I went to the TCRWP Website in order to link my last post. While I was there I noticed that the K-8 Continuum for Assessing Narrative Writing has been posted on the public part of the Project's Website. It is NOT for duplication. This document is still a work in progress, at it was last… Continue reading Assessing Narrative Writing
Month: October 2007
A Must-Read for All WW Teachers
An article published this past summer in Education Next came across my desk today. "The Lucy Calkins project: parsing a self-proclaimed literacy guru" disturbed me for two reasons: 1. Lucy was my professor for four courses when I was a graduate student at Teachers College. She taught me how to be a better teacher of… Continue reading A Must-Read for All WW Teachers
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Strategy: Write Using A Photo
Whenever I want my students to bring in a photograph to help them write, I usually say NO PORTRAITS since there are rarely good stories that come from them. Hence, I put together this mosaic, which can be used in a demonstration prior to having the kids bring photos to school, so that I can… Continue reading Strategy: Write Using A Photo
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Thinking Critically About the Writing Workshop: Reflecting on the Way I Teach Writing
I wanted to reflect on some questions my former professor, Stephanie Jones, presents at the end of chapter 11 in her book Girls, Social Class, and Literacy. She asks readers to consider some questions about the Writing Workshop that they teach. Here are her questions and my answers: 1. How are students positioned in Writing… Continue reading Thinking Critically About the Writing Workshop: Reflecting on the Way I Teach Writing
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i flopped.
Big Time. Seriously. It wasn't pretty. But it was a good experience. Here's the scenario -- A classroom of first graders + Exploding folders filled with stories + Each story is written across pages + NO staples + A weak focus lesson = Monster Chaos The teacher took a photo & I must say a… Continue reading i flopped.
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Checking Drafts BEFORE Publishing
I just began an e-discussion with someone about whether or not teachers should check their students' drafts (i.e., EACH STUDENT'S DRAFT) prior to allowing the kids to move forward and publish their work. We both think the same way: ABSOLUTELY! This absolutely needs to happen in order to ensure that not only is the child… Continue reading Checking Drafts BEFORE Publishing
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Take a look around you
When I taught in NYC, I was fortunate enough to work one block away from Central Park. Therefore, when the urge struck me, I'd take my students out to Central Park with their writer's notebooks to record their noticings. They wrote beautiful poems in the Park, but rarely stories. I've come to believe that we… Continue reading Take a look around you
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Poetry Friday in My Classroom
Last week I began having my students share poems (original or ones they love from other poets) on Friday mornings. Only one person signed up so far this week and I know he's going to be absent today due to a medical appointment. I'm wondering if anyone else will sign up... I really hope so!… Continue reading Poetry Friday in My Classroom
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Poetry Friday: It’s Autumn Here in New England
The school year started exactly one month ago today (yes, I'm posting my Poetry Friday post an hour before it's actually Friday). During that time I've been watching a small tree's leaves change colors as I descend the stairs to the parking lot of my apartment building. For some reason, it caught my eye while… Continue reading Poetry Friday: It’s Autumn Here in New England
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The Test
When I lived in NYC, I never had to prepare my fifth graders to do writing on the State ELA Test since there was only a graphic organizer and a short response that the kids had to write about a passage. However, here in Rhode Island, we're preparing our fourth graders to take the New… Continue reading The Test
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Write about it in your notebook!
One of my students got injured in the classroom yesterday. Hence, he had to make a trip to the hospital emergency room. I visited him in the evening and found that he had two hospital bracelets on. I suggested that he tape them into his writer's notebook after he got discharged and then use those… Continue reading Write about it in your notebook!
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troubleshooting.
On Monday I worked in a first grade classroom and the teacher commented, I feel like when you come all you do is troubleshoot. I've been thinking about her comment because really her workshop is running quite nicely -- especially considering that she is teaching language arts for the first time in her entire life. I've… Continue reading troubleshooting.
