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.
Category: inspiration
Inspiration Advice – Tree House Not Included
Natasha Tripplett is often asked where she finds her writing inspiration. She's fortunate to work in an environment that lends itself to oodles of ideas.
You Can Write For Children
Remember what made you say “wow” as a kid? Richard Ho advises to build your story around that sense of magic.
ICYMI: Two-Week Recap
You will be all caught up with this, in-case-you-missed-it post recapping the past two weeks here at TWT!
Words Matter: Using Affirmations in Writing Workshop
Our words to our students matter. What our students say to themselves matters. We can inspire and uplift the conversation by using affirmations throughout our teaching and in writing workshop.
The Importance of Starting Practice with WHY: Nurturing Independence from the Start
How often do we ask ourselves about what leads our thinking on the teaching of writing? Is our purpose curriculum, or something much more significant? Why do we teach the way we do? And… How do we articulate why this, not that?
Trust the Kids
Finding ways to trust kids, it might be said, creates more space for learning. In this post, I offer a few ways trust can be manifested in a writing workshop...
Our Most Powerful Tool- Our Words: Looking Back And Moving Forward
In Visible Learning For Literacy, Fisher, Frey, and Hattie, explain “When feedback is delivered in such that it is timely, specific, understandable, and actionable students assimilate the language used by their teacher into their self-talk. (2016, 100)” These words stopped me. When our words become the self-talk of our students, they become the most influential tool we have as teachers.
What’s the Keynote of the Unit?
Hurriedly making my way through the front door of the majestic Riverside Chapel on Manhattan's Upper West Side, I glanced at my watch. Late, I thought to myself. Oh well, I'm sure I can still find a seat. To my surprise, I was politely directed not to the actual main body of the chapel, but… Continue reading What’s the Keynote of the Unit?
Teaching Writing, Learning Writing
As I get ready for the March SOLSC, I'm thinking about ways to support writers when ideas, energy and inspiration waver.
Writing: A Path to Become an Intentional Educator
What if there was a way to build in opportunities to reflect, in writing, about my teaching right in the place where the lesson plans reside? And what if that place could also offer daily inspiration and opportunities to set positive intentions for the week ahead?
Got Stuck?
What option can you give your students when they just get stuck?

