Students are our north stars. When we get to know students (academically and beyond), we can more clearly see and honor who they are and what they know. Appreciative inquiry enables us to capitalize on the abundant assets already present.
Category: reflective practice
Seeing Problems as Opportunities
Problems during writing workshop can become opportunities to reflect on our instruction and work as a community to find solutions.
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When Management Issues in the Workshop are the Result of Mixed Messaging
The beginning of the school year is perfect timing for the classic cautionary tale, an anecdote shared with the intention of saving others a difficulty I created for myself. My purpose is to both teach and entertain, as I humbly recount the thing I should not have done (and will be mindful not to do again).
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Tumbling Toward Open Space in a Workshop
These tumbleweeds feel like a metaphor for the writers in our workshops: the times they dance freely across the landscape and the times they get stuck. As a teacher of writers, it’s prompting me to step back and reflect on those stuck places. I hope to offer you a similar moment of reflection on the tumbleweed-jams that might be forming in your own workshop(s).
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Time for a Shift
Writing workshop is powerful because it is a consistent investment of time for writers to work with intention at their craft. It is sacred space. As teachers of workshop, we are intentional about teaching writers something every day. This is how growth happens—day by day over weeks and months and years.
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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.
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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.
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Five Tips to Building a Rereading Habit
Do you make time for your writers to reread? Rereading is one of those pieces of the workshop we might be assuming our writers are doing but direction is needed to really make it a habit. Here are five tips to give rereading a place in your writing workshop this year.
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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 . . .
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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.
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Preview: Looking Back and Moving Forward Blog Series
Here's a preview about our upcoming blog series that will help you close-out your writing workshop in meaningful ways.
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Do You Ever Wonder?
How do you respond to the recursive "I'm done," and every other form of the phrase? Maybe it isn't about them.
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 