A meeting place for a world of reflective writers.
“In November, the smell of food is different. It is an orange smell. A squash and pumpkin smell. It tastes like cinnamon and can fill up a house in the … Continue Reading Come Join the Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge on #TWTBlog
When I was a kid, our town library had a whole special room filled with children’s books. It was one of my favorite places in the world. That was where I fell in … Continue Reading Writing Information Books with Voice and Beauty: Diving Into Information Writing Blog Series
“October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy drafts that bit at … Continue Reading It’s Tuesday! Join Us for #TWTBlog’s Slice of Life Story Challenge.
Did you know that talking to yourself can be really helpful? It’s true! Researchers have long known that positive self-talk can be an incredibly helpful tool. The power of positive self-talk … Continue Reading Writing Mantras for the New School Year: Part of #TWTBlog’s Throwback Week
s a literacy coach, part of my role is to support teachers with how to work together with all the professionals who will come in and out of their reading and writing workshop. Lately, I’ve been brainstorming with some super smart teachers to figure out how we can get all the grown-ups in a classroom to be more consistent with one another.
When I first left the classroom to become a staff developer in New York City, I had to learn quickly to adjust to new schools, and new groups of teachers. I worked hard to have open conversations with the teachers I worked with, where teachers could ask anything. “No such thing as a bad question!” But there was one phrase that I dreaded. Four words that left me with no idea how to respond.
In a darkened concert hall, the members of an orchestra sit ready and waiting. The conductor, in black and white coat-tails walks across the stage, gives an appreciative nod to the audience, … Continue Reading Behind the Scenes at Two Writing Teachers
Sometimes colleagues tell me that the feel intimidated or uneasy about setting out to teach phonemic awareness, because it all feels so technical. Even the terminology is tricky: phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, phonics… I like to think of teaching phonemic awareness as being just like kindergarteners themselves–complicated indeed, but also a lot of fun.
Third grade was my favorite year of school. We had the best teacher ever. We sang songs and poems that I still remember to this day (Cumalada cumalada cumalada vista!). … Continue Reading Planning Ahead for Publishing
You might be so completely used to your classroom arrangement that it seems normal to you — but it maybe could be better.
One of the biggest challenges you might face in writing workshop is this: getting kids to see the power and purpose of revision. Here are a few tips for helping kids understand how important and rewarding revision can be, organized by writing process phases.
When I visit a classroom, one of the first things I often say to kids is, “Today, please don’t erase. I want to see ALL the great work you are doing as a writer. When you erase, your work disappears!” Often, this is what kids are accustomed to and they continue working away. But sometimes, kids stare at me as if I’ve got two heads.
Kids do need room to grow. Not only do they outgrow clothes in the blink of an eye, they also grow as readers and writers. This is why we need classroom libraries stocked with a wide range of levels, and it’s why we need writing centers stocked with paper choices.
Welcome back everybody for another fantastic Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge! Write a story on your own blog. Leave a link to your story here, in the comment section. … Continue Reading Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge
The summer is the perfect time to start stocking up on the things you really need. Whether you are hoping to get materials donated, or you teach in a community where families can provide a few things for your students, or you are planning to do some good old fashioned scrounging, this list can help you strategize a plan for materials.
Welcome back everybody for another fantastic Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge.
