At the end of the school year, we are often faced with pages and pages of student writing. Most of it may have gone home already, but now is a great time to study the work that remains as lovely, informal assessment of our teaching. Following are a few suggestions for lenses we can use to… Continue reading An End of the Year Writing Check
Author: Anna Gratz Cockerille
Anna is a staff developer, literacy coach, and writer, based in New York City. She taught internationally in places such as Sydney, Australia; San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and Auckland, New Zealand in addition to New York before becoming a staff developer for the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University (TCRWP). She has been an adjunct instructor in the Literacy Specialist Program at Teachers College, and teaches at TCRWP where she helps participants bring strong literacy instruction into their classrooms. Anna recently co-wrote Bringing History to Life with Lucy Calkins, part of the 2013 series Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing (Heinemann). She has been a researcher for Lucy Calkins, contributing especially to Pathways to the Common Core (Heinemann, 2012) and Navigating Nonfiction (Heinemann, 2010).
Writing Fiction? Author Megan Jean Sovern Provides a Host of Inspiration
Today's interview holds a host of insights into the way in which Megan Jean Sovern, author of The Meaning of Maggie, develops characters, brings themes to the fore, and plans plot trajectory. Suffice it to say, I came away more than a little inspired.
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Ending Where We Began: Writing Realistic Fiction
Looking for a way to end the writing year with transference, engagement, and noticeable growth? Choosing a familiar writing unit may be just the way.
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Nonfiction Book Clubs: A Snippet of an IRA Workshop
Today's post is based on a workshop presented at the International Reading Association conference titled: Thinking, Talking, and Writing about Nonfiction Reading. Nonfiction Book Clubs provide the perfect opportunity for students to solidify all they are learning and to get better at writing about their reading.
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Summer Writing Projects in the Upper Grades
Channeling students to write over the summer can generate loads of independence and engagement. Read on for tips on how to get started.
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The Meaning of Maggie Book Review + Win a Copy of a Fabulous Read
Soon-to-be-released The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern is a lovely book that offers plenty of opportunities to study high-level character development.
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Exploring Content-Based Poetry
Looking for a writing exercise that effectively blends content learning and poetry? A technique borrowed from Georgia Heard could be just the thing.
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Supporting Organization in Persuasive Writing
Color-coding is a quick and simple way to support students with that all-important skill of organization. Persuasive writing is a case in point.
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Celebrating Poetry: Starting with Interpretation and Ending with Universal Writing Lessons
Tomorrow kicks off National Poetry Month. Today's post celebrates by taking a look at ways to begin and end a unit on poetry.
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Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge: Day 31 of 31
It's the final day in our month-long writing challenge! Please share your reflections along with your Slices today. Thank you for joining us in this journey, and congratulations.
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Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge: Day 30 of 31
You have written your hearts out all month, Classroom Slicers. Today's post is about reflection. Today, you can study your writing and think: What kind of writer am I? What do I mostly write about?
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Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge: Day 29 of 31
It's Day 29 of the March Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Three days left to Slice. Have you said all you wanted to say?
