Draft II: A Letter Back to a Student Originally uploaded by teachergal This note is a response to a student who turned-in her second draft yesterday. She did a phenomenal job mentoring herself after Cynthia Rylant's Book When I Was Young in the Mountains, changing it to "When I was four on Lonsdale Avenue." She… Continue reading Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…
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 new book, MAKE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WORK FOR YOUR CHILD WITH DISABILITIES (Guilford Press, 2026), empowers parents to navigate the special education system.
Welcome to the Second SOLSC of May!
It's Tuesday, so you know what that means! Time to link your Slice of Life Story to this growing community of writers by using this Mr. Linky Widget: Speaking of a growing community, I was thinking of putting together a badge with all of the regulars' avatars. If you have a picture or avatar you'd… Continue reading Welcome to the Second SOLSC of May!
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Meme
Bonnie tagged me for a meme, so here goes! 1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. 2. Each player answers the questions about themselves. 3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment,… Continue reading Meme
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SOLSC: Crying in Front of My Class
My copy of Number the Stars Originally uploaded by teachergal I cried in front of my class today. And no, they didn't torture me or each other to the point of tears. (Remember, I have super fourth graders! They'd never do that!) I cried today when I read Number the Stars to them. Though it's… Continue reading SOLSC: Crying in Front of My Class
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Structure
Last week I blogged about the three structures memoir writing I'm teaching my students. Seeing as they're all walking around saying, "I need more beads," or "I'm not sure if my car is really hybrid," I figured I'd share the chart with others since it's proven to be useful in my classroom:
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Sight Words
I'm very good about posting our class's vocabulary words on a classroom bulletin board, but I've never had a list of high-frequency words up on the wall. I'm starting to think I should, because the portable Word Wall I gave them earlier in the year isn't always making its way out of their folders during… Continue reading Sight Words
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Another Way of Responding to Student Writing
My comments about a student's memoir (draft one) Originally uploaded by teachergal This is the other way I respond to my students' drafts for all assignments. I always attach a short narrative with my thinking about their writing. It's almost like having a mini-conference (except there's no interview-research... the research just comes from me reading… Continue reading Another Way of Responding to Student Writing
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I’m sitting reading memoirs…
My students' first drafts (of their memoirs) are filled with truth and emotion. I started reading them yesterday during Workshop time since some of the kids went home and completed them for homework. Then, I read some last night and began again this evening. Though I cannot scan them and post them (for safety reasons),… Continue reading I’m sitting reading memoirs…
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Words + Pictures: Day 5
Make a Smilebox postcard
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An e-mail I didn’t want to see at 4:15 a.m.
My body woke me up 45+ minutes early this morning. However, I felt awake, ready to face the day... until I saw an email from my cousin informing me that my great-aunt has taken a turn for the worse. She has had cancer for over a year now, but she's faced it head-on. She looked… Continue reading An e-mail I didn’t want to see at 4:15 a.m.
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What Do Hybrid Cars, Windows, and Pearl Necklaces Have to Do with Memoir?
Kate and I were creating charts after school this afternoon for tomorrow's big memoir drafting lesson. (Though I previewed it for my kids today.) Calkins & Chiarella's Book makes reference to three kinds of structures for memoir: 1. Hybrid texts which combine exposition and narrative. (I likened this to a hybrid car and drew a… Continue reading What Do Hybrid Cars, Windows, and Pearl Necklaces Have to Do with Memoir?
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Words + Photos: Day 4
pottery Originally uploaded by teachergal I tried to focus more on the letting the writing guide me... not letting the photos lead the way, like I have the other days this week. (The writing on the left side of this layout captures the essence of my frustration with painting pottery!) If you're interested in seeing… Continue reading Words + Photos: Day 4
