I learned so much at the final session I attended at NCTE today. The session, "Writing from your Teaching Life," was led by Don Graves, Penny Kittle, Meg Petersen, and Karen Hartman. What a treat to have all of these great writers and teachers in the same room! First, we made a map of our… Continue reading It’s not everyday you get Don Graves’ feedback on your writing!
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.
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More from NCTE
Ruth and I joined up this morning for two workshops: "Where has all the Real Choice Gone? Revisiting an Essential Element in Writing Instruction" and also for "Where Social Justice and School Meet." We're going to chat this evening over coffee and cupcakes to talk about the issues that were presented in those sessions, as… Continue reading More from NCTE
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New Professional Notebook
I felt like a kid earlier this morning as I broke out the stickers and began decorating my new notebook. Even though it's for professional use, I think it's truly okay to jazz it up a little bit. Decorating my notebook gets me excited about using it... I guess it's the same way with kids… Continue reading New Professional Notebook
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TGIPF — I Am…
I found some "I Am..." Poems that my two of my students wrote during my second year of teaching (within our Poetry Unit of Study) on my computer this morning when I was searching for what to post today. They're both beautiful poems. I've taken out their names, but their first names begin with K… Continue reading TGIPF — I Am…
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It’s WNW!
It's that time of the week again! Please submit your entries as a comment or by using Mr. Linky. My post can be read here. Ruth's post can be read here.
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WN Entry: Busy
I'm so busy. Busy as a bee. (What does that really mean?) I wanted to write today, but didn't have the time to write in prose, the way I normally do. So here I am sitting here writing this poem so I can say that I wrote today. It's kind of like what kids do… Continue reading WN Entry: Busy
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Birthday Poems Instead of Presents
I don't buy gifts. I don't bake cupcakes. I don't create Happy Birthday Certificates. Instead I hand-make a birthday card for each of my students, decorate it with stickers, ribbons, etc. and then attach a birthday poem to it. I think that it makes a nicer gift than anything else I've handed out in the… Continue reading Birthday Poems Instead of Presents
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Peer Conferences
Peer Conferring... it's one of the most important things I think we can teach our students how to do in a Writing Workshop. Hence, I've been doing a lot of thinking about it this morning since my students have one more day of instruction before they begin publishing their personal narratives onto white paper (with… Continue reading Peer Conferences
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Art Appreciation (Picture Books)
I had the opportunity to visit The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts today. For someone who like me, who is obsessed with picture books, spending 90 minutes at this museum on a Sunday afternoon was definitely a treat! There was a big exhibit there on the Spiderwicks, which didn't interest… Continue reading Art Appreciation (Picture Books)
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Revision Toolbox
If there's any book I've turned to over and over again that sits on my bookshelf and DOESN'T collect dust, it's Georgia Heard's The Revision Toolbox: Teaching Techniques That Work, which was published by Heinemann before I even started teaching. I've used it for the past four years to help lift the level of my… Continue reading Revision Toolbox
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Cybils Reminder
Just a reminder to nominate your favorite new book for a Cybil. The voting lasts until November 21st. I'm really looking forward to working with the other members of the Fiction Picture Book Judging Team once the nominations are complete. I know there have been many nominations in all categories... please remember to keep them… Continue reading Cybils Reminder
