COVID-19 · cultural relevance · current events · digital tools · digital writing · Distance Learning · EAL · guest blogger · literacy coaches · mentor texts · minilesson · struggling writers

Inviting Voices from the Community

As the 2020-2021 school year sets to start, we recognize that educators need each other more than ever. We need to hold onto our beliefs about the teaching of writing while becoming ever more flexible in our approaches. We need to grow in our understanding of Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy (as described in Gholdy… Continue reading Inviting Voices from the Community

Belief Statements · classroom environment · COVID-19 · digital tools · Distance Learning · writing workshop

Belief Statements: The Breadcrumbs of Teaching Near and Far

No matter where we gather to teach children, the values we have for children and education should not change.

Slice of Life Story Challenge

Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge

It's Tuesday! Time to invest in your own writing life with the Slice of Life Story Challenge.

Seen, Valued, Heard: Writing to Establish Community Blog Series

ICYMI: Seen, Valued, Heard Blog Series

Did you miss a post this week? No worries! I am sharing a round-up of all the links to our August Blog Series today.

community · conferring · COVID-19 · feedback · remote learning · Seen, Valued, Heard: Writing to Establish Community Blog Series

Seen, Valued, Heard: Providing Feedback AFTER Establishing Community

If your fall instruction plan includes any kind of virtual teaching, then building and maintaining relationships will be more crucial than ever. In order to engage and motivate students, educators must work to genuinely connect with students before focusing on academics.

back to school · COVID-19 · poetry · Seen, Valued, Heard: Writing to Establish Community Blog Series

Seen, Valued, Heard: Poetry to Establish Community

The 2020-2021 school year will likely be different than any other school year we’ve ever known. While last year ended with emergency remote learning in most places due to COVID-19, the year began like all others before. We had the opportunity to get to know our students deeply and establish classroom communities. I teach on… Continue reading Seen, Valued, Heard: Poetry to Establish Community

community · notebooks · reading-writing connections · Seen, Valued, Heard: Writing to Establish Community Blog Series · shared writing · writer's notebook · writing about reading · writing workshop

Seen, Valued, Heard: Leveraging Shared Writing to Build Community

In my experience, many young writers struggle to use a writer’s notebook as a tool. They’re excited to have a notebook but unclear about what to “do” in there. Shared writing can be a powerful way to teach writers how to generate ideas for writing and to get themselves started, based on the books we are reading and discussing as a community.

personal narrative · risk-taking · Seen, Valued, Heard: Writing to Establish Community Blog Series

Seen, Valued, Heard: The Riskiness and Power of Teaching Personal Narrative Writing at the Start of the Year

How do you build a community of writers at the start of the year who can trust each other with their stories? And how can you do that in a hybrid or distance learning model?

community · COVID-19 · partnerships · Seen, Valued, Heard: Writing to Establish Community Blog Series

Seen, Valued, Heard: Writing Partnerships to Establish Community

In our blog series this week, the team at Two Writing Teachers hopes to support you in the common purpose of building community in your classrooms, however those classrooms may look this year. One important building block of community is helping kids feel connected through partnerships. Read on for ideas on this important topic . . .

heart maps · Seen, Valued, Heard: Writing to Establish Community Blog Series · writing workshop

Seen, Valued, Heard: Creating Heart Maps to Build Identity

What do you notice in the world that you would like to change?” “Are there examples of injustices, inequality, or prejudice in my school, neighborhood, town or city?”

Slice of Life Story Challenge

Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge

It's Tuesday! Gift yourself time to write, share, and give. (It will be worth every minute!)

Seen, Valued, Heard: Writing to Establish Community Blog Series · writer identity · writing workshop

Seen, Valued, Heard: Honoring Identity to Establish Community

More than ever, identities matter, and more than ever, we must rise to the challenge of learning about our students, valuing them, and inspiring them to share all that matters in their worlds.