This week on Two Writing Teachers, we each chose another co-author's previously published post to feature as part of our very own Throwback Week. I am kicking it off, with a great one, originally posted by Dana. Enjoy! Winter break is coming soon, replete with its promise of snowy days spent sledding down hills or… Continue reading Throwback Week: A Peek Inside Dana’s Writer’s Notebook
Demonstration Texts, Part Deux
Thinking about your demonstration texts this way can give you some inspiration for multiple ways to teach the same minilesson, to the whole class, or to small groups as follow-up.
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Where Do the Words Go?
When students first begin writing their stories they are oral and planned drawings. Eventually, however, letters and words begin to emerge on the page. How do we instruct this change? It first begins with an oral rehearsal. Students tell their story and attempt to approximate the words, often, first through labeling, then into a sentence representing… Continue reading Where Do the Words Go?
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Workshop Routines: Sometimes It’s Time For The Reset Button
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
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Four Types of Demonstration Texts
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.
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WRITE, SHARE, GIVE: IT’S SOL TIME!
WRITE a slice of life story on your own blog. SHARE a link to your post in the comments section. GIVE comments to at least three other SOLS bloggers. I am so grateful to be a part of this writing community. Week after week, we write and share and take time out of our busy… Continue reading WRITE, SHARE, GIVE: IT’S SOL TIME!
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Conferring Roles
What is the teacher's role in a conference? What is the student's role?
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Note-Taking: A Writing Genre Worthy of a Curriculum of Its Own
Launch a note-taking curriculum with an assessment and a vision of what is possible.
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Who Inspires You? Expressing Teacher-Mentor Gratitude
When you share your gratitude for someone's support, you give them energy and inspiration to keep on going.
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You Just Don’t Get It
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
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Flash drafting our way to a “best first draft”.
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”.
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Slice of Life Story Challenge: Every Tuesday!
Join us every Tuesday for the Slice of Life Story Challenge!
