A strong active engagement, and a routine for informally assessing student work during the minilesson can give you the tools you need to be sure that no student leaves the meeting area completely confused.
Category: writing workshop
Where’s The Dialogue: Part Two
A few comments last week got me thinking. Hopefully, you will find this resource useful and purposeful within your workshop.
Writing Workshop with Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
A joyous celebration of what writing workshop could be with Amy Ludwig VanDerwater.
Educators as Writers: A Follow-Up Conversation
Should educators be writers? The conversation continues! We welcome your voice and ideas on how we can spread the word that when educators write, students grow as writers!
9th Annual SOLSC Prize Reveal
We have been working hard behind the scenes in preparation for the 9th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge. Are you participating this year? Check back on our blog Sunday to sign up! The 9th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC) will run from Tuesday, March 1st through Thursday, March 31st. Everyone who participates… Continue reading 9th Annual SOLSC Prize Reveal
Helping Parents See Student Writing with a Writer’s Eye
We come together in the interest of supporting and celebrating the student, it's important to help parents see the work of their child on a deeper level.
Where is the Dialogue?
Adding dialogue to a piece can a be a great means of adding voice and detail, but I've found it doesn't necessarily come naturally for third-graders. They needed a nudge and some guided direction.
Waving the White Flag on Valentine’s Day!
There are some days in an elementary school teacher's life where the white flag must be waved. Halloween. The day before holiday break. Pajama Day. Crazy Hat Day. And, of course, Valentine's Day...
Sometimes we only write in writing workshop
My sixth graders have been busy drafting their feature articles this week, and I had a series of mini lessons planned to begin each writing workshop day. My students, however, had other ideas.
When Revision Doesn’t Work
I used to think professional workshops were where you would go to get answers, but now I know that the best ones are where you find more questions.
Looking at Student Writing
Comparing two writing samples may be as effective as scoring using a rubric
Lessons from Characters Who Are Writers: Discovering the Writer’s Life
Kids often feel as though that they are the only ones who have ever been stuck for ideas, or been laughed at, or had a story rejected (by a teacher, or friend). No matter where you live, no matter what you write, there is no need to discover every writing problem all on your own. That's where characters in books come in. Why not learn from them?

