It’s Tuesday! Welcome to Slice of Life on #TWTBlog!
We hope you’ll join us in crafting and sharing slice of life stories today!
It’s Tuesday! Welcome to Slice of Life on #TWTBlog!
Happy Tuesday! Time to write and share a slice of life story with our generous community of writers.
It’s Tuesday! Welcome to Slice of Life on #TWTBlog!
Thank you for stopping by #TWTBlog today! We hope you will join us in sharing a slice of life story and in leaving some feedback for others.
It’s Tuesday! Welcome to Slice of Life on #TWTBlog!
It’s the first Tuesday of a new month, and it’s the perfect day to write and share a slice of life story. We hope you’ll join us!
Tumbling Toward Open Space in a Workshop
These tumbleweeds feel like a metaphor for the writers in our workshops: the times they dance freely across the landscape and the times they get stuck. As a teacher of writers, it’s prompting me to step back and reflect on those stuck places. I hope to offer you a similar moment of reflection on the tumbleweed-jams that might be forming in your own workshop(s).
Time for a Shift
Writing workshop is powerful because it is a consistent investment of time for writers to work with intention at their craft. It is sacred space. As teachers of workshop, we are intentional about teaching writers something every day. This is how growth happens—day by day over weeks and months and years.
Day 31 of the March SOLSC! #SOL22
It is Day 31 of the 15th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge, and you are here. Way to go! Let’s finish the month strong with a final opportunity to write, share, and give.
Day 30 of the March SOLSC! #SOL22
We are down to the final two days of the Slice of Life Story Challenge. Go ahead–whoop it up! Congratulations on being here: writing, writing, writing through the end of the month.
Day 29 of the March SOLSC! #SOL22
Welcome to Day 29 of the 15th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge! Ready to write, share, and give? We can’t wait to read the stories you have to tell.
Day 28 of the March SOLSC! #SOL22
Four days to go–we can do this! Welcome to Day 28 of the Slice of Life Story Challenge!
Day 27 of the March SOLSC! #SOL22
It’s Day 27. . . Can you see the finish line in sight? We’re getting closer! We hope you’ll join us today for the Slice of Life Story Challenge.
Day 26 of the March SOLSC! #SOL22
Welcome to Day 26 of the Slice of Life Story Challenge! We are so happy you are here!
The Power of Writing Identity
I was in a fifth grade classroom in February during writing workshop, and a student flagged me down, eager to share her work. Now this is a student who (historically), I have been much more likely to encounter reading on the sly than writing during workshop.
It’s not Magic (but it IS): The Power of Being a Teacher who Writes
Kids are savvy. They can tell when a teacher really writes versus when a teacher talks about writing as a hypothetical endeavor (that only exists in the real lives of people still in school). There is a distance that can only be closed when it is two writers side-by-side, talking the talk (and walking the walk) of writers.
Begin With Strong Planning: Maximizing Writing Time Blog Series
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.
(Re-)Launching our Writing Workshops With Joy in January
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.
Are we Cutting the Right Corners?
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 Strategies to Optimize Efficiency and Effectiveness: Expanding the Reach With Small Group Work
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.
Modeling as Eavesdropping on a Writer’s Inner Monologue
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.
Mining the Moments Between Minilesson and Work Time
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.
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 