Mr. Nut is a notebook that travels home each night with a different student. Learn how to implement this easy and effective class routine to build community!
Category: community
Journal Writing Every Day in Pre-K
If you're an early childhood educator looking for a simple way to establish a consistent routine early in the year that builds toward independence, grows a sense of classroom community, and forges meaningful connections between you and your students, I encourage you to introduce journals into your daily repertoire.
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Class Newsbooks: Daily Interactive Writing and Language Development That Builds Community
Class Newsbooks are an interactive writing routine designed to support oral language development and writing skills, plus foster strong classroom community in the primary grades. Read all about how to get started with this routine in your own classroom.
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Preserving Community: Summer Writing Traditions
I’ve grown to appreciate summer as a way to continue growing a writing community with my students. Over the school year, my students and I have built something good, and I don’t want us to lose it. Hopefully, the ideas I'm sharing will inspire you and your students to do the same.
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“Dear Future Me…”: An End-of-Year Activity That Builds Confidence for Next Year’s Writing Workshop
Your students filled notebooks, found their voices, and grew as writers this year—don't make them start from scratch in September. Try “Dear Future Me…”, a simple end-of-year writing tradition that helps students reflect, celebrate progress, and walk into next year’s workshop already confident, capable, and ready to write from day one.
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Poetry Month: Finding Inspiration in Student Writing
Golden Shovel poetry is a useful tool for getting young poets to look for and appreciate strong writing around them. Using student writing as the foundation makes it an even deeper and meaningful exercise.
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Building on “Rallying a Community of Writers”: A February Support System
Following Jessica’s invitation to rally a community of writers, this post focuses on the behind-the-scenes work of February. Before teachers begin writing together in March, they need systems, resources, and reassurance. Here’s how one shared Google Doc became a support system that helped teachers feel ready to show up.
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Rallying a Community of Writers
Training for Slice of Life doesn’t have to be a solo run. Whether you invite one friend or a whole school, writing together changes everything.
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A Call to Collaborate
The co-authors have been brainstorming ways to strengthen the collaboration and connections between each other and also between readers. Our ultimate goal is to re-kindle and energize the writing lives of teachers and students.
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Community-Building Books for the New School Year
During the first six weeks of school, the foundation you lay for your writers can transform their entire journey. When every writer feels seen and valued, they gain confidence and joy. Explore three new picture books that inspire connection and collaboration. Comment for a chance to win them all!
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Five Books to Help Build a Writing Community
Discover how building a writing community in your classroom can transform your students' writing experiences and foster a sense of belonging. Learn about five picture books that will inspire meaningful conversations and support the development of a collaborative, inclusive writing community. Leave a comment on the blog post for a chance to win all five books, perfect for building a supportive writing environment!
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TWT Help Desk: What if students haven’t written all summer?
During summer break, elementary school students often experience a decline in writing skills, leading to a "summer slide." To address this, teachers can do three big things to motivate students to write again.
