Ten Places to Find Mentor Texts
1.5kSharesShare Tweet Pin It What is a mentor text anyway? A mentor text is any text used to model the type of writing your students are learning. Mentor texts are the backbone of writing workshop because students need to see what the pros do, to get...
The Truth About Writing Part Two
Share Tweet Pin It Welcome back for part two of this three part series revealing the truth about writing with mini lessons! In each blog post I provide a mini lesson you can use with your class to discuss topics all students think about but rarely get...
The Truth About Writing Part One
965SHAREShare Tweet Pin It This is a three-part mini lesson series that will help you reach for the truth about writing with your students. Each post will include a mini lesson, not for the faint of heart. These mini lessons are for writing teachers who...
8 Ways Teachers Kill a Love of Writing in Their Classrooms
289SHAREShare Tweet Pin It Are you a writing teacher who wants to instill a love of writing in your students but aren’t sure how? Yes, teaching standards is important and students need to be college and career ready, but that doesn’t mean we...
Opinion, Persuasive or Argumentative Writing?
Many teachers think argumentative and persuasive writing are the same. Some would go as far as to say that persuasive writing has just turned into argumentative because of Common Core (not true). And where does opinion writing fall into all of this? First of all, if...
Mini Lessons Step By Step Part Three
Share Tweet Pin It Welcome to Mini Lessons Step By Step Part Three! Part One: Coming to the Meeting Area and Hooking Students In Part Two: Teaching a Targeted Skill & Modeling with Mentor Texts Part Three: Guided & Independent Practice...
Mini Lessons Step By Step Part Two
Share Tweet Pin It Welcome to Mini Lessons Step By Step Part Two… Part One: Coming to the Meeting Area & Hooking Students In Part Two: Teaching a Targeted Skill & Modeling with Mentor Texts Part Three: Guided & Independent Practice...
Mini Lesson Step By Step Part One
129SHAREShare Tweet Pin It So what is a mini lesson anyway? To put it plainly, a mini lesson is a brief lesson modeling a targeted writing skill. In this series I’ll break it down into small, easy to chew bits. Join me for this three part series...
Writing Chart Fails and Fixes
Share Tweet Pin It Charts for workshop can be incredible tools and well…a giant pain. Come on admit it, how many times have you scribbled down student ideas only to stare sideways at the mess before you. And half the class shouts you forgot the...
Let Google Take Over Your Writing Classroom, Here’s How…
Share Tweet Pin It If your students have access to Gmail your writing instruction should be completely transforming because of Google! If you don’t have access to the teacher online heaven of Google Apps don’t worry, many, many...
50 Ways to Get Kids Begging to Write More
272SHAREShare Tweet Pin It Do your students moan and groan when it is time for writing? Does it make you sick to your stomach when that happens? Does it make you feel like you are failing as a writing teacher? You are not alone! Believe me, it happens...
Week Before Holiday Writing Ideas
217SHAREShare Tweet Pin It Before your pants are covered in green glitter and your classroom floor is littered with candy cane wrappers, make sure those writing skills you taught during that one unit in that one month are not forgotten! I’ve...
How To Do Project Based Learning During Writing Workshop
160SHAREShare Tweet Pin It What is Project Based Learning? According to The Buck Institute, “Project Based Learning occurs when students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time investigating and responding to an...