Can your own writing lead you back to where you find happiness? Here's hoping!
Category: reflections
Three Ways to Exalt Process for Young Writers
My litmus test for the work we do in the classroom pivots on an understanding that collecting one's own ideas and practicing ways to communicate them will serve students outside classroom walls. And it is with that framing in mind - with children reflecting on their journeys, in carefully selecting the language I use, and in sharing feedback on growth as opposed to the final alone- that I hope to continually communicate the importance of process over product.
Teaching Writers to Reflect + Giveaway
For the past two weeks, I've been immersing myself in some reflection. This book, TEACHING WRITERS TO REFLECT, has been an excellent tool as I pass along reflective practices to my students.
Reimagining Writing Assessment: A Reflection + Giveaway
In the opening pages of Maja Wilson's book, REIMAGINING WRITING ASSESSMENT, Thomas Newkirk gets the ball rolling with this statement, "Rubrics regularly fail to offer help to a writer because they focus on what writing has (features) not what writing does (effect)." Today I'm sharing my reflections as well as offering a giveaway to one lucky reader.
OLW CHECK-IN: EMBRACE
Maybe it was Betsy's post, OLW Check-in: Note that first brought the whispers. As I read her post and thought about my final week of school I heard the whispers grow louder. Embrace.
In Case You Missed It: Looking Back and Moving Forward
Thank you for joining us for our blog series Looking Back and Moving Forward. I think we all agree on the importance of reflection in the lives of writers. In case you missed any of our posts over the past week, here's a quick summary.
End-of-Year Letters: Looking Back and Moving Forward
Sometimes it's the feedback our students -- rather than our administrators -- give us that help us become better teachers.
Thinking about Process versus Product: Looking Back and Moving Forward
As we approach the end of the year, it’s a great time to think about and ask children to think about the growth they’ve made since the first day of school. In the rush, it’s easy to forget about the importance of slowing down and taking the time to reflect, and yet, reflection is a cornerstone of learning.
Reflecting Through the Lens of Writing Process: Looking Back and Moving Forward
Reflection can help foster both a writerly identity and act as a discovery process for possible future goals. This is likely true for any endeavor, whether it be coaching soccer or writing. This week, we as co-authors have been doing some thinking about the power of self-reflection. One possible lens for reflection is the writing process itself...
Student Self-Reflection: Looking Back and Moving Forward
Someone once told me (or maybe I read it somewhere) that the best stories are like pearls on a string. Each moment or scene in the story is polished, lovely to read. But it is the string of scenes, all tied together that gives the whole story meaning and purpose. The pearls on their own… Continue reading Student Self-Reflection: Looking Back and Moving Forward
OLW Reflection: Step
Reflecting on the steps of the year as I watch students taking their own.
If We Build It, They Will Come: Tales From Inside The Sharing Circle
The most important minutes of your writing workshop require zero hassle and no prep--only precious time. The minimal investment is worth its weight in gold. Welcome to the sharing circle with guest teacher Lori VanHoesen: The bridge builder you didn't know was doing the hardest work all along.

