agency · back to school

Engage Writers at the Beginning of the Year with Base Training

At the beginning of the school year, take time before launching your first unit to allow students to settle in to writing workshop. This time helps you learn about students, build their confidence, and teach workshop routines.

professional development · writing workshop

Taming the Clutter: Bringing Focus to Professional Learning

Sometimes, I am overwhelmed with the amount of new learning about writing that I wish to incorporate. I’ve come to realize I’m not alone. I’m not the only person with more resources and ideas than they know what to do with, and I‘m not the only one who risks inertia because I don’t know where to start. If that’s also you, or someone you know and love, I’ll be sharing my process for how I work my way to more clarity and focus.

Resetting Our Workshop Practices Blog Series · writing workshop

Opening the Door to Reflection: Resetting Our Workshop Practices Blog Series

At Two Writing Teachers, we know how important it is to learn in a safe space, so this week, we invite you into ours. We will  share some of the growth experienced in our own teaching and what that was like for our students and for us. You might recognize yourself in some of our journeys, or you may see into an experience quite different from your own.

first day · guest blogger · jacqueline woodson · Katherine Bomer

Happy New Year! Using Celebration to Restore and Build our Identities as Writers

Lindsay Reyes began her teaching career seven years ago in South Carolina where she taught 4th and 5th graders. Following her heart for urban education and literacy reform, she moved to New York City where she taught middle school in the South Bronx. She has experience teaching General Ed and Special Ed (as a Collaborative… Continue reading Happy New Year! Using Celebration to Restore and Build our Identities as Writers

first day · technology · Web 2.0

Glogster

I recently read a post on Raising Reading and Writers that talked about Glogster.  I hadn't heard of Glogster, which is a tool for creating virtual posters, and therefore checked it out immediately.  This is a site that allows you to create a poster through text, images, video, and music.  Once you create your own… Continue reading Glogster

challenges · first day

Celebrate What You CAN Do!

If I were still a classroom teacher, then tomorrow would be my first day back to school (unless I were still teaching in Manhattan, and then I'd be heading back the day after Labor Day).  Even though I no longer have a classroom of my own, I can still recall how overwhelmed I felt in… Continue reading Celebrate What You CAN Do!

first day · guest blogger · writing workshop

Launching Writing Workshop in the Primary Grades: A Guest Blog Post by Mary Brothers

Mary Brothers is starting her tenth year of teaching with Dublin City Schools where she has taught first, second, and fourth grades. Last year she was a Technology Support Teacher for the district and started her blogging journey. She blogs about her learning, as well as that of her students’, at Teaching in the Tech… Continue reading Launching Writing Workshop in the Primary Grades: A Guest Blog Post by Mary Brothers

poetry · valerie worth

Start the Year with Some Small Poems

Poetry has always been one of my favorite ways to get kids writing during the first weeks of school.  If you've done bio poems and are looking for an additional poetry activity, or just for something different, then this post is for you! All the Small Poems and Fourteen More is written by Valerie Worth… Continue reading Start the Year with Some Small Poems