It is by making choices that students build agency within our workshops and learn how to navigate the struggles that all writers encounter.
Category: choice
PBL in the Writing Classroom
Real world, authentic opportunities to engage in writing with the goal of enacting change is something all students can really sink their teeth into. PBL and writing workshop go hand in hand.
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Freewrite Fridays: The Freedom Writers Deserve!
Happy Friday! Learn about how Freewrite Fridays offer writers a much-needed pause at the end of a week.
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Designing Writing Units Where Students Choose the Product
Many of today’s students crave choice, freedom, and the excitement of exploring something new. This year, as you prepare to roll out your writing units, you may also want to reconsider the level of constraints within each unit. How and when might you invite students to choose the product that best fits their personal preference and intended audience?
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Graphic Organizers Limit Creativity: Resetting Our Workshop Practices
Many teachers assign graphic organizers to help students learn about structure and organization. But do these organizers actually impede authentic writing and student agency? Read about why Leah chose to stop mandating graphic organizers, and some tips for letting go!
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(Re-)Launching our Writing Workshops With Joy in January
As I think about returning to school, I want to be excited about the week to come. I want students to feel happy to be back together. Writing workshop is my favorite part of the day, and it’s the perfect place to infuse some intentional joy for all of us. I have a two part plan to do just that.
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When Writing Feels Right: Exalting Choice and Purpose in Workshop
When writers feel empowered to write for their own personal catharsis, it matters. When writers know they will have the opportunity to strengthen their writing alongside peers, it matters. When writers have greater degrees of choice around topic and genre, it matters. And when, at times, there’s a wider audience for writing, beyond classroom walls or the teacher’s eyes alone, there is often deeper motivation.
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Family Resources for At-Home Learning: Reflections and Shifts As We Move Forward
This post is a look back at the resources I created to support families with at-home learning throughout the pandemic, and some ideas for supporting families in the future.
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Becoming Writers Together: The Joyful Writers’ Club
Carving out space and time for experiences that honor student agency and their diverse writing lives is not only empowering but also gifts them with the habit of writing and the identity as writers. We can write our way through this pandemic, together and emerge as writers.
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At-Home Learning Resources Teachers Can Share With Families: Choices for Writing
Now's our time to shine workshop teachers! Hasn't independence and transfer always been the goal of workshop teaching? Haven't we always strived to teach in a way that allows students to carry on without us? Here are some resources to collaborate with families and caregivers to make this year successful.
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Beliefs Guide Actions
Right now, we really do not know how school will look in the coming year. Will it be virtual? Will it be physical? Will it be a hybrid model? Who knows? But if we agree that our beliefs are implicit, and that they guide our intentional actions, then perhaps not only reading this post but also examining and identifying your own will help you be the best you can be... whatever the circumstances you find yourself in next year.
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All Aboard! Virtual Field Trips and Writing Experiences
In these days where we are home so much, take your class on a virtual field trip or two and allow them choices of what they will write about! This post includes 6 trips all ready to go with writing menus for each trip. Many thanks to Clare Landrigan and Pernille Ripp who both inspired what I am sharing here with you today.
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 