I chose a two-part SIH Spark for today's Memoir Monday Post. It is: Why did you decide to go to college? Why did you go to the college you chose? Going to college was never an option. My parents expected me to go straight to college upon graduation from high school. We began doing college… Continue reading Stacey’s M.M.: Young Adulthood
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.
What’s Next?
I received a question earlier this evening about what's next in my Writing Workshop: What do you usually do next in writing workshop? I just finished persuasive writing, and this is the first time I have done it so early in the year. I am trying to figure out the next logical step. I feel… Continue reading What’s Next?
Share this:
Share this:
Rapid Writes
Penny Kittle and Don Graves's Quick Writes Book attracted some of my kids inasmuch as I adapted some of the "Quick Writes" for my students to use as homework (if they needed an idea of something to write about). About two weeks ago, I decided to pull some of the Stories in Hand Sparks, from… Continue reading Rapid Writes
Share this:
Share this:
Teaching About ALL of the December Holidays
My students know I celebrate Chanukah, not Christmas. That's all they know. I have never gone into greater detail about the Festival of Lights since I didn't want to seem as though I was endorsing my own religion. However, after a child asked me, "Aren't Chanukah and Christmas kind of the same thing?" this past… Continue reading Teaching About ALL of the December Holidays
Share this:
Share this:
Action Research Questions Reviewed
I reviewed all of the answers my focal children gave me to the questions I asked regarding their writing process. I entered it into a spreadsheet. I'm sharing it in this forum for several reasons: 1. I want to make sure I'm fulfilling the mission statement Ruth and I created. To reflect on our teaching… Continue reading Action Research Questions Reviewed
Share this:
Share this:
The Newbery Controversy
As a child, I used to avoid books with "that gold medal" like the plague. I wouldn't pick one up – at all. In fact, I read more SVH (sad, but true) and Babysitters' Club Books than I did Newbery Medal Award and Honor Books. YIKES! As a teacher, I discovered several Newbery Book Recipients… Continue reading The Newbery Controversy
Share this:
Share this:
Fixing-Up Spelling in a Writer’s Notebook
I created another video about one more spelling strategy a colleague told me about to help some of my struggling spellers with the words they frequently misspell in their writing. (I'm only going to employ this strategy in my kids' Idea Notebooks after I've secured their permission to write in their notebooks since I always… Continue reading Fixing-Up Spelling in a Writer’s Notebook
Share this:
Share this:
Poetry Friday: A Snow Day with No Snow to Speak of… YET!
Nearly every school in Rhode Island seems to be closed today due to the impending snow. My school is no exception. Today's school day was called-off yesterday afternoon when the weather reports became more 'serious.' I woke up this morning and didn't find any snow on the ground. However, I knew that would happen since… Continue reading Poetry Friday: A Snow Day with No Snow to Speak of… YET!
Share this:
Share this:
Interviewing My Kids
I administered writing interviews to five of my focal children on Tuesday. One of them actually wrote about it. This was what one of them wrote as a notebook entry that night (N.B.: I'm not fixing spelling, grammar, etc.): Today at recess time I had a interview it was very interesting because my teacher ask… Continue reading Interviewing My Kids
Share this:
Share this:
Spelling Help
Need to assist a student who has trouble spelling while writing? Watch this video for a practical tool/tip entitled "My Fast Word Fixer."
Share this:
Share this:
Day in a Sentence Challenge
You'll have to click on the image below to read the words in order. 😉
Share this:
Share this:
That’s a wrap!
As I was departing ceramics class last night, I realized that it was the last time I'd have my hands on clay or glaze for the rest of 2008. As we each left, we all wished each other a good holiday season and a Happy New Year. We said our good-byes, exchanged pleasantries about each… Continue reading That’s a wrap!
