A couple of weeks ago I was re-reading the chapter about genre studies in The Art of Teaching Writing, New Edition (Heinemann, 1994) by Lucy Calkins. Once I was finished, I flipped to the final chapter of Lucy's book, which is entitled "Do I Dare to Care So Much?" I was looking for inspiration. (In… Continue reading Your Dreams Matter. Your Teaching Matters.
Month: November 2012
The Intersection of Poetry and Informational Writing + a Giveaway
When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders can be used as a mentor text to help students craft poems, instead of biographies or informational reports, about people they read about and research.
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Reading More, Understanding More
Today a third grade teacher stopped me and said, "You should read some of the reviews my students wrote. They are awesome." "Really?" I smiled. "Oh yeah. They were so much better than last year." Last year she opened her classroom to me in order to try-out some of my thinking about opinion writing, specifically… Continue reading Reading More, Understanding More
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Tuesday Slices
I've been reading Lynne Dorfman and Rose Cappelli's new book, Poetry Mentor Texts: Making Reading and Writing Connections, K-8. They have a reminder, on page five of their book, that is worthy of repeating today and every day: As a teacher of writers, it is important to be a teacher who writes.
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Where to start?
As many of you know, I love helping people get started with workshop. Here's what I'm wondering tonight... What is the most important thing to know as a writing workshop teacher? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so I hesitate to share mine. Please leave a comment about your first reaction to this question. Even… Continue reading Where to start?
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Be more than busy. Be productive. Be happy.
Seven tips to help you get and stay more productive during the holiday season and all year long.
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Gratitude List
Oops...I was supposed to post this yesterday. Oh well, here we go... Gratitudes Dirty Dishes. I cook for my family. We eat together. Again and again. So I smile as I wash and remember not everyone has the abundance of food as we do. Muddy Floor. My kids play outside, and they run inside, not… Continue reading Gratitude List
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank a family member, friend, or colleague for a small kindness they've extended to you. While a text message or an e-mail is nice, a handwritten note or live conversation (i.e., in person, via Skype/Facetime, or on the telephone) is even better.
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Because of WMS…
I began my career as a seventh grade language arts teacher at Wawasee Middle School. Thirteen years later, I remain in the same district, but in a different position. My career path has taken me into hundreds of classrooms. I've been able to learn about writers from preschool to college. I've developed many diverse relationships.… Continue reading Because of WMS…
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The Weekly SOLSC
Here are some quotes about writing to serve as inspiration for your writing today or for the writing you will do in the week to come: •“Walk through life like a writer.” --Lucy Calkins •“Tell the truth about your life and what’s really going on.” --Georgia Heard •“We know the truth of ordinary life events. … Continue reading The Weekly SOLSC
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Voices Strong Reflection
Remember a few weeks ago I visited Christy Rush-Levine's classroom? As a reflection for our curriculum director, principal, and school board, we (Andrea Komorowski, 6th grade language arts teacher; Shelley Kunkle, 7th grade language arts teacher; Deb Gaby, corporation reading coach; and me) put together a video. It's long (and you know my rule about… Continue reading Voices Strong Reflection
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Information Charts: A Guest Blog Post by Kristi Mraz and Marjorie Martinelli
We are so delighted to be guest blogging here at Two Writing Teachers. We know many teachers who use this invaluable resource and are honored to lend our thoughts on writing. It’s that time of year again. We are dusting off the decorations, making shopping lists, and planning for upcoming non-fiction writing units. This is… Continue reading Information Charts: A Guest Blog Post by Kristi Mraz and Marjorie Martinelli
