Teaching for Understanding “If I had a nickel …” is the overused phrase I fight the temptation to say out loud when teachers tell me that they just taught something and their students don’t remember. What actually comes out is usually along the lines of “don’t take it personally. Your students are not out to […]
Writers' Workshop
How to Use Mentor Texts in Writing
Simply put, mentor texts are texts that serve as mentors, or guides, for reading and writing instructions. In writing, these texts will serve as an example of a strategy, craft, or convention that students can study in order to emulate in their own writing. In reading, these texts can be reread multiple times to discuss […]
Prepping for Workshop Model: Classroom Design
For me, the weeks leading up to an in-service week are the most exciting and the most overwhelming. I am eager to meet my students and make my classroom come alive, but I also know there’s a lot of “boring” work I should be creating as well. For a Workshop Model classroom, there is quite […]
Writers’ Workshop: Show Don’t Tell
Every elementary Writers’ Workshop teacher has a go-to “Show, Don’t Tell” lesson in which students learn how to show or illustrate what is happening, instead of merely stating it. But do we ever have enough? Do the students ever master this highly important writing skill?? Exactly! So here is another lesson to add to your […]
Content Area Essays in Middle School
Admit it – you groaned just reading the title of this post! Any teacher who has taught middle school students to write in the content areas realizes how frustrating this experience can be. I am not going to even pretend that I have a silver bullet and everything will be fine. You might still smack […]
Your Reaction: A Key Element of the Writing Conference
I know what the most important part of conferencing in a Writer’s Workshop is!
Writers’ Workshop: Incorporating a Research Unit
How can I stay true to the Writers’ Workshop model while doing what I know to be best practice in research?
Writers’ Workshop: Celebrate the Authors!
Last week we celebrated all the little writers at our school!