Haiku Writing Station
Earlier this month I shared an idea about a writing station (aka: center) for older students. Another product from Chronicle Books has crossed my desk and has piqued my interest as something that… Continue reading
Monthly Archive: September, 2010
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Minilesson Part II
The other day I posted about minilessons being one way to plant a seed of learning. I firmly believe this is a purpose of a minilesson and then through independent practice, conferring, and… Continue reading
Minilessons Plant a Seed
One of the things I’m working on as a writing teacher is keeping minilessons, well, mini. As I’ve focused on this goal, I’ve realized sometimes lessons go long because I’m working toward perfection.… Continue reading
Words of Wisdom for Former Students
Right before I went to sleep last night I checked my e-mail. It contained a couple of useless e-mails from companies trying to get me to by their wares as well as an… Continue reading
Words that are Speaking to Me
And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. — Sylvia… Continue reading
Draft More Than You Publish
You know how athletes practice more than they play in games? The same is true for writers, especially our student writers. They must write more than they publish. When I first started following… Continue reading
Polacco’s Newest Book
Patricia Polacco’s newest book, The Junkyard Wonders, can be used during the first month of the school year when you’re teaching students about the climate of respect (for differences) you expect*. This exquisite… Continue reading
The Stir Over Superman
I’ve been home sick with a horrendous cough and cold this week. I’ve had to cancel everything for the past three days in an effort to get well. Needless to say, I got… Continue reading
Planning Read Alouds that Support the Workshop Model
lock·step noun, often attributive \ˈläk-ˌstep\ Definition of LOCKSTEP 1: a mode of marching in step by a body of persons going one after another as closely as possible 2: a standard method or… Continue reading
Let’s Celebrate!
How are you planning to celebrate the authors in your classroom? The longer I’m a part of writing workshops, not to mention the more I write, the more I believe in the importance… Continue reading
Words that are Speaking to Me
Giving characters free will, instead of outlining them in detail before writing begins, allows the story to flow naturally and allows the characters to become more real and more interesting than they could be if… Continue reading
WIP?
The past few months I’ve been reading several authors’ blogs and I keep coming across the abbreviation W.I.P. Finally I figured out it means Work In Progress. WIP is part of the language… Continue reading
Recap: Guest Blog Posts
Tomorrow will be the first Friday in over three months that there will not be a guest blogger posting. Ruth and I are going back to posting on alternating Fridays. However, I wanted… Continue reading
What is MOST important?
This question has been tumbling around in my mind lately: What is most important when it comes to literacy instruction? It stems from state mandates, district expectations, curriculum guides, and instructional minutes being… Continue reading
Joining-in & Sharing a Slice of Life
Welcome to our weekly Slice of Life Story Challenge. If you’re a regular participant, then go ahead and link away. However, if you’re new, or are thinking about sharing your writing with this… Continue reading
Mentor Texts in the Midst of Writing
When we think of using mentor texts when teaching writing workshop, often our first thought is to use them at the beginning of a unit of study so students can gain a sense… Continue reading
An Education Reform Article Worth Reading
Everywhere I turn these days, I seem to be faced with another article about education reform. From Time Magazine to The New York Times, it seems everyone is covering education a lot more… Continue reading
Remembering: Nine Years Later
A view of the Lower Manhattan Skyline on the evening of September 11th, 2010 (from Jersey City, NJ): From 09-11-10 I am one of the New Yorkers who did not personally lose a… Continue reading