This week, I welcome Katie Bristol as a guest blogger. Katie teaches kindergarten in Simsbury, CT, and she is my go-to person whenever I have a question about the youngest members of our school community. While her post may seem specific to kindergarten, her insights are important to educators who work in all grades. Follow Katie on twitter @bristol_katie.
Category: writing workshop
Getting to Know Your Writers
The decisions I make from the classroom library to family connections are intentional and responsive to building a community of writers and learning about the students who make up this community.
Share this:
Share this:
Listening Bit by Bit
Using video and visuals helped this young third-grader lead his class in a lesson on rehearsal and planning.
Share this:
Share this:
Finding Your Voice, Telling Your Story
In what ways have you pushed yourself to try a new type of writing or to share your ideas in a public way? In July, I pushed myself to write a keynote speech and learned lessons along the way.
Share this:
Share this:
Write Them Back!
Do you receive letters from your students at the start of the year? Do you write them back? In what ways do you get to know new students? How do you keep track of the information and use it as a guide for helping your writers grow?
Share this:
Share this:
Building Word Superheroes: With Permission and Invented Spelling
Teaching students to take the risks necessary to be inventive spellers means I have to respect the stage of development of the student. I can't expect the students to know (or use) something I haven't taught. It also means communicating to parents about what it means to use inventive spelling and its role in developing writers and readers.
Share this:
Share this:
Stepping Toward Poetry
Did you experiment with some poetry now that the school year is in full swing? If not, here are a few more ideas to convince you poetry can be woven into your day. It starts with you.
Share this:
Share this:
Questioning Traditional Homework Practices
It can feel scary and uncertain to step away from a traditional practice like assigning homework. Following your teacher heart (and your gut) and reading what other professionals and researchers have shared can make you feel more confident in taking a risk and trying a new policy. Read on to see how one teacher (me) changed how and why homework is assigned.
Share this:
Share this:
The Forging of a Writing Community
No longer scared and timid, our work has forged a community of writers.
Share this:
Share this:
Poetry Every Day in 5 Minutes or Less
For some, this might be your last evening before school begins. For others, you might be on your third week! Tonight I'm sharing five, five-minute ideas that might just help you fit poetry into your day, each day. I needed to find a solution to the lack of poetry in my day for my students and I'm hoping these ideas might just inspire some of your own as you begin a new year.
Share this:
Share this:
Playing Around with Instagram Stories
I've been tinkering with Instagram Stories this summer. I've discovered several ways teacher-writers can use them as a tool for living and storytelling.
Share this:
Share this:
Quick Tip: Twitter Digital Notebook
Do you wish you can save all the bits of inspiration and ideas you read on Twitter? Now you can! Read on for an easy way to never lose those tweets again.
