I love, LOVE, L-O-V-E Ralph Tells A Story (Amazon Children’s Publishing, 2012), which is a story about a boy, Ralph, who has trepidation about writing. (It’s already become a book I suggest to teachers when I speak about mentor texts!) Ralph is that kid in your writing workshop who claims he doesn’t have anything to… Continue reading An Inspiring Mentor Text, an Interview, and a Giveaway
Category: sharing
Another Kind of Share
We've been researching in Keith Bollman's 5th grade class. Because Keith and I have been working together for years, I know he will let me play a little in writing workshop. I can try out new ideas. I can test my theories. Often he gives a little laugh and then says, "Sure, go ahead and… Continue reading Another Kind of Share
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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
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Using Share Time to Ask for Help
This week I conferred with the student (K.) who wrote the above spread. The illustrations prior to this spread were rich with setting details. I was surprised when I turned to these pages and found no setting details. During the conference, I shared this noticing with K. He quickly grabbed his colored pencils and added… Continue reading Using Share Time to Ask for Help
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Choice in Sharing
Robert B. Parker. There is no one right way. Each of us finds a way that works for him. But there is a wrong way. The wrong way is to finish your writing day with no more words on paper than when you began. Writers write. Every August, I think about what area in regards… Continue reading Choice in Sharing
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Special Visitors
My parents stopped by their classroom to meet my students yesterday. They were supposed to stay for a few minutes. In reality, they stayed for over thirty. There was no plan for their visit. I pulled up two chairs for them to sit in, had each student introduce him/herself by name, and then said, "They… Continue reading Special Visitors
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Emotional & Truthful: That’s What Memoir Is!
I'm teaching memoir right now. It falls into our schedule early this year... and I love it! On Friday I had four conferences, two of which my students didn't follow through with, which really disappointed me. They both forgot to take their notebooks home over the weekend and therefore didn't write. However, I now know… Continue reading Emotional & Truthful: That’s What Memoir Is!
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Back to Basics: Sharing (Part of TWT’s Big Picture Series)
Katherine Bomer said, “Writing celebration is the most important part of the writing process” (TCRWP Key Note Address, 7/8/08). Bomer suggests that this is because every writer writes for the purpose of having someone listen to what they’ve written. Therefore, when students share their writing with their peers at the end of a writing Workshop,… Continue reading Back to Basics: Sharing (Part of TWT’s Big Picture Series)
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Getting Back to Basics: Structures & Routines (Part of TWT’s Big Pictures Series)
Structures and routines need to be clear in your head so they can be implemented when you start Writing Workshop. You can shift to a new routine or modify one that's not working mid-year, but explaining WHY you're doing it to your students is important. If you're unsure of whose model you wish to adapt,… Continue reading Getting Back to Basics: Structures & Routines (Part of TWT’s Big Pictures Series)
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Have You Ever Asked Your Kids for Feedback on YOUR Writing?
A few years ago I often began asking my students to tell me what I did well as a writer and what I could work on as a writer when I gave them a piece of my writing to read. At first, this was hard for them. Who wants to critique their teacher, right? Well,… Continue reading Have You Ever Asked Your Kids for Feedback on YOUR Writing?
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Share Talk
Deb has a great post that contains some prompts, from Corgill's Book Of Primary Importance, to help kids when they're sharing. Click here to read the list of prompts, which I know I'm going to give my kids to scaffold them when they're presenting what we discussed in front of their peers.
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Progress or Process Share???
Tomorrow is the first "real" day of Writing Workshop in my classroom. My students will be mapping their hearts. Hence, I decided that I will also conduct our first, of many, structured shared sessions. I've been grappling with doing a process share or a progress share (Mermelstein, Don't Forget to Share, 2007). Neither one perfectly… Continue reading Progress or Process Share???
