classroom environment · conferring · DIY Literacy · environment · formative assessment · Kate Roberts · mentor texts · middle school · plan · Reflective Practice

End of Year Reflections and June Planning

As we approach the end of another school year, many of us begin making plans for outgrowing ourselves. But what might be some lenses to think through when taking on such a task? I have a few ideas . . .

charts · Kate Roberts · literary essay · Maggie Beattie Roberts · writing workshop

Literary Essays: Setting the Stage

As part my MFA program, I've had to write eight page papers on a paragraph or two of text. That's a lot of words about not too many words. I've also watched my daughters draft critical analyses on literary works in both high school and college. Writing a literary essay is a lifelong skill that… Continue reading Literary Essays: Setting the Stage

differentiation · goals · Kate Roberts · middle school · repetition · small group

Not All Writers Are the Same! Ideas for Differentiating in the Writing Workshop (Part 2)

The fact is, just like athletes that show up to the first day of practice, writers bring different skill sets.  Some arrive to middle school not knowing where to put a period, while others already know how paint vivid pictures with words that knock our socks off.  How do we plan for such a wide variety of writers?

big picture · challenges · differentiation · goals · Kate Roberts · middle school · plan

Not All Writers Are the Same! Ideas for Differentiating in the Writing Workshop (Part 1)

Celebrating differences among our writers can sometimes be difficult for teachers of writing. But by expecting and planning for differences, we can set our students on trajectories more matched to who they are as writers. Here are a few ideas...

academic choice · charts · DIY Literacy · Kate Roberts · Maggie Beattie Roberts · writing workshop

The Power of Tools in Teaching and Learning

Kate brought us in closer to consider the importance of the tools’ accessibility and their effect on learning. Not only do these tools need to be accessible to the students, but students need to understand how and when to use them for learning.