A Good Enough Gift
“A pen is better than glasses as a tool for seeing.” –Lucy Calkins, Keynote Address, July Writing Institute, 6/27/11 I walked into the Levien Gymnasium yesterday morning and was greeted … Continue Reading A Good Enough Gift
Best Practices and Tests CAN Go Together
This week’s guest blog post is written by Lynnelle Snowbarger who is in her tenth year of teaching fifth grade in the Jenks Public Schools. A frequent participant in the … Continue Reading Best Practices and Tests CAN Go Together
Imagining Possibilities: A Guest Blog Post by Ryan Scala
Ryan Scala has been teaching 4th grade (both as a general educator and a co-teacher working alongside a special education teacher in an inclusive setting) for the past nine years … Continue Reading Imagining Possibilities: A Guest Blog Post by Ryan Scala
Using One Book for Many Purposes
When I started teaching I owned a handful of picture and chapter books. I came armed with this handful and my love for Judy Blume. I knew I liked to … Continue Reading Using One Book for Many Purposes
Back to Basics: Conferring (Part of TWT’s Big Picture Series)
I consider myself fortunate to have learned more about the art of conferring with young writers from some of the best folks out there: Carl Anderson, Lucy Calkins, and Jen … Continue Reading Back to Basics: Conferring (Part of TWT’s Big Picture Series)
Thinking More About Teachers & Notebooks
I’m sitting in Nashua preparing for tomorrow’s presentation. Part of my preparation means returning to my old binders and files when my thinking changed about the teaching of writing. The … Continue Reading Thinking More About Teachers & Notebooks
What are you chasing?
Yesterday, Ruth wrote a post entitled “The Big Picture.” It reminded me of this quote from Mitch Albom’s Book Tuesdays with Morrie: “So many people walk around with a meaningless … Continue Reading What are you chasing?
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 … Continue Reading Meta-Language for Talking About Texts
The Makings of a TRUE Mentor Text
I realize I’m a bit late to the “Those Shoes Party,” which is a touching text written by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Noah Z. Jones. Those Shoes was published … Continue Reading The Makings of a TRUE Mentor Text
READING/WRITING CONNECTIONS: If you want to teach writing really well, know a few picture books really well and use them when you confer.
On the final day of the Writing Institute, both Carl and Lucy spent some time reiterating the importance of knowing a few texts REALLY WELL so you can use the … Continue Reading READING/WRITING CONNECTIONS: If you want to teach writing really well, know a few picture books really well and use them when you confer.
Qualities of Good Writing
I spent last week at the Teachers College Writing Institute. I was lucky enough to get into advanced sections with Carl Anderson and Lucy Calkins, who both pushed my thinking. … Continue Reading Qualities of Good Writing
Rubric: Memoir Unit of Study
When I woke up this morning, I realized I never created an assessment rubric for memoir! My first thought was :How could I forget to do that!??! My second thought … Continue Reading Rubric: Memoir Unit of Study
What Do Hybrid Cars, Windows, and Pearl Necklaces Have to Do with Memoir?
Kate and I were creating charts after school this afternoon for tomorrow’s big memoir drafting lesson. (Though I previewed it for my kids today.) Calkins & Chiarella’s Book makes reference … Continue Reading What Do Hybrid Cars, Windows, and Pearl Necklaces Have to Do with Memoir?
Process Log Gets My Mind In-Motion Again
When Lucy had us keep Process Logs for each piece we wrote for one of her classes, I (at first) thought it was a waste of time. I wondered how … Continue Reading Process Log Gets My Mind In-Motion Again
Slight Tweaking
I did some slight tweaking to our memoir unit of study. This is this year’s “final” version. Session 1: Writers read and listen to student memoirs and then write in … Continue Reading Slight Tweaking
Gearing-Up for Memoir
We’re starting a new unit of study on Monday: MEMOIR! I’ve taught it twice using Calkins and Chiarella’s Book. However, this year is going to be different. Kate and I … Continue Reading Gearing-Up for Memoir
Conferring
It’s true what Lucy always said about speaking loud enough so other students hear you while you confer… they do learn by listening in! I’ve known this for awhile, but … Continue Reading Conferring
first grade poetry.
I’ve been working alongside Colette Berg & Melissa Possell in their first grade rooms. We’ve been having students do a lot of collaboration as they make their first foray into … Continue Reading first grade poetry.
“New Literacy”
I’m in a political mood today since today is Primary Day in R.I. Therefore, I have been thinking about the way that politicians work with educators to affect change. Hence, … Continue Reading “New Literacy”
Writing Space
Over the mid-winter recess I asked my students to sketch out their at-home writing space. Further, if they didn’t have an at-home writing space, I asked them to create one. … Continue Reading Writing Space
