Three Steps to Prioritizing Your Writing Instruction During the Pandemic
Whether you are fortunate enough to have a structure to collaborate with others on your grade-level team, or if you are planning solo here are three steps you can take.
Three Ideas for Planning a Multiage Curriculum Calendar for Writing Workshop
In this post, I’ll share three things I’ve learned from my own school district, where we have many multiage classrooms.
Thoughts on a Way Forward: An Interview with Cornelius Minor
When the COVID-19 crisis hit, probably like many of us, I sought out voices of hope. For me personally, I knew one of those voices would be Cornelius Minor. I knew him to be the kind of teacher with the capacity to help us all see things in a new way during this unfamiliar period of virtual teaching. Fortunately, I was able to reach him by text. We sat down recently on a Zoom call to discuss his views on teaching remotely, his book, and a way forward.
Some Perspectives for Pandemic Teaching & Learning
Recently, researcher and professor John Hattie released a paper regarding his research-based perspectives on what truly matters for education (and what does not) during this time of global pandemic. Thus, when I ran across his latest thinking, I became eager to share some of it with you here…
Literacy Coaches: Thinking Ahead to May & June — Already?!
Here are three things I’m working on, right now, in the first week of February.
Three Ways To Increase Instructional Clarity
Teaching is an art, and sometimes tweaks don’t work as we hope or envision. However, I hope that these three ideas do increase the clarity of instruction in ways that help all students learn to be independent confident writers.
Our Favorite “Back-to-School” Posts
Whether you’re already back in school or returning in the next two weeks, I’ve rounded up some of our team’s best blog posts that will help you launch & sustain writing workshop in 2018-19.
Make Writing Better. Start With The Writer.
Think about the writer and making the writer better. What are the needs of a writer? What opportunities does technology offer to make the writer better?
No More Cookie-Cutter Teaching
As educators, we need to take ownership of our teaching. If you think your tried and true lessons are lackluster, change them. Start with looking at your students and asking yourself, what do my students need? What are their strengths? Next, look at the VERBS in your standards. Precisely what is it your students need to master in this unit? Finally, embrace the art of teaching, follow their lead.
Write Your Own Teaching Points
Need help writing strategies that are explicit and kid-friendly? Check out this excerpt from DIY Literacy.
Minilessons: It’s All About the Link
It’s all about the link. Make sure your minilessons link to ongoing work. Link to making choices. Link to all the other minilessons. Link to the charts and resources in the room. Most of all link your minilesson always to problem solving and independence.
How to Plan a Minilesson from Scratch
Minilessons are actually really easy to plan, and fun to teach. What? You don’t believe me? Let me show you, right now, how to do it.
Not Just Your Run-of-the-Mill Biography Unit Study
4th Grade Teacher (& Slicer) Noor Shammas writes about her students’ Community Member Biography Project.
New Units of Study
I purchased the original Units of Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 3 – 5 when they were published in 2006. In the early days, those books were like a Bible … Continue Reading New Units of Study
Highlights from the Week
I have been in a lot of different writing workshops lately. Just this week I’ve been in 13 writing workshops and have met with 13 different teachers in either reflective … Continue Reading Highlights from the Week
How much can you fit into one school year?
Many teachers are spending preparation periods working with colleagues to develop a curriculum map for the 2010-2011 school year. Developing a scope and sequence that is developmentally appropriate, interesting to … Continue Reading How much can you fit into one school year?
Sunday’s Balancing Act
I came home exhausted from the Providence Ronald McDonald House 5K Walk. I took a short nap and then created a list of things I had to do today. Unlike … Continue Reading Sunday’s Balancing Act
Day 100, Swine Flu, etc.
Tomorrow marks the 100th Day of President Obama’s Administration. Today also marks the day that our school stepped up our prevention of the Swine Flu. (Click here for an acrostic … Continue Reading Day 100, Swine Flu, etc.
Statement of the Team’s Purpose
When Ruth and I wrote the mission statement for Two Writing Teachers (TWT), it was – in a word – hard. It’s tough to boil-down the purpose for doing something. … Continue Reading Statement of the Team’s Purpose
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 