Strategy Lesson Record Sheet Originally uploaded by teachergal It's always been tedious recording the teaching point from strategy lessons on three - five kids' conference record sheets every time I conduct a strategy lesson. Therefore, I've decided to separate the strategy record logs from my conferring logs. I created the record sheet, right, inside of… Continue reading Keeping Records
Category: conferring
Meta-Language for Talking About Texts
I was just reviewing my notes from the course I took with Lucy at the TCRWP Summer Writing Institute last month. I came across a page of notes I took where Lucy summarized the best way she knows of to talk about texts with kids. I reviewed it and tried to make it my own.… Continue reading Meta-Language for Talking About Texts
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A Conferring Chart to Post in Your Classroom
I'm sitting on the rug next to my desk creating charts for the new school year. There's not much to create since many of my old ones are laminated. I came across this conferring chart (i.e., typed up in my files) and am getting ready to put it on chart paper. I have NO IDEA… Continue reading A Conferring Chart to Post in Your Classroom
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What’s a “Conferring Scarf?”
I wrote a post about structures and routines to teach kids in September within the context of Writing Workshop yesterday morning. There have been a few questions about "The Conferring Scarf." Therefore, I wanted to find a photograph (of two of my former students from NYC who decided to act out a conference, for fun,… Continue reading What’s a “Conferring Scarf?”
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Those Shoes: The Mentor Text Teaching Document
I worked on the Reading-Writing Connections Document for Those Shoes until 12:30 a.m. Here are two examples of the way I set it up: Craft MovePage Number(s)Why the Author Might Be Doing This…Varied Sentence LengthsPgs. 2, 15 & 30One thing writers do is vary the lengths of their sentences when they write. If an author… Continue reading Those Shoes: The Mentor Text Teaching Document
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How to Make Conferring Better in Our Classrooms
Conferring Tips from C.A. Originally uploaded by teachergal Carl Anderson delivered an excellent keynote address at the TCRWP's Writing Institute, which I attended a couple of weeks ago. It was called, "So You Want to Be the Next American Conferring Idol." (Great title, right!??!!!) In under 50 minutes, Anderson provided us all with ways to… Continue reading How to Make Conferring Better in Our Classrooms
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getting organized for next year
Conferring Notebook Tabs Originally uploaded by teachergal Anyone who puts up next year's bulletin boards before the school year ends will feel at-home when reading this post since that's what I do since I don't like waiting to do everything in late August. Hence, today I also began working on my writing conference notebook. I… Continue reading getting organized for next year
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Teaching Figurative Language with Mentor Poems
I was conferring with one of my students in Writing Workshop yesterday and quickly found, as I researched, my compliment (meaningful line breaks while drafting) and teaching point (using figurative language, specifically similes). I started to demonstrate what similes were by reviewing the concept of comparing two things with the words like or as. However,… Continue reading Teaching Figurative Language with Mentor Poems
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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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Pin-Drop Quiet in W.W.
My room was pin-drop quiet during Writing Workshop today. Why? I did that great Katherine Bomer Activity I blogged about earlier this week entitled "Inside Me/Outside Me." The kids not only pushed themselves, but they were so introspective. Once many of them completed the "Inside Me/Outside Me" Graphic Organizer I created for them, most went… Continue reading Pin-Drop Quiet in W.W.
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Quotes & Poetry
Today's Writing Workshop lesson went soooo well. I had never had kids write about quotations before, but it was such a success! I look forward to folding this lesson into the first unit of study in September. (One student I conferred with wasn't writing much... she was just doing literal explanations, rather than interpretations. Therefore,… Continue reading Quotes & Poetry
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Stacey’s Seventh of Eight Poems
Even if you're a few days behind, don't fret. C'mon in and join JOY: Five Senses Poem Originally uploaded by teachergal I chose to write a poem about the emotion joy. I'm not quite sure if I captured it. I think this poem is still a draft/a work in progress! As I near the end… Continue reading Stacey’s Seventh of Eight Poems
