Workshop Routines: Sometimes It’s Time For The Reset Button

Thursday December 4, 2014Wednesday December 3, 2014 Tara Smith11 Comments

Sixth graders have short-term memories. Just when I’d thought that I’d nailed down efficient routines, and I was sure that my writing workshop was going to run smoothly for the rest of the year… my kids returned from Thanksgiving Break and appeared to have forgotten everything about those routines. Every. Single. Thing. Monday’s writing workshop… Continue reading Workshop Routines: Sometimes It’s Time For The Reset Button

Four Types of Demonstration Texts

Wednesday December 3, 2014Tuesday December 2, 2014 BethMooreSchool7 Comments

The way I felt about starting my first garden is probably how a lot of kids feel during writing workshop when we give mysterious directions to "add more detail" or "grab the reader's interest." The language many of us use during writing workshop probably makes perfect sense to adults--but for kids we need to be more explicit. Teaching just by telling is not enough.

thankful · writing workshop

Who Inspires You? Expressing Teacher-Mentor Gratitude

Friday November 28, 2014 BethMooreSchool6 Comments

When you share your gratitude for someone's support, you give them energy and inspiration to keep on going.

conferring · writing workshop

You Just Don’t Get It

Thursday November 27, 2014Thursday November 27, 2014 Betsy Hubbard3 Comments

Do you ever feel like kids just aren’t getting “it?” You look at what they are doing but the “what” isn’t telling you anything. Try looking below the surface to the find the “how.” I went to a session with Dorothy Barnhouse and Charlotte Butler at NCTE this past weekend called, What Stories Do Our… Continue reading You Just Don’t Get It

writing workshop

Flash drafting our way to a “best first draft”.

Wednesday November 26, 2014Wednesday November 26, 2014 Tara Smith15 Comments

We are trying something new in our memoir unit this year: flash drafting our way to a “best first draft”. The main reason for this is that for as long as I’ve taught memoir, I’ve always had a handful of students who would reach the midpoint of their first draft and then just stall. Our… Continue reading Flash drafting our way to a “best first draft”.