My Conferring Toolkit: Our Favorite Things Blog Series
In this post, I’ll share everything that’s inside my conferring toolkit for writing workshop, as well as how I organize it all.
Building Each Other Up, Cheering Each Other On
THIS is what teachers need right now. This is my work as a coach, and this is what we can all do for each other in this challenging time.
Literacy Coaches: Thinking Ahead to May & June — Already?!
Here are three things I’m working on, right now, in the first week of February.
Thinking Big About Writing
The writing work in our building is transforming, and it is exciting to be a part of the change, to witness the impact on kids as we make our workshops increasingly authentic and compelling.
We are constantly reflecting on what’s working—what’s leading to measurable shifts in how we plan for writing (and how kids experience writing)—as well as where we might be getting stuck: places there is genuine motivation to transform the task, and yet, our best intentions are still missing the mark in some significant way.
I Love Watching You Write: Research from the World of Sports Applied in the Classroom
Research on effective sports coaching suggests adults would do well by kids to cut down on criticism and focus more on the joy simply playing.
Be a Writing Coach.
Would you like to help your striving writers so they can be more independent? Try a coaching conference to move them forward!
Coaching Writers in the Small Group
Coaches of young athletes often offer tips, reminders, and suggestions from the sidelines in hopes of eliciting the best possible performance from the team. As teachers of writing, we can borrow this structure in our small group settings.
Let’s Talk About Methods for Conferring
When I was a new teacher, I learned from Lucy Calkins that there are basically four overall methods to choose from when planning instruction: 1) demonstration, 2) coaching, 3) inquiry, and 4) telling/explaining. This four-method framework is useful for thinking about conferring.
A Data System For Tracking Progress
The last post I wrote was about what students will say leads to their growth as writers. In that post, I mentioned the data system we use to track their progress, … Continue Reading A Data System For Tracking Progress
Literacy Coaches: Schools out. Now what?
Four practical priorities for this summer.
Back to Basics: Writing Centers
As you head into this week, remember to keep your head up and check on the basics. In this post I share five things you might look for and notice about writing centers.
A Peek Into My Evolving Chartbook
Over the years, my chartbook has evolved. Here are some of the latest pages.
Literacy Coaches: The Art of Voicing-Over
Are you an instructional coach? As part of your work, do you demonstrate minilessons, conferring, or small group work in classrooms? If yes, then this post is for YOU!
Literacy Coaches: Conferring with Teachers and Co-Teaching in Writing Workshop
As a literacy coach, my preference is to visit on any given regular day to be a part of what is authentically happening, and to have genuine, in-the-moment conversations in the classroom. At the same time, it is helpful to have some structure around how a given classroom visit might go–so that people know what to expect. Conferring with teachers and co-teaching makes this possible.
Literacy Coaches: Three Ideas for Next Year’s Goals
Are you a literacy coach? Here are three ideas to try next year.
Ten Tips for Coaching into Writing Partnerships
Do you ever have the feeling that every time you come near a partnership, they stop what they were really doing? Here are ten tips for coaching into partnerships, without taking over.
Teaching Side-By-Side: Coaching and Classroom Visits
This month, interspersed with the Slice of Life Story Challenge, my colleagues and I are writing about professional development possibilities. Many of our readers are literacy coaches, team leaders, administrators, professors, … Continue Reading Teaching Side-By-Side: Coaching and Classroom Visits
Coaching Conferences in the Writing Workshop
It’s January, at the top of a mountain in Vermont. Ten six and seven year olds are lined up on the side of a ski trail. Their skis all pointing … Continue Reading Coaching Conferences in the Writing Workshop
Who coaches the coach?
Who coaches the coach? This question was posed at the Choice Literacy Coaching the Common Core workshop. It’s one that is sticking with Deb and me. Instructional coaches (and I … Continue Reading Who coaches the coach?
Choice Literacy: Coaching the Common Core {Part 2 of 3}
The second portion of the Choice Literacy workshop, Coaching the Common Core was led by Heather Rader. Heather is the author of Side By Side: Short Takes on Best Practice … Continue Reading Choice Literacy: Coaching the Common Core {Part 2 of 3}
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 