This year, I am teaching two new grades in a new classroom in a new school with new colleagues and a new schedule. And with all that comes the delightful insecurity that comes with every new school year to some degree — the feeling that I’ve never taught anyone anything before, the fear that I […]
Hi, Beth! Thanks for asking. As you know, mentor texts can be incredibly powerful tools to help students see the beauty in our language—and studying mentor texts at the sentence level can help students see what happens when we gather the best words in the best order. I almost always use mentor texts to […]
Mentor Texts: Poetry In Action from The New York Times Book Review E.B. White on Why He Wrote Charlotte’s Web, Plus His Rare Illustrated Manuscripts via brainpickings.org Strategies Used: Revision Background: Aside from noting a few things that popped into my Twitter feed, I haven’t done very much work this summer. July is largely mine. […]
Some strategies for motivating writers to engage in meaningful revision.
My latest #movingwriters post on helping students write within word limits
In August, I gave myself permission to leave walls blank to make way for instruction. Halfway through the school year, I’m checking back in on that work.
Students can co-create texts with in-the-moment revisions that lead to co-ownership.
Students are great coaches when given the opportunity to mentor younger writers.
Committing to giving my students chances to move everyday has helped me rethink how my writers develop their ideas.
Revision doesn’t have to be scary. If we keep it simple, and let students lead the discussion about it, they’ll come to see revision as helpful and continuous.
moving writers 