academic choice · choice · middle school · process · units of study

Designing Writing Units Where Students Choose the Product

Many of today’s students crave choice, freedom, and the excitement of exploring something new. This year, as you prepare to roll out your writing units, you may also want to reconsider the level of constraints within each unit. How and when might you invite students to choose the product that best fits their personal preference and intended audience?

collaborative planning · curriculum planning · month-long planning · units of study

Three Steps to Prioritizing Your Writing Instruction During the Pandemic

Whether you are fortunate enough to have a structure to collaborate with others on your grade-level team, or if you are planning solo here are three steps you can take.

journalism · units of study

A Peek Into A Journalism Unit

Journalism inspires students to write personally without as much vulnerability as personal narratives sometimes require. However, I still learned SO much about what these students cared about and who they are as people!

parent involvement · units of study

Communicating Clear Expectations for Writing Workshop

Words, time, language. All of these factors can be challenges when communicating efficiently and effectively with families. When in doubt, turn to creating a short video to communicate clear and concise expectations.

back to school · choice · classroom environment · community · curriculum planning · feedback · independent writing · minilesson · routines · units of study

Our Favorite “Back-to-School” Posts

Whether you're already back in school or returning in the next two weeks, I've rounded up some of our team's best blog posts that will help you launch & sustain writing workshop in 2018-19.

plan · units of study · Writing Workshop Fundamentals blog series

Unit Planning: Writing Workshop Fundamentals

Planning a unit of study is like planning for anything in life. You can't predict exactly what will happen, but you can project what you think will mostly likely happen, based on what you know.

reading · tcrwp · units of study

A Virtual Publishing Celebration

It's hard to have a publishing celebration for people who live miles apart from you. Therefore, a virtual publishing party is the best I can do for Anna and Beth today. Please stop by to leave a congratulatory comment for them since their books have been published.

celebration · change · informational writing · units of study · writing workshop

Give yourself a pat on the back!

Take some time to celebrate what your students have accomplished, thanks to your teaching, in writing workshop. Name something -- big or small -- you're proud of from this school year.

conventions · editing · grammar · Mary Ehrenworth · punctuation · units of study · writing workshop

Grammar Lessons: A Time and A Place

Encouraging kids to make decisions about their writing, rather than blindly following grammar rules helps lifts the level of their thinking, and the level of their writing.