This time of year can be overwhelming, for teachers and students alike. Writing about gratitude is one way to stay present and positive.
Throwback Week: I Do. We Do. You Do.
This week, we've been re-posting our favorite old posts. I always learn a ton from my friend and co-blogger Stacey Shubitz. This post of hers, from one year ago, is one that I just loved.
Share this:
Share this:
Throwback Week: Student Self-Assessment: Introducing the Writing Checklist
Back in October, Tara introduced us to her checklist process with students. What I love about this post is that Tara doesn't have students use a checklist merely for the purpose of checking off completed tasks, but they are a tool for students to improve and monitor their progress within their writing. She explains how… Continue reading Throwback Week: Student Self-Assessment: Introducing the Writing Checklist
Share this:
Share this:
THROWBACK WEEK: HOW DO YOU PULL AWAY? LET GO OF THEIR HAND
Nurturing independence in writing workshop is one of the hardest things to do, and one of the tasks I struggle with the most. Betsy's post from last May, "How you pull away? Let go of their hand", is a beautiful guide to doing just this - in the primary grades, as well as in middle school. *********************** Letting… Continue reading THROWBACK WEEK: HOW DO YOU PULL AWAY? LET GO OF THEIR HAND
Share this:
Share this:
Throwback Week: How To Read A Unit of Study
Learn some tricks for reading the Units of Study, whether you're new to the units or have been using them for many years.
Share this:
Share this:
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. “Writing is the only thing that when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else.” ― Gloria Steinem
Share this:
Share this:
Throwback Week: Information Writing – Upping the Ante on Text Features
In almost every classroom I have coached in, kids get really excited about adding text features to their informational writing. They love adding pictures, labels, maps, and table of contents to their writing. But do they know why text features are important? Do they understand how text features enhance their writing? In this thoughtful post, Anna provides… Continue reading Throwback Week: Information Writing – Upping the Ante on Text Features
Share this:
Share this:
Throwback Week: A Peek Inside Dana’s Writer’s Notebook
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
Share this:
Share this:
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.
Share this:
Share this:
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?
Share this:
Share this:
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
Share this:
Share this:
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.
