character development · colleen cruz · community · professional books · responsive classroom · writing workshop

Four Books for Your Summer Reading List

These four titles are inspirational and useful resources for teachers. Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win one of them.

writing workshop

Organize Your Classroom: Getting Rid of Stuff Feels Good

What would it look like if you were to make your classroom a "minimalist classroom?" A classroom where you only kept the things you actually use, and you gave away the rest to someone else in need?

celebration · writing workshop

Our End Of The Year Family Writing Celebration

I teach writing very differently from the way in which I was taught writing. I suspect that many of the parents of my sixth graders feel the same way when their kids come home with stories about mini lessons, mentor texts, and genre studies. “What do all these terms mean anyway?” they must wonder, “and exactly how do they advance my kid’s writing?”.

writing workshop

Blogging Through the Day

Join me in Warsaw as I blog through the day at the ALL WRITE!!! conference.

writer's notebook · writing workshop

Nature Writing for All Ages and Stages

In our family, bringing along a small notebook or a journal when we travel has become a tradition. Maybe you'll make it part of your summer plans as well.

blogging · guest blogger · writing workshop

Diving Into Kidblogs

As the year winds down, I am reflecting on our classroom blogging experience and what I've learned.

guest blogger · units of study · writing workshop

Third Grade Writing Units of Study – A First Look

Our guest blogger takes a look at the 3rd grade Units Of Study

blogging · guest blogger · writing workshop

Blogging Adventures

What challenges do your student bloggers face? How are you supporting their growth as blog writers?

end of year survey · writing workshop

The end of the year writing survey: looking back to plan ahead

Next week, as we wrap up our writing workshop year and prepare for our final writing celebration, I will have one last task for my kids: the end of the year survey...

celebration · change · informational writing · units of study · writing workshop

Give yourself a pat on the back!

Take some time to celebrate what your students have accomplished, thanks to your teaching, in writing workshop. Name something -- big or small -- you're proud of from this school year.

writing workshop

Burning Stories

What's your burning story?

assessment · writing workshop

What Do You See?

We see what we choose to see when we look at student writing.