Do you ever feel like you're being pulled in different teaching directions -- conventions and craft and process? Do you sometimes feel guilty when you're teaching about craft that you should be teaching conventions? Or in a conference when you compliment on the great focus of the writing, that you should be correcting the spelling? … Continue reading the balance of teaching writing.
Category: writing workshop
Keeping Track of Writing Conferences
I often feel like I'm conferring with the same kids over and over again in Writing Workshop. Hence, I've created a new tool, a KID TRACKER, to help me keep track of who I meet with in strategy lessons and for conferences. At the end of Writing Workshop, I intend on shifting the clothespins of… Continue reading Keeping Track of Writing Conferences
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A very different unit of study
What if...? That's a question I ask myself very often when I try to get my imagination running when I'm writing fiction, which is not the easiest genre for me (to write in). However, as I looked over my shoulder to where my scrapbooking supplies are located, I asked myself, "What if we taught a… Continue reading A very different unit of study
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My Writing Teacher Goals
Angela Redden got me thinking about all of my goals for the upcoming school year. I thought this would be a brilliant place for me to articulate my writerly goals, so here goes. 1. To streamline my conference record-keeping for Writing Workshop. (My Reading Conference notes have always been great, but for some reason I… Continue reading My Writing Teacher Goals
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Recipe for Conferring Success
I baked a delicious chocolate peanut butter chip quick bread this past weekend. It came from a mix. (See how honest I am!) However, it required a few ingredients, such as eggs, water, and cocoa powder, to be added. I put all of those items into the Kitchen Aid Mixer and poof! Two minutes later… Continue reading Recipe for Conferring Success
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The first month of school
I met with the other teacher on my grade level today to plan our Reading and Writing Workshops for the first month of school. Our writing teaching points were inspired by five professional book authors: Aimee Buckner, Lucy Calkins, Ralph Fletcher, JoAnn Portalupi, and Jim Vopat. Would you have a look over what we created… Continue reading The first month of school
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What really matters when providing quality writing instruction…
One of Ruth's Colleagues from Indiana, Jen Barney, wrote a post about the top ten things she's learned as a teacher of writing in the past year. I think she touches on some very important ideas in her posting, which reflect the same thinking Ruth and I have about teaching writing. Do stop over to… Continue reading What really matters when providing quality writing instruction…
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Getting Started: Creating CWPs
Heinemann just published a lovely series of three booklets by Jim Vopat entitled Micro Lessons in Writing. I am so excited about infusing these micro lessons into my classroom, starting with some of the ideas presented in the first of the three booklets, Big Ideas for Getting Started. In fact, I loved one of the… Continue reading Getting Started: Creating CWPs
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My Writing Workshop Bookshelf
I've unpacked nearly all of my boxes. While I know a few of my titles are missing, I just wanted to share my Writing Workshop Professional Bookshelf. Some of my favorite titles are in here, though some are also missing (e.g., I cannot locate Book #4, 5, & 6 of Lucy's Series of books on… Continue reading My Writing Workshop Bookshelf
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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; all I did was rush. Now I'm an amazing writer. My writing flows and creates a sense of understanding. I was a… Continue reading Ch-ch-ch-changes
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Independent Writing Projects
I'm debating as to whether or not I should assign independent writing projects to my students before the end of the school year (which ends on 6/27). Part of me sees the importance of this and thinks that if I do not assign an independent writing project to them now, then they probably won't write… Continue reading Independent Writing Projects
