"Have compassion for yourself when you write. There's no failure -- just a big field to wander in." - Natalie Goldberg
Author: Ruth Ayres
Unhurried. Finding the magic in the middle of living. Capturing a life of ridiculous grace + raw stories.
Train Books I Love (And Kids Do Too)
Do you know this book? My son loves it. Like serious love. So I brought it into a second grade workshop and they loved it too. In fact, this week Duck vs. Gum and Penguin vs. Airplane have emerged in the classroom. There are a million teaching points in this book, but one we highlighted… Continue reading Train Books I Love (And Kids Do Too)
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A Tough Conference
Today I conferred with a fourth grade girl who was doing her best to write a feature article. I watched her for a few minutes before I conferred with her and noticed she had several pages written, but also seemed to be copying the research she printed (at home) about her topic. I pulled up… Continue reading A Tough Conference
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Today’s Teaching Points
What were your teaching points in today's minilessons? Here were mine: 4th grade feature article (informational writing) unit: Writers use specific words about the subject when writing informational texts. 4th grade fiction unit: Writers can use the setting to help show the mood of the characters. Leave a comment to share your teaching point from… Continue reading Today’s Teaching Points
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Slice of Life Tuesday
Link your slice here. Happy writing!
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How Often Do You Celebrate Student Writing?
I know most of us relish in the small celebrations of student writing everyday. This happens when we use student work to teach a minilesson, give positive feedback during a conference, and give the opportunity for end of workshop share. However, I'm wondering how often do you give students an opportunity to celebrate their writing… Continue reading How Often Do You Celebrate Student Writing?
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Words that are Speaking to Me
"Often I'll find clues to where the story might go by figuring out where the characters would rather not go." --Doug Lawson
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Using Share Time to Ask for Help
This week I conferred with the student (K.) who wrote the above spread. The illustrations prior to this spread were rich with setting details. I was surprised when I turned to these pages and found no setting details. During the conference, I shared this noticing with K. He quickly grabbed his colored pencils and added… Continue reading Using Share Time to Ask for Help
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First Grade Reflections
Today Maggie Gayton asked her first graders to write a reflection about what they have learned recently as a writer. Her students, using pictures and words, reminded us of the power of writing workshop and the importance of reflecting on our writing lives.Maggie will post these reflections on her Celebrating Writers bulletin board along with… Continue reading First Grade Reflections
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Plotting Short Fiction
Last month at MRA, I listened to Jacqueline Woodson speak about her writing process. It wasn't the first time I heard her speak and I hope it won't be my last. She is one of the writers I consider as my personal mentor. Not to be over-dramatic, but listening to her last month changed my… Continue reading Plotting Short Fiction
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Guess What (Ruth’s SOLS)
Sam: Momma, guess what. Me: I don't know, what? Sam: Get ready, because this is a big one. Me: Okay, what? Sam: Are you ready? Me: I'm ready. Sam: Okay, brace yourself and hold out your hands. Me: Okay, tell me. Sam: (arms stretched toward the ceiling, the biggest 5 year old grin you've ever… Continue reading Guess What (Ruth’s SOLS)
