Meet Writers Where They Are Blog Series · writing workshop

Meet Writers Where They Are Blog Series

Kathleen Neagle Sokolowski

Our students are back, whether in person all the time or some of the time or via remote learning…they are back. They are looking to us to teach them. We are back – whether behind a mask or a computer screen – we are in a new school year, navigating unchartered terrain, wanting to do the best we can for our students. No two ways about it, teaching during a global pandemic is hard. Whether you are teaching students in-person, in a hybrid model, or remotely, each mode of teaching and learning is fraught with challenges… and opportunities. 

The TWT co-authors envisioned this blog series to be responsive to this moment in time. As educators, we need to meet students where they are. We need to know the students in front of us (or on the screen with us) and understand where they are as learners. Our teaching needs to be focused and directed to what the students need.

Meet Writers Where They Are: A Blog Series by the Co-Authors of Two Writing Teachers - #TWTBlog

Each co-author took a few minutes to share how teaching and learning looks in our neck of the woods and what “meeting students where they are” means to each of us. You can watch this on Flipgrid here. We invite you to join in the conversation and leave your own thoughts and ideas on what it means to meet students where they are. Please share your video on Flipgrid or you can also share your ideas in the comments of this post. 

Our blog series will launch on Sunday, November 1st with Melanie’s post about empowering students to function independently in writing workshops,  regardless of what they know and can do.

On Monday, November 2nd, I will share considerations for developing stamina in writers.

On Tuesday, November 3rd, Therapi will discuss generating ideas for opinion writing with students. 

On Wednesday, November 4th,  Beth’s post will center on independence for learners in person or in a hybrid model.

On Thursday, November 5th, Betsy will share tools and strategies to build independence for remote learners. 

On Friday, November 6th, Stacey will help us think through the ways we can fill gaps in students’ knowledge of English conventions regardless of their grade level. 

On Saturday, November 7th, Marina will discuss ways teachers can help students work through behaviors during writing workshop.

On Sunday, November 8th, Amy will focus on the higher level students and how to be responsive to their needs.

On Monday, November 9th, Marina will share an “In Case You Missed It” (ICYMI) post, summarizing the blog series and announcing the winner of our giveaway.

The giveaway for this blog series is the winner’s choice of one of the following books, generously donated by Heinemann:

To be eligible to win the giveaway, you can leave a comment on any of the posts in the blog series. 

We sincerely hope what we share in this series is affirming, offers some new perspectives and ideas, and allows you to continue to meet your students where they are. 

Giveaway Info:

  • This giveaway is for a copy of ONE of the following books (winner’s choice): A Teacher’s Guide to Writing Workshop Essentials: Time, Choice, Response by Katherine Bomer and Corinne Arens, Every Kid a Writer: Strategies That Get Every Kid Writing by Kelly Boswell, or Joy Write: Cultivating High-Impact, Low-Stakes Writing by Ralph Fletcher. Thanks to Heinemann  for donating one of these to the winner of this giveaway. (You must have a U.S.A. mailing address — Sorry, no FPOs — to win a print copy of the book of your choosing. If you have an international mailing address, then you will receive an electronic copy.)
  • For a chance to win this copy of one of these books, please leave a comment about this or any blog post in this blog series by Sunday, November 8th at 6:00 p.m. EST. Marina Rodriguez will use a random number generator to pick the winner’s commenter number. Their name will be announced in the ICYMI blog post for this series on Monday, November 9th.
  • Please leave a valid e-mail address when you post your comment so Marina can contact you to obtain your mailing address if you win.  From there, our contact at Heinemann will ship the book to you.  (NOTE: Your e-mail address will not be published online if you leave it in the e-mail field only.)
  • If you are the winner of the book, Marina will email you with the subject line of TWO WRITING TEACHERS – MEET WRITERS. Please respond to her e-mail with your mailing address within five days of receipt. A new winner will be chosen if a response isn’t received within five days of the giveaway announcement.

Published by Kathleen Neagle Sokolowski

11 thoughts on “Meet Writers Where They Are Blog Series”

  1. This is great! I am fully virtual and having a hard time figuring out how to meet them where they are at, build independence, push them, focus on goals. It has been very challenging to navigate all of this and learn what best practices are in a virtual setting. Thank you for helping and offering some guidance.

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  2. The poem at the beginning of the post almost made me cry. Yes, “they came back” and “we came back”. When things are difficult and so frustrating, I will be remembering those lines – in spite of it all, “we are back…together”! Thank you.

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  4. Wow, we need this series. I teach 6th grade writing. We are in a hybrid model. Exhaustion is setting in for everyone quickly. The community wants rigor, so I am digging deep into narrative writing. I know I am pushing the kids, but I wonder if I need to back off. The units seem limiting in some ways. The kids have things to say that just don’t fit the bends, the checklists. I just feel like I am doing a lousy job with this whole hybrid thing. Looking forward to the series.

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  8. Sounds like a great series with something for everyone. I am especially looking forward to Betsy’s post on building independence for remote learners.

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