A meeting place for a world of reflective writers.
Actually doing the work of writers is where writers strengthen their skills—and this takes at least two thirds of the total minutes in any workshop. The more clear we can be while unit planning, the more strategic our instructional time will be, leaving more time for writers to write.
As I think about returning to school, I want to be excited about the week to come. I want students to feel happy to be back together. Writing workshop is my favorite part of the day, and it’s the perfect place to infuse some intentional joy for all of us. I have a two part plan to do just that.
No wonder teachers are stressed. Some of the habits that we think are saving us time are having the opposite effect on our mental health and wellness. Writing it down is the equivalent of setting it down—what a relief!
Pattern-seeking is one of the ways that I keep planning for small group instruction manageable in writing workshop. When I can both anticipate common needs and plan for ways to learn which kids share those needs ahead of time, then I can be much more strategic and efficient with small group instruction.
The power of modeling—modeling the verb—is the opportunity to make not just the product visible—model, the noun—but the thinking of the writer visible as well. Without modeling the thinking, it is still a bit of a mystery how a writer gets from point A to point B—no matter how clear that point B might be.
In those quick moments between minilesson and work time, as writers are settling in (or not), I pay attention to what is—the current reality. I seek leverage points to both know writers better and to support writers in continuing to grow. Over time, I notice as more and more writers find the processes and strategies that work for them.
Five Tuesdays in the month of August means five opportunities to write, share, and give!
It’s Tuesday! Time to write, share, and give.
It’s Tuesday! What might you step back and notice in the hustle and bustle of life today? Let’s write, share, and give.
It’s Tuesday! Let’s get slicing!
Today is the final day of our August Blog Series: Our Favorite Things. Check out today’s post for a recap of the week as well as an opportunity to enter the giveaway.
My favorite conferences are all closely connected to my beliefs about writing instruction. The teaching points in each conference are ideas I want to be front and center for kids as we co-construct the workshop and community we will live and play in over the coming months (at any grade level).
It’s Tuesday, and TWT Blog is in the middle of a blog series about Our
Favorite Things. Slice of Life is definitely on that list!
Consider this an invitation. An invitation to seek out the magic happening in your own environment. An invitation to fuel your writing life with small moments that help you to appreciate all that is worth writing about. An invitation to encourage a young writer (or a group of young writers) to do the same.
It’s dramatic when the light comes on, when a writer suddenly takes a step they had only recently not yet been ready to take. As a teacher of writers, I can’t wait to pounce on those moments, to facilitate the avalanche of growth on the horizon.
In this topsy-turvy year, when I was not expecting to teach a remote kindergarten class, I was also not expecting to discover strategies for upping my feedback game with writers—strategies that I plan to continue using once the world has righted itself and workshop is in-person again.
It is the final day of the March Slice of Life Story Challenge! In the announcements today we have a video message, a badge, and more prizes!
Today is day 30 of 31! So close to the finish line. . .
It’s day 29, and we can’t wait to write, share, and give. Join us!
It’s day 28 of the Slice of Life Story Challenge! Today the winners of the Mentor Prize are announced!
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 