Mentor Text: from The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig Techniques: Background – I’ve really gotten back into horror the last couple of years. I’ve reclaimed my status a Constant Reader, (IYKYK) and been exploring the wonderful crop of new (and new to me) voices within the genre. The horror folks are eating well […]
Mentor Text: a scar tells a story by Maggie Smith Techniques: Background – Sometimes my reading choices are influenced by my job. I read a lot of memoir anyway, but sometimes, when I flip through a book, I am deciding not just whether it is going to interest me, but whether it may bear fruit in […]
Mentor Text: Three Dragons in Three Styles from Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeer Techniques: Background – I’ve had Jeff Vandermeer’s Wonderbook on my shelf for a minute, but I recently pulled it off, and while my students read independently, that’s what I’m reading. And taking lots of inspiration from. Wonderbook is a wonderful exploration of the intricacies […]
When I read nonfiction, I usually read through two lenses: a reader interested in the topic and a writer interested in the craft. I’m pretty much always on the hunt for those little gems that give both student and teacher writers a glimpse at what writing for authentic audiences and purposes can look like. The […]
We’re thrilled to introduce you to another new contributing writer, Kelly Tumy. Kelly is a consultant in Texas, former president of TCTELA, incoming editor of the journal English in Texas, and one of the people in this biz that I trust them most. You’ll adore her. You can find out more about Kelly here or […]
I started a new book the other day, and as I settled into it, it felt like I was returning to an old friend even though I’d never read it before. At first, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but as I kept reading, I realized that it felt very much like another […]
This month @mrsablund takes you through the mentor our students know best… social media. How can we use this in our classrooms as writers? Read to find out!
My students have been working on their first pieces of serious analytical writing this year, and as they drafted I noticed two main issues with their claims: Many were not clearly or obviously stated Some were overly-simple, cliched, or, to be honest, boring Ever have these problems? (Always? Are you like me and you always […]
I love a good digital choice board — a way for students to have a self-directed choice in their learning. You can make choice boards out of anything, but you can also curate your own choice board using Mini Moves for Writers videos. I’ve made you one choice board below: four different mini moves that […]
Every writer needs something a little bit different, which is one of the things that makes writing instruction so challenging! But whether the writers in your room need a bit of skill review (one of those things you assumed they “should know how to do by now”) or needs a bit of a challenge (so […]
moving writers 