-old and wonderful husband; in a coffee shop reading, writing, or bullet journaling; or somewhere out in nature.  Along with her husband (@stephen_briseno), she leads writing professional developments for teacher/author Gretchen Bernabei’s consulting group, Trail of Breadcrumbs.  Follow her on Twitter: @kayla_briseno, on her class website: www.mrsbrisenoin218.weebly.com, and at www.trailofbreadcrumbs.net.