In my experience, many young writers struggle to use a writer’s notebook as a tool. They’re excited to have a notebook but unclear about what to “do” in there. Shared writing can be a powerful way to teach writers how to generate ideas for writing and to get themselves started, based on the books we are reading and discussing as a community.
Category: writing workshop
Seen, Valued, Heard: Creating Heart Maps to Build Identity
What do you notice in the world that you would like to change?” “Are there examples of injustices, inequality, or prejudice in my school, neighborhood, town or city?”
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Seen, Valued, Heard: Honoring Identity to Establish Community
More than ever, identities matter, and more than ever, we must rise to the challenge of learning about our students, valuing them, and inspiring them to share all that matters in their worlds.
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Look Harder, Be Braver, and Speak Louder: My Challenge to Myself
Right now, I want more than Hallie did when she wrote to her sister, Codi in one of my favorite books of all times, Animal Dreams, by Barbara Kingsolver. That being said, I will continue down my own hallway, running harder, stretching my arms further. And my hope is that there are more of us who are doing the same.
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Thoughts on a Way Forward: An Interview with Cornelius Minor
When the COVID-19 crisis hit, probably like many of us, I sought out voices of hope. For me personally, I knew one of those voices would be Cornelius Minor. I knew him to be the kind of teacher with the capacity to help us all see things in a new way during this unfamiliar period of virtual teaching. Fortunately, I was able to reach him by text. We sat down recently on a Zoom call to discuss his views on teaching remotely, his book, and a way forward.
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Instructional Ideas Inspired by the Author Spotlight Series
Have you been a reader of our annual Author Spotlight Series? How have you used these posts to inspire your teaching? Read on to find a collection of the Author Spotlight posts and ideas for using these treasures with your students.
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Some Summer Writing Motivation
The idea of creating anything at all that motivates children to continue learning and developing themselves as writers has kept me awake over the last few nights. And after a conversation with a few VERY trusted colleagues, I'm thinking sleep is going to be intermittent tonight, too. (Why can't I just turn off?) I know… Continue reading Some Summer Writing Motivation
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Teaching From Home: Another Poetry Lesson
Today I share a poetry lesson from one of my favorite resources. This lesson is ready to use in your classroom too!
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A Few of My Favorite Things For Distance Learning
It's the end of a memorable Teacher Appreciation Week. In the spirit of appreciation, I'm sharing a few of my favorite things so far during distance learning.
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Are You Taking Care of Yourself?
Taking care of yourself is a lot of work. Our school nurse shared a tool with us today that I hope you'll find helpful.
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Beliefs Inspire Actions During Remote Learning
My beliefs about teaching and learning have grounded the decisions I make, in the classroom and now during this time of remote learning. Come with me on a video tour of how my beliefs are shaping my actions. Share in the comments how your beliefs are influencing the instructional decisions are you are making.
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Classroom SOLSC: Closing In On the End – Week 5
2020 Classroom Slice of Life Challenge Twenty-five days of student writing are now behind us, and we are closing in on the end of the 2020 Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge. Students have worked hard to write stories each day. There have been stories that have filled pages and stories that seemed to barely… Continue reading Classroom SOLSC: Closing In On the End – Week 5
