The Comic Sans Trick
The internet has proved itself useful and has given us the Comic Sans trick. Read on to learn how the font we love to hate can help you cure writer’s block.
Monthly Archive: February, 2019
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Finding Purpose: The Key to Making High Frequency Words Stick
By paying close attention to the words kids are writing most in each genre, we can shift the motive of teaching and learning high frequency words from “have to” to “want to.”
Today is the final SOL Tuesday before the 12th Annual SOLSC begins!
Today’s the final warm-up before our month-long writing challenge begins this Friday.
Talking to Caregivers about Conventions and Spelling
More than other skills, most caregivers tend to worry about spelling and conventions when it comes to their child’s writing. I get it. Those skills are right there at the tip of the writing iceberg. Those skills are concrete and obvious. Those skills are the ones that they recognize and know how to fix when they sit with their child. So how do we talk to caregivers about spelling and punctuation? Here are three ideas that you may find helpful.
Teaching Writers to Reflect + Giveaway
For the past two weeks, I’ve been immersing myself in some reflection. This book, TEACHING WRITERS TO REFLECT, has been an excellent tool as I pass along reflective practices to my students.
Where is the Attention?
Sometimes it can be difficult to imagine creating or allowing a wider audience to read our students’ writing. But there is great possibility in doing so. It just takes a shift in attention…
Budding Bloggers
I remember when I started blogging with my first graders, I dove right in without a thought! Despite my lack of preparedness I never looked back. Blogging inspired and connected my students in ways I never imagined. I know you’ll find the same joy in blogging!
SOL Tuesday #sol19
After you leave the link to your slice of life story today, please take a moment to fill out the Participant Information Form for the 12th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge (if you haven’t done so already). The link is in body of this post.
Thinking Ahead to April and the Classroom SOLSC
The Classroom SOLSC is in April this year and it gives me an extra month to reflect, plan and prepare! How are you helping students to get ready for this challenge?
Participant Information Form #sol19
Attention first-year and returning Slicers: Please fill out this year’s participant information form. Filling out the form takes less than five minutes and helps us stay organized during the Challenge.
Three Ways to Be A Better Colleague
Three ways YOU can be a kinder, more generous, better person to work with.
Growing a Classroom Environment Where Writers are Seen and Inspired
A place to make meaning of ourselves and the world around us, writing is a powerful tool for self-discovery. However, when idea-collection tools and drafts are stored in folders, we miss a valuable opportunity to make the diverse lives and experiences of our communities visible. Instead, we can rely on classroom as a tool for making children, their identities, and experiences seen.
SOL Tuesday #sol19
Before you leave the link to your slice of life story today, please take a moment to read the announcements and enjoy a quote about writing.
SOLSC 2019 Prize Reveal
And so — TA-DA — here is the list of prizes for the 12th Annual SOLSC, all donated by generous publishers and individuals.
Be a Writing Coach.
Would you like to help your striving writers so they can be more independent? Try a coaching conference to move them forward!
Time to Write
Donald Murray, author of the seminal text A Writer Teaches Writing (Houghton Mifflin, 1985), teaches us that one of the most important things to a writer is time, time to write. But with the many time constraints faced by teachers, how can we be thinking about time in ways that make a difference for our students?
Eyes Wide Open
I want to see others first and I want to see everyone for who they are and how they want to be seen.
SOL Tuesday
Before you leave the link to your slice of life story today, PLEASE read the announcement about the Participant Information Form at the top of today’s announcements.
ICYMI: Teaching Writing with a Social Justice Lens
We hope you enjoyed our February Blog Series!
A School Can Be The Change: Teaching Writing with a Social Justice Lens
Pictures tell the story of a NYC public school that integrates social comprehension with literacy. At P.S. 59, identity, student voice, and activism are a part of school culture, and I’m honored to share it!