Support your writers with a plan, choice, and conversation.
Category: writing workshop
A View From The Classroom: Month One.
October is here! We’ve been in school for just about a month now, and our writing workshop has moved from its early stages of uncertainty and experimentation to let’s-get-down-to-it writing routines...
Share this:
Share this:
Who’s Up For a TWT Voxer Book Club?
Are you a Voxer skeptic? Read on to find out how Voxer can enrich your teaching life and an opportunity to use Voxer with others in our TWT community.
Share this:
Share this:
Pushing Through the Mud — Workshop is Messy
Workshop is messy on any given day, but workshops between procedural lessons and lessons to lift and support writers are the messiest. The only constant I can count on is uncertainty. I watch my young writers at work. I step back to take this all in and think who needs me the most right now, where can I make the biggest impact?
Share this:
Share this:
Behind the Scenes at Two Writing Teachers
In a darkened concert hall, the members of an orchestra sit ready and waiting. The conductor, in black and white coat-tails walks across the stage, gives an appreciative nod to the audience, then steps up to the podium and lifts her arms, signaling the beginning. As her hand marks the first few measures, the music cascades in big,… Continue reading Behind the Scenes at Two Writing Teachers
Share this:
Share this:
What Are You Doing to Encourage Ownership?
A writing exercise and some wise words.
Share this:
Share this:
Let’s invite every writer in our classroom to create mentor texts!
As a writing teacher, I am always on the lookout for rich and varied mentor texts to share with my students as we work our way through genres and, more importantly, try to live writerly lives...
Share this:
Share this:
Make Your Mark by Blogging!
I have plans, big plans, for my third grader writers this year. Topping the list is helping them to become bloggers.
Share this:
Share this:
From Telling Stories to Writing Stories- It’s all in respecting the process
I pause to listen to these stories (as best as I can in classroom of 27 six-year-olds, each with a story to share). After they’ve shared their story I comment, “I can’t wait to read that story!” or “Wow, you already have an idea for writing workshop!” Some walk away shaking their heads, eager to write their story, others look at me puzzled as if they aren’t sure why I would say this when they just told me the story. (I often wonder if they’re thinking, “Weren’t you listening?”).
Share this:
Share this:
Phonemic Awareness! Yeah!
Sometimes colleagues tell me that the feel intimidated or uneasy about setting out to teach phonemic awareness, because it all feels so technical. Even the terminology is tricky: phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, phonics... I like to think of teaching phonemic awareness as being just like kindergarteners themselves--complicated indeed, but also a lot of fun.
Share this:
Share this:
Slipping Backward
What do you do when you see the slip?
Share this:
Share this:
A Peek Inside Modeled Writing
Are you always telling your students to add detail? To write more? Here is a sample minilesson to show them how.
