No matter where or how the year begins for classrooms, getting to know students is one of the most important parts of teaching. Wordless slides worked great!
Write the Moments: Documenting a Most Unusual School Year
If ever there were a moment in education to pay attention, be astonished, and tell about it in our writing, I wager it's now. This is the season of school evolving and changing. This is the back to school season with words we never imagined before- sneeze guards, Zoom breakouts, synchronous and asynchronous, mask breaks, temperature checks, distance learning, hybrid model. What we always knew is no longer, for the most part. What remains? How do we teach well in a COVID-19 world? What matters? What doesn't? This year, we need to write the moments.
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A Very Kindergarten Appropriate Assessment: Writing and Drawing Observations
Instead of an on-demand writing assessment early on in kindergarten this year, I drafted a Writing and Drawing Observation. This is an informal observation of children drawing and writing during their writing workshop time. Observing young children and keeping anecdotal records of their behaviors is a time-tested tradition in early childhood education.
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Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge
It's Tuesday! What might you write and share today as part of our #TWT community? We welcome your voice and your stories.
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Oral Storytelling Before Writing
“Let me tell you a story…” are some of the first words that make their way out of my mouth and into the imaginations of students who don’t quite know what to think of me at the start of the year. They come in cautious. In a few days, they will come to school carrying far beyond the simple feeling of cautiousness. They will, many of them, bring with them fear, worry, and anxiety. #TWTBlog
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Point-Less by Sarah M. Zerwin: A Review and Giveaway
Sarah Zerwin is workshop to her core, and she has found ways to ensure that her assessment practices are not sending conflicting messages to kids. Point-Less will challenge readers to reflect and inspire them to advocate for change.
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Inviting Voices from the Community
As the 2020-2021 school year sets to start, we recognize that educators need each other more than ever. We need to hold onto our beliefs about the teaching of writing while becoming ever more flexible in our approaches. We need to grow in our understanding of Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy (as described in Gholdy… Continue reading Inviting Voices from the Community
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Belief Statements: The Breadcrumbs of Teaching Near and Far
No matter where we gather to teach children, the values we have for children and education should not change.
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Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge
It's Tuesday! Time to invest in your own writing life with the Slice of Life Story Challenge.
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ICYMI: Seen, Valued, Heard Blog Series
Did you miss a post this week? No worries! I am sharing a round-up of all the links to our August Blog Series today.
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Seen, Valued, Heard: Providing Feedback AFTER Establishing Community
If your fall instruction plan includes any kind of virtual teaching, then building and maintaining relationships will be more crucial than ever. In order to engage and motivate students, educators must work to genuinely connect with students before focusing on academics.
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Seen, Valued, Heard: Poetry to Establish Community
The 2020-2021 school year will likely be different than any other school year we’ve ever known. While last year ended with emergency remote learning in most places due to COVID-19, the year began like all others before. We had the opportunity to get to know our students deeply and establish classroom communities. I teach on… Continue reading Seen, Valued, Heard: Poetry to Establish Community
