Should Educators Be Writers?
Is it important that teachers who teach writing actually write?
Category Archive: the persona of a writer
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“Write Beside Them,” said Penny Kittle. And so I did…
After reading Write Beside Them, Tara Smith realized she had to connect her teacher and writer identities. No longer would it be enough to share mentor texts and confer. She realized she needed to share her writing life with her students and walk them through her thinking as she wrote.
Writing Matters
Today Deb Gaby and I finished leading the third day of a three-day Foundations of Writing Workshop training. At the end, we asked for reflections. Teacher after teacher commented on the impact of… Continue reading
Tatum: Using the Pen to Rescue to Power
“Let our testimony be our pen.” – Anonymous African American Male from Chicago I found myself rushing to get my lunch from the Reading Terminal Market so I could eat it while listening… Continue reading
Writer’s Notebooks, Art Journals, Scrapbooking, Blogs???
Liza Lee Miller said: Okay . . . here’s a question for you. As a teacher, as a writer, as an artist . . . what is the difference between a Writer’s Workbook… Continue reading
My Thoughts on Writing.
One of the initial writer’s notebook entries I ask that we create in the BWWT (I’m so sick of typing: Beginning Writing Workshop Training) is to think about our past writing experiences. Yesterday, here’s what… Continue reading
Notebooks
Literacydetails’ Post reminded me of a conversation I had with the student who inspired the SOLSC. He confided in me about a week or so ago. Here’s a close approximate of the conversation:… Continue reading
share your stories.
Sometimes I feel that as teachers we are so focused on preparing kids for the next level that we forget what writing can do for them right now. And even more often, we forget… Continue reading
ruth’s wn entry: my writing.
My writing is evolving. I’m beginning to reach the art of just letting it be — meaning allowing the words to take me and in the process evolve into new ideas. I used to… Continue reading
Stacey’s WN Entry: Two People Who’ve Really Changed My Life
The two people who changed my life were both my teachers. Carol Snook Role: 1st Grade Teacher Carol Snook was the most amazing teacher a child could ask for. She celebrated each student… Continue reading
have you noticed the wow lately?
I’m lucky because, you see, I have this constant, little reminder to notice stuff. I live with a toddler who notices the world and points out the wow. Constantly. Walking out the door in… Continue reading
a special space.
I’ve been a writing coach for four years now. My arm was gently twisted at the end of the school year when I was planning on looping my seventh graders into eighth grade. … Continue reading
Thinking Critically About the Writing Workshop: Reflecting on the Way I Teach Writing
I wanted to reflect on some questions my former professor, Stephanie Jones, presents at the end of chapter 11 in her book Girls, Social Class, and Literacy. She asks readers to consider some… Continue reading
Q & A: A Writer’s Identity?
Sarah Amick left the following comment — Hey, do you guys have any information on developing a writer’s identity? I have a kiddo that doesn’t think that his words matter. Do you have… Continue reading
ruth’s cwp (celebrity writer profile)
A week ago Stacey posted an idea for Celebrity Writer Profiles. I thought this was such a great idea, and had to make a sample one for myself too. (Then I forgot to post the darn… Continue reading
Ch-ch-ch-changes
I asked my students how they’ve changed as writers from the beginning of the year until now. Here’s what a few of them said: In the beginning of the year I was terrible;… Continue reading