The Writing Teacher’s Happiness Project
To end the year on a happy note, I am setting some goals for April, May and June in my own version of a Writing Teacher’s Happiness Project. What would you work on to end your year in a happy way?
Active Engagement with Pear Deck
Active engagement looks different now than it did pre-COVID-19. One digital tool for active engagement is Pear Deck. Read on to find out how I’m using Pear Deck with my third grade writers!
Expanding Vocabulary and Use of Transitions in Students’ Writing
The work of Elfrieda (Freddy) Hiebert, professor and founder of textproject.org, explains further that “lists do not help our kids retain or expand their word knowledge. Students need networks of words that are grounded in ideas.”
My Three Remote Teacher Survival Tips
As we all venture into another week of instruction, no matter what that may look like, I have three tips for surviving and thriving in these times.
Providing Tools for Writing and Sharing Writing Through the Pandemic
Calling all primary writing teachers. Today Janet Ahn shares how she worked with her Kindergarteners to continue thrive in writing workshop through the pandemic. These young scholars continued to draft pieces, engage in conferring, collaborate to mark up mentor texts, and publish their writing through online platforms. Their dedication to continuing the writing workshop virtually was a reflection of how they truly saw themselves as writers.
Inviting Voices from the Community
As the 2020-2021 school year sets to start, we recognize that educators need each other more than ever. We need to hold onto our beliefs about the teaching of writing … Continue Reading Inviting Voices from the Community
Belief Statements: The Breadcrumbs of Teaching Near and Far
No matter where we gather to teach children, the values we have for children and education should not change.
A Very Short List of Distance Learning Ideas
How can we strike a balance between device-based distance learning support and tried-and-true physical experiences in a way that supports our writers in some positive ways? While I am aware many wonderful and generous educators and authors have already compiled and curated extensive lists, allow me to share just a few that you may (or may not) find helpful in your efforts to guide and support students and parents at home…
(Writing) Life Imitates Art: Finding Inspiration in Ralph Fletcher’s Instagram
The creative lives we maintain outside of writing fill us up as humans with stories to tell. When we bring this life into the writing workshop, it builds community, and it lays the foundation for lifelong writers who have strategies for sustaining their own writing lives.
Respecting Student Creativity: Teaching Writing With A Social Justice Lens
Whether students choose to express themselves in the form of writing prose, poetry or creating a video, the choice belongs to the writer.
Digging Into Digital Storytelling
I found myself thinking about my classroom experiences, wondering how I might be able to help teachers get started and just as I started feeling overwhelmed… I heard these words…
Yes &… with Digital Tools We Can
As we set off to create writers who write in tandem with the printed world and the digital world there are a few we need to consider.
Infusing Technology: It’s More Than Apps and Devices
As I sat down to write my post for the upcoming series, titled: Dreaming Big for This Year’s Writing Workshop I thought back to when I opened my writing workshop … Continue Reading Infusing Technology: It’s More Than Apps and Devices
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 