Recently I attended my oldest daughter’s back-to-school orientation in her third grade classroom. It was a typical night of excited cafeteria room chatter, squeaky new sneakers, and the exchange of adorable little kid hugs between reunited playground friends. The loudspeaker chimed in and out, prompting us to move from one location to the next, and […]
Category: Planning
Rethinking Writing Genres
Some thoughts on how to help our students become writers in modern contexts as well as traditional ones.
Behind the Scenes: Organizing the First Weeks, Semester, and Year…It’s Not What You Think
It’s the first faculty meeting of the year. A few teachers gather in a corner to show off their new Erin Condrin planners…and as they energetically flip through them, I can see that the first days, weeks, and months are penciled in with big ideas, writing studies, and lesson plans. Then I look down at […]
Ask Moving Writers: Generating Ideas or Narrowing Them Down
Dear Trish, I’m sure we’ve all been on both sides of this problem at some time or another. I know I sure have! And as an adult writer who’s been practicing for many more years than the young writers in my classroom, it’s easier for me to diagnose and treat my writing ailments. Although there’s […]
Ask Moving Writers: What does a writing unit look like?
We are spending Mondays this summer answering reader questions in a series called Ask Moving Writers. If these reading our answers sparks yet more questions, please feel free to ask below and join the conversation! Here’s our first question: Hi, Sylvia,
The Final Thoughts
It’s June. I know that some of you are already done for the year. I know that many, like myself, are in the homestretch. Next week is our last week of classes, followed by exams. So, naturally, I’ve been discussing with my students the nature of their final. My team and I have had a […]
How To Reflect: 5 Ways to Encourage Reflection in Your Classroom
Today is an important day, a day all teachers cherish. Graduation. How remarkable to be able to share in this milestone year after year, class after class. What a privilege to take some small part in the upbringing and education of so many wonderful young people moving up and onto the next steps of their […]
Minute Papers: Short Sprints
Providing writing sprints to engage students’ creativity
Snake Man & The Nature of Time
When I was at Teachers College, we had a professor, Rick MacDonald. He was the chair of the high school program, as well as the Social Studies department. Everybody wound up in his courses at one point or another. Ours was a small teachers college, made progressively smaller by the fact that I was a […]
Discovery Writing
An instructional writing model that allows for authenticity and self-directed learning.
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