So I took some time to create a video about the system I created in order to track and reflect on my summer reading. Because I pushed myself to reflect in a new medium, I feel like I dug deeper into the work I've done with reading like a writer. (I hope it's not too… Continue reading Reflecting on Reading Like a Writer
Category: writer’s notebook
Start Collecting!
As the school year quickly approaches, now is the time to begin collecting some ephemera from our everyday lives. Ephemera (the stuff of life that you would normally throw away) adds a dimension to writer's notebooks that words alone can't achieve. Here are some things to consider collecting to share with your students. Newspaper clippings… Continue reading Start Collecting!
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Mardi Gras Beads, a Treasure Chest, and Notebooks
One of the best things about attending summer institutes hosted by the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project is meeting people from all over the country and the world. This year, I landed up in a class with Kelly, who participated in the 2009 Slice of Life Story Challenge. We spent the week working together… Continue reading Mardi Gras Beads, a Treasure Chest, and Notebooks
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Share Your Story
Stories are as unique as the people who tell them, and the best stories are those in which the ending is a surprise. At least, that's what Travis Parker recalled his dad telling him when he was a child. Travis remembered the way his dad would sit on the bed beside him, his mouth curling… Continue reading Share Your Story
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The Power of Place
The more I write and collect stories, the more I realize the power of place. Thinking about a place can jog all kinds of memories -- even ones you forgot you had. This past year I have turned to place as a starting point when writing and collecting ideas. I've been impressed by the memories… Continue reading The Power of Place
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A Peek Into My Notebook
In this (too-long) video, I share a peek into my notebook. I'm not sure what happened, though, because when I prepared it for the Internet, the final letter was dropped from many of my titles. Considering I'm brand new at this, I decided to still post it and beg for advice from some of you… Continue reading A Peek Into My Notebook
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Living Like Writers: Collecting Stories.
Earlier this week, I posted about finding meaning in the everyday stories of our lives. I ended the post with this line: So here’s to collecting the stories of our lives, finding the real meaning behind them, and helping students to do the same. Then Terri asked this question (thanks for the comment): Terri Quesinberry… Continue reading Living Like Writers: Collecting Stories.
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A Writing Send-Off
Everyone received one last notebook! Originally uploaded by teachergal I began cleaning out my classroom supply cabinet yesterday. I found 16 leftover notebooks that were donated to my classroom from DonorsChoose. Since items donated need to remain in the school if the teacher leaves, I had to either leave the notebooks for the next teacher… Continue reading A Writing Send-Off
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Mentoring: Peace, Locomotion
My colleague and next-door-classroom-neighbor Leanna and I were eating and grading writer's notebooks together at lunchtime today. I got to the second notebook in my stack and said, "She's gotta be kidding me!" "What?" Leana asked. "She wrote me," I stopped feeling something between annoyance and anger, "letters." I have this thing about writer's notebooks… Continue reading Mentoring: Peace, Locomotion
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Reading Notebooks
Katie asked: How often do you collect and look at notebooks or are you doing it as you conference with students? I rarely read through a student's notebook during a Writing Conference. The reason is that I want to use the conference time to talk with them about their writing, what they're working on at… Continue reading Reading Notebooks
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Just what are the kids writing in those notebooks?
Mrs. V. left the following comment yesterday: "Thanks for your details. Could you tell me more about their idea notebook nightly assignment? What are the requirements and how do you assess it? Also, about how much time in class are you able to spend on writing per week?" My students have the same writing homework… Continue reading Just what are the kids writing in those notebooks?
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From the Notebook to a Final Copy
Yesterday, Katie left the following comment: Stacey is there a post or can you post your process for students' writing. What I mean is where do they draft, what do you collect and look at etc. I see them drafting a lot in their notebooks, do they draft there and then move to final draft… Continue reading From the Notebook to a Final Copy
