Happy New Year to you, our Two Writing Teachers community. Beginning today, we co-authors will share our One Little Words for 2017. Somehow I ended up at the front of the line. "Breathe," I said to myself last month, when I realized I would be the first to post. This is my fourth time choosing a… Continue reading Lisa’s OLW for 2017
Category: writing workshop
Holiday Blogging Break
December is a month of celebrations and a chance for the co-authors to take a brief blogging break as we turn our focus to our families during the rest of December. The rest and reflection always helps us start the new year with a renewed sense of passion and purpose.
Finding New Opportunites and Joy: All It Takes Is A Slight Twist
Finding New Opportunities and Joy: All It Takes Is A Slight Twist This year presented my family and my teaching life with many changes, and each one took real focus for me. I had the opportunity to make a slight turn turning each into a change blessing or a change obstacle. The difference is in considering the intention.
Go! Write!
Is there a sense of writing urgency in your classroom?
Pick Your Head Up: Remembering Kathleen Tolan
A week ago, Kathleen Tolan, Senior Deputy Director of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, died peacefully in her sleep. Kathleen was the one who hired me, first as her own and Lucy Calkins's intern in 2003, then as a staff developer in 2004. Over the next decade she was my boss, my mentor, coach, teacher, leader,… Continue reading Pick Your Head Up: Remembering Kathleen Tolan
Active Authentic Audiences: PART OF #TWTBLOG’S THROWBACK WEEK
Deb shared fabulous ideas about developing authentic audiences in a post she wrote for the blog series on What Matters Most.
Watch and Notice–Part of #TWTBlog’s Throwback Week
Dana's post on the power of demonstration writing is one of my favorites. Writers love to see their teachers write, and teachers have a terrific platform for instructing using this technique.
Straight From Students: Why Teachers Should Write: Part Of #TWTBLOG’S Throwback Week
Melanie asked the students, "What makes you feel like a writer?" Read the voices from the classroom. YOUR writing matters to YOUR students.
We Are Writers Here: Part of #TWTBlog’s Throwback Week
This week on Two Writing Teachers, we are each chosing another co-author’s previously published post to feature as part of our Throwback Week.
Three Favorite Word Wall Games
A well-planned word wall allows students to quickly access familiar high frequency words from word study instruction. As they are writing, they can simply glance up, find the word, and continue to write. With the word wall, there's no need to interrupt their work to search through a dictionary or booklet. Glancing at the word word… Continue reading Three Favorite Word Wall Games
Using Mentor Texts With Students
Kelly Boswell reminded me of a three step process for using mentor texts with students.
‘Tis the Season… Where Did the Writing Go?
Maybe you teach in a school where all is calm during the weeks between the end of Thanksgiving weekend and the beginning of Winter break. I do not. (If you do, will you share your secret?) It is a busy time for most of us, both in and beyond school. All too often writing workshop… Continue reading ‘Tis the Season… Where Did the Writing Go?

