If you can’t sketch quickly or jot words quickly, or the lines in on the paper feel too small, or you find it difficult to organize your ideas on a blank page, then perhaps there might be other tools that are a better fit for you.
The same kids who are successful with spelling patterns during word study time are sometimes not applying that spelling pattern to their independent writing. Why?
You see the beauty in your kids’ work: every misspelled word, every cross-out, every taped-on flap. You know that all that “messiness” is evidence of good work that kids are doing. Hard work.
But outside your classroom, the rest of the world might not see it that way.
Time is precious, and your mental energy even more so. Why waste either when others before you have learned through trial and error? Avoid common missteps by reading these simple tips.
Maybe this will be the year I do a lot more shared writing!
“If you were going to give just one piece of advice to a colleague who is just starting out with writing workshop, what would it be?”
As a literacy coach and consultant, this is a question that I have been asked again and again… and again.
And each time my answer is the same.
Think you know mentor texts?Some of the advice in this post might surprise you!
I have a vivid memory of a coaching conversation from many years ago. I was the one being coached; one of my mentors had observed me and was giving me some no-holds-barred feedback.… Continue reading
Welcome to the Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge!
Read this post for the story of one classroom’s creative celebration of word wall words.
Welcome to the Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge!
Welcome to our community or writers, readers, and commenters.
Teaching kids how to teach a minilesson might be easier than you think.
Welcome to the Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge!
How do you handle these moments? What does a conference look like when you’re thinking, “Oh my goodness. Should I even be letting them write about this in school?!”
Someone once told me (or maybe I read it somewhere) that the best stories are like pearls on a string. Each moment or scene in the story is polished, lovely to read. But… Continue reading
Some sit at a keyboard and the words just pour out. Others use a pen and paper, working slowly and deliberately. I know one writer who prefers a typewriter to a laptop.
And then there are the storytellers.
Hey, pssst… Yeah, you. Have you noticed that it’s already the middle of April? It’s spring. There are only a matter of weeks left in the school year (not that anyone’s counting). And… Continue reading
Many kids go through a perfectionist stage. They will sometimes freeze up, choose not to write, or select different, easier words to spell. Here’s what you can do.
Day 7 of the Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge!
