For the entire term, we had a morning ritual: sustained, silent writing. I felt a little hesitant about starting it, as a previous class had a lukewarm reaction, and we ended up quitting halfway through the term.
I needn't have worried. This class loved it.
The rules for SSW are simple:
- Write about whatever you want.
- Keep writing until the ten minutes is over.
- Do not go back to reread or correct spelling or grammar.
- Don't show anyone else what you've written unless you want to.
That in itself was impressive. Some people who started out under a hundred words could consistently generate three hundred by term end.
Even more interesting, several students told me that SSW had helped their grammar and expression. It also built their confidence, making them play and have fun with writing while they built skills.