After three days of tweeting, my life is changed! A special thanks to those who left a comment and sent out a tweet about us. Wow, what a warm welcome to a new community. I can't say that I have a complete understanding of the genre (exactly what is a hashtag?), but I do know… Continue reading Twitter Update
Winding Down the Knuffle Bunny Trilogy
Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion, by Mo Willems, was released last week. This book is the final part of the Knuffle Bunny Trilogy. Initially I felt sad when I learned Knuffle Bunny Free would be the final installment of the "series." After all, I had such joy reading aloud from the first two books… Continue reading Winding Down the Knuffle Bunny Trilogy
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Words that are Speaking to Me
I don't create characters so much as I make room inside my heart for them to come and get me. I am drawn to characters who make me feel deeply --- make me mad, confuse me, make me wonder, break my heart, stagger me with what they are up against. --- Carolyn Coman
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Tweeting?
Several months ago, like back in February, I set up a Twitter account for Two Writing Teachers. And then I let it be. I thought about tweeting, but I wasn't quite sure how to do it. Silly, I'm sure for those of you who are regular-tweeters. I hope, eventually, this admission will be a little… Continue reading Tweeting?
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Haiku Writing Station
Earlier this month I shared an idea about a writing station (aka: center) for older students. Another product from Chronicle Books has crossed my desk and has piqued my interest as something that can be used in the classroom. This time, it's a poetry-related writing station using Haikubes, which are 63 word cubes that can… Continue reading Haiku Writing Station
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Minilesson Part II
The other day I posted about minilessons being one way to plant a seed of learning. I firmly believe this is a purpose of a minilesson and then through independent practice, conferring, and sharing, the learning "seed" grows and becomes personal and solidified in each writer. After I posted, I was reading a friend's thoughts… Continue reading Minilesson Part II
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Have you shared your writing lately?
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Minilessons Plant a Seed
One of the things I'm working on as a writing teacher is keeping minilessons, well, mini. As I've focused on this goal, I've realized sometimes lessons go long because I'm working toward perfection. I try to cover all of the bases so students can write in exactly-the-right-way. It is hard to admit this to myself,… Continue reading Minilessons Plant a Seed
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Words of Wisdom for Former Students
Right before I went to sleep last night I checked my e-mail. It contained a couple of useless e-mails from companies trying to get me to by their wares as well as an e-mail from one of my former students. I quickly deleted the marketing pitches and went right to this student's email. It's been… Continue reading Words of Wisdom for Former Students
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Words that are Speaking to Me
And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. --- Sylvia Plath
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Draft More Than You Publish
You know how athletes practice more than they play in games? The same is true for writers, especially our student writers. They must write more than they publish. When I first started following the writing workshop philosophy, I had a misunderstanding about the writing process. I imagined that once kids "got on the tracks" they… Continue reading Draft More Than You Publish
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Polacco’s Newest Book
Patricia Polacco's newest book, The Junkyard Wonders, can be used during the first month of the school year when you're teaching students about the climate of respect (for differences) you expect*. This exquisite picture book, based on a real-life event from Polacco's life, is an excellent companion to Thank You Mr. Falker, a book I… Continue reading Polacco’s Newest Book
