peer conferring · writing workshop

Trusted Reader Circles: The Power of Having Writing Peers

Students care about writing when they know they’re being read. When they feel the power that written expression holds for themselves and one another, THEN they have a true desire to practice and improve their craft. Until then, it’s just routines and class assignments and writing prompts.

assessment · authentic assessment · data · feedback · formative assessment · giveaway · goals · growth mindset · high school · middle school · monitoring student learning · peer conferring · personalization · reading-writing connections · record keeping · Reflective Practice · Sarah M. Zerwin · self-assessment · standards · student engagement · Student ownership · writing workshop

Point-Less by Sarah M. Zerwin: A Review and Giveaway

Sarah Zerwin is workshop to her core, and she has found ways to ensure that her assessment practices are not sending conflicting messages to kids. Point-Less will challenge readers to reflect and inspire them to advocate for change.

conferring · partnerships · peer conferring · tcrwp · Teachers College

Moving from Partnerships to Peer Conferring

I attended Kathleen Tolan's "Once You Have Taught Workshops for Years, How Do You Go from Good to Great? Tap the Power of Peer Conferring and Supporting Student Independence and Goal-Setting." Workshop at the TCRWP Writing Institute. Kathleen's session made me realize that once we've been doing this work (i.e., writing workshop) for awhile, it's… Continue reading Moving from Partnerships to Peer Conferring

peer conferring · Sharpen Your Routines Blog Series · writing process · writing workshop

Sharpen Your Workshop Routines: The Importance of Talk Within the Workshop Process

Writing is hard. Letting our ideas float in the space around us makes the words come to the page more easily.

peer conferring · Reflective Practice · response · sharing · writing workshop

Writing Groups + Classrooms

My writing group is an important part of my life as a writer. It's more than just accountability, but feedback and camaraderie and, well, if I'm super honest, fun. When I was a classroom teacher, I didn't do a very good job of establishing writing groups, or crit partners, for my students. I see now they were… Continue reading Writing Groups + Classrooms

peer conferring · writing workshop

Writing Group

Today after school I get to meet with my writing group. We've been meeting for about six months now and it has been a very good thing. It started when I emailed Mary Helen and Ruth asking if they would be interested in being part of a writing group. Ruth co-wrote Building Bridges from Early… Continue reading Writing Group

peer conferring · poetry · slice of life · wn entry · Write: It's good for you!

Response PLEASE!

I was asked to submit  a piece of writing for a little newsletter the All-Write Consortium is putting together.  The focuse for this issue is Why Workshop?  So I refined a poem that I think fits with the theme.  I would love some feedback before I submit it.  Here are some questions I have: Do… Continue reading Response PLEASE!

jim vopat · peer conferring · revision

Peer Conferences

Peer Conferring... it's one of the most important things I think we can teach our students how to do in a Writing Workshop. Hence, I've been doing a lot of thinking about it this morning since my students have one more day of instruction before they begin publishing their personal narratives onto white paper (with… Continue reading Peer Conferences