Family Dialogue Journals
Can a Family Dialogue Journal help build stronger home-school connections through written conversation?
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Pausing on September 11th
Today, September 11th, is the fifteenth anniversary of the horrific attacks that took place in 2001. We, at Two Writing Teachers, pause today to remember all the lives that were lost and the… Continue reading
Close Writing: Review and Giveaway
“Mrs. Sokolowski, I’m done!” It’s a refrain I’ve heard often from students, who tell me they are completely finished with a piece of writing. More times than not, as I read the student’s… Continue reading
Post-its and PD: Crafting a Writer’s Statement
When was the first time you felt like a writer? My earliest memory of being a writer was creating stories that my Grandma used to tell. She invented characters: “Good Gertie,” “Bad Betsy,” and… Continue reading
We Are Writers Here! Starting with What Matters Most
When I think about what I first want my students to know, what matters most to me as a teacher of writing, more than capital letters or topic sentences or punctuation, I want them to believe they have ideas worth sharing and stories worth telling. I want them to know their voice matters and their words can make a difference. I want them to believe they are writers, right now, whatever their reading proficiency, whatever their language background, whatever their home circumstances. WE ARE WRITERS HERE. We all matter, we all belong, we all can and should write.
It’s Tuesday! Write. Share. Give.
Welcome to Slice of Life Tuesday! Write a slice of life. Share your link. Give at least 3 comments on other posts! Stacey Shubitz, TWT’s Chief of Operations and Lead Writer, recently… Continue reading
It’s Tuesday! Write. Give. Share.
Write a post. Share your link. Give at least 3 comments to other Slicers! Children’s author and writing teacher, Amy Ludwig Vanderwater, has an amazing site called Sharing Our Notebooks. If you are feeling… Continue reading
It’s Tuesday! Write. Share. Give.
Time to post your Slice of Life!
It’s Tuesday! Write. Share. Give.
What can you shine a light on that others might not be seeing? What is your unique story to tell? Today is the day to share! Please write your slice, share your link,… Continue reading
Writing Our Way to Goodbye
Today is my last day of school! My third grade students and I have been writing our way towards goodbye over the last few weeks.
Go-To Digital Tools for Writing Workshop
Digital tools can transform your teaching by allowing students to have a writing community beyond the classroom walls, be innovative, make meaningful connections to other writers and students, have more resources readily available, and have true, authentic reasons for writing.
QR Coding Our Way to Summer Writing!
QR Codes might just be the way to help summer writers keep writing!
Live From #KidLitPalooza!
Stay tuned this morning as I add to this post about #KidLitPalooza, live from this amazing event that connects children’s authors to students!
Emergent Writing and Star of the Day
My son, Alex, will be starting kindergarten this coming September, and I find myself thinking back to what I did to help those four and five year old emergent writers. With rising expectations for what incoming kindergarteners can do, I’ve been dusting off my kindergarten bag of tricks to work with Alex, to help him feel confident and ready when school starts.
Digital Mentor Text for Blogs: Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts
Some of the most influential pieces of writing that have tugged at my heart and live in my soul are blog posts. As we planned this blog series on mentor texts, a lightbulb flashed above my head: Why not create a collection of mentor blog posts to help me improve my own writing? Why not create a similar collection for my students, to share with them possibilities and craft moves they could try, too?
Make Writing: A Book Review
Make Writing: 5 Teaching Strategies That Turn Writer’s Workshop Into a Maker Space is a “MUST READ” for writing teachers. It is a quick read (less than 100 pages), inspiring, practical, and very current, as “maker spaces” are a hot topic in education today. These strategies can be used with all age levels, bring fresh energy to writing workshop, and allow for more students to find their voices as writers.
Thirty One Days of Writing in Third Grade
Anytime you try something new, there will be lessons learned. The Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC) was an ambitious endeavor for my third graders, but a very worthwhile one. As I reflect on the experience, I consider the successes, the difficulties and ways to improve upon what I started this year.
Classroom Teachers’ Rights and Responsiblities: PD Possibilities
As a classroom teacher, most of the time I am a participant in PD, not the facilitator. I want to learn, to be inspired, to leave a PD session one step closer to being the teacher I dream to be. I believe that teachers have rights when it comes to Professional Development. With rights comes responsibilities, and teachers have those, too as we consider PD.
CLASSROOM SOLSC FOR STUDENTS: DAY 14 OF 31
Welcome to Day 14 of the 4th Annual Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge!
Please post your student writing here.
It’s time again to #CelebrateMonday and trend the positive.
CLASSROOM SOLSC FOR STUDENTS: DAY 13 OF 31
Welcome to Day 13 of the 4th Annual Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge! Today marks the start of Daylight Savings Time- are your students “springing ahead” in the Classroom SOLSC? Are they getting into the groove of daily writing?