Check out Stacey's end-of-the-month curated collection of writing Tweets!
Month: November 2015
Happy Thanksgiving!
On behalf of the co-author team, I'd like to thank you for your dedication to the writers you teach. As the eight of us know, the work of a teacher of writers is never done. There are always minilessons to write, new strategies to try, and drafts to be read. For all that you do… Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving!
In Thanks: Books That Built a Writing Teacher
What are the books that have shaped you as a teacher of writing? Reflecting today, in thanks, for the authors and books that have influenced my life as a teacher.
Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge on #TWTBlog
Welcome to the Slice of Life Story Challenge on this great Tuesday. We are so glad you are joining us today.
Living the Life of a Writer
At this point of the school year, your writing workshop is probably in full swing. You are chugging along through your writing curriculum, and you are probably using checklists and rubrics to assess your young writers' developing skills. Today's post is a reminder to step back and think not only about the discrete writing skills… Continue reading Living the Life of a Writer
Drilling Down into the Writing
Of the many ways I gain an understanding of my writers, my favorite and most valuable is gathering up all the writing and diving into reading ALL the students’ work.
Welcome to the World, Oliver!
We're throwing a virtual baby shower for Anna, who welcomed a new baby into the world yesterday.
A Short & Sweet Minilesson Formula
There is a formula that I use, time and time again, to adapt my own minilessons. Yes, this formula helps me keep my minilessons to about ten minutes and makes planning more streamlined, but more importantly this formula helps me with one of my personal goals as a teacher: student engagement.
The View from Pennsylvania: A Trip to Highlights Foundation
A little over a year ago, Stacey posted about an "Unworkshop" at a place called the Highlights Foundation. Her experience sounded blissful and it soon became something on my bucket list. I then began looking for workshop opportunities at this special little place in Pennsylvania. What I found was that they offered a variety… Continue reading The View from Pennsylvania: A Trip to Highlights Foundation
Quality Reading Instruction Leads to Better Writing: A Review of Jennifer Serravallo’s Independent Reading Assessment
When I tested Jennifer Serravallo’s Independent Reading Assessment (Scholastic), I was an immediate believer. Finally, here is a reading assessment that gives rich, clear information about upper grade readers, using an authentic reading task (It is the only reading assessment system to date in which readers read a whole book. This assessment system is directly correlated… Continue reading Quality Reading Instruction Leads to Better Writing: A Review of Jennifer Serravallo’s Independent Reading Assessment
Where do your minilessons live?
How do we keep these minilessons alive for our kids? What do we do to make sure our kids have these anchor charts to reference as they begin drafting, revising, editing?
Join Us! The Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge on #TWTBlog!
No shadow No stars No moon No care November It only believes In a pile of dead leaves And a moon That's the color of bone Tom Waits, 'November' Do you wish your writing had stronger imagery, or sounded smooth, like the lyrics of a song? Well, today is your day! Practice your craft and post… Continue reading Join Us! The Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge on #TWTBlog!

