Please link your Slice of Life Story Post to this one by leaving a comment. Also, we're still looking for folks who are interested in participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge March Giveaway. If you're interested in having us consider something you sell for a giveaway, send us a "proposal" in one of… Continue reading The Last Slice of January
Author: Stacey Shubitz
Stacey Shubitz is a K-6 literacy consultant and former elementary teacher. She is the author of CRAFT MOVES and other professional books on writing workshop. Her forthcoming book, MAKE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WORK FOR YOUR CHILD WITH DISABILITIES (Guilford Press, 2026), empowers parents to navigate the special education system.
Time for Memoir Monday
Please leave a link to your memoir-ish post by posting a comment with the link.
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A New Writer’s Notebook Rubric
Sometimes you have to let go of the reigns and allow your students to lead you, right. Well, I'm preparing to do just that tomorrow when I work with my students, during Writing Workshop, to create a new notebook rubric. (I've been using one that is slightly adapted from Buckner's Book since 2006.) In “Assessing… Continue reading A New Writer’s Notebook Rubric
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Students and Standardized Tests
MOteacher's comment on Ruth's post last night reminded me of those demoralized kids and the children I used to spend countless hours preparing for City and State Tests. MOteacher wrote: "Once talk of MAP testing (Missouri Assessment Program) started this week, I found myself in a tizzy about my teaching. I hate the self doubt… Continue reading Students and Standardized Tests
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A Must-Read About Letter Writing!
Head over to the Choice Literacy Website to read an article Mary Lee Hahn wrote entitled "The Joy of Letter Writing: An Integrated Unit for Intermediate Students." It'll surely inspire you to get going with letter writing, if you haven't already.
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The Language We Use When We Teach
I attended a workshop with Peter H. Johnston, Author of Choice Words, over two years ago. He spoke a lot about the language we use when we teach. A lot of what he said stuck. Couple the Johnston Workshop with a week-long Responsive Classroom Training Institute and I have to admit that I needed to… Continue reading The Language We Use When We Teach
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Notebook Celebration: Reflection Sheet
I volunteered to create a reflection sheet for our grade's Notebook Celebration next week. I inserted quite a few "critical literacy" questions, which will hopefully help the kids to reflect as deeply as possible when they fill this sheet out at the end of the Celebration. You can download the Notebook Celebration Reflection Sheet by… Continue reading Notebook Celebration: Reflection Sheet
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Prizes Needed for the Slice of Life Story Challenge
Busy Adults Sometimes Need Incentives to Write!!! Last March, when we hosted the Slice of Life Story Challenge for the very first time Ali Edwards was generous enough to give away a copy of one of her books to one of the people who wrote thoroughout the month of March. We're gearing-up for this March's… Continue reading Prizes Needed for the Slice of Life Story Challenge
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Writing Across the Curriculum
I got pointed to the Michigan Dept. of Education's Website by Deb earlier this week. While I was there I found an interesting document about Writing Across the Curriculum in Language Arts. If this is something you're interested in trying to implement, or are looking for more ideas about how to make writing a priority… Continue reading Writing Across the Curriculum
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Reading-Writing Connections: Focus on Conventions
Here's a link to the final document that focuses on how to lift the level of your students' conventions by using The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg. (If you haven't seen the draft I posted last week, then click here.)
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Developing Realistic Fictional Characters
I was assessing my students in Reading in a colleague's office today. As a student was finishing up a passage silently, I began looking at her walls. I found a great chart on character development. Loved it so much that I turned it into a "worksheet" of my own. (I also altered it a bit… Continue reading Developing Realistic Fictional Characters
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Inauguration Slices, Anyone?
Bonnie planted a seed in my head yesterday when she mentioned she was headed down to the Inauguration. While I don't want to stymie anyone, I think it would be neat if today's Slice of Life Story Challenge had a theme for the U.S.A. Participants. Perhaps everyone's Slice can relate to the Inauguration, in some… Continue reading Inauguration Slices, Anyone?
