Writing Workshop – moving writers

February 19, 2021February 19, 2021Brett Vogelsinger

3 Keepers: Lessons I Hope to Keep From Hybrid Writing Instruction

After a few more deep breaths and some reflection, I’m ready to think about what I hope sticks from this time period we are all so eager to put behind us.

February 16, 2021February 15, 2021Kristin Bond

Talking to Teachers: Reflecting on a Writing Process Unit (Non-Genre Specific)

This is a follow-up conversation with Caitlin Wingers, a grade 3 teacher in Jubail, Saudi Arabia (The initial conversation, that occurred in October, can be found here). This time around, Caitlin reflects on the unit she implemented at the start of the year — a Writing Process Unit that was Non-Genre Specific. A unit that […]

February 11, 2021February 10, 2021hattiemaguire

Conferring in a Sea of Black Boxes

In late January, I learned my second semester virtual AP English Language class would have 45 students. We are doing both hybrid and virtual and some students switched at the semester, so, naturally, things got a little wonky. It’s since shrunk to the oh-so-manageable 42, and, to be fair, my hybrid classes are teeny, so […]

February 8, 2021February 7, 2021Starian Porchia

Instructional Approaches for Teaching Writing Sin Miedo

Finding balance in the classroom is one of the most challenging aspects of instruction, especially now that time is even more valuable than before. And, every year at this time, conversations start about how teams of teachers are providing intervention and about what the data says in regards to which students are on track to […]

February 5, 2021Rebekah O'Dell

A Teacher’s Guide to Mentor Texts

We are SO excited that Classroom Essentials: A Teacher’s Guide to Mentor Texts is finally available for pre-order and so close to being in your hands. We have poured our hearts into this book over the last two years to bring you the most streamlined book about teaching with mentor texts that we could imagine. […]

February 5, 2021January 30, 2021Shawna Easton

How Single Point Rubrics can be a Game Changer

One day, a few years ago, I was doing what all teachers do at some point: writing a rubric. And it looked something like this… Grammar and Mechanics The writer has a strong command of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. The writer has command of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. The writer has little command […]

February 4, 2021February 4, 2021Abigail Lund

The Two Powerful Words… I Think

The powerful words I think can open a world of inquiry in our classroom especially in the science and math classroom. How can you use predictions and hypothesis in your classroom to generate critical writers? Abigail shows you some moves you can make!

January 31, 2021January 30, 2021Paige Timmerman

Books that Move Us: Pointless: An English Teacher’s Guide to More Meaningful Grading by Sarah Zerwin

If you’ve read any of my posts this year, you might notice a theme: I feel like I am constantly referencing Sarah Zerwin’s Pointless, which I read over the summer. I ordered it immediately upon reading the title, thinking, This is great! Maybe it will give me ideas for reducing the time I spend assessing […]

January 29, 2021January 30, 2021Brett Vogelsinger

Designing With Grammar

Teaching grammar is my instructional nemesis. I’m sure I am not alone in feeling this way. For nearly twenty years now, I have worked at teaching grammar in the context of writing, without skill-and-drill worksheets, and every year I tweak my approach, often some variation of Harry Noden’s creative Image Grammar approach. But it’s still […]

January 25, 2021January 24, 2021Xochitl Bentley

The Braided Essay

The image of the braid is powerfully suggestive of attempts to reconcile threads that are sometimes difficult to reconcile. In this way, the braided essay can be a helpful teacher: an exercise in creative nonfiction that encourages non-linear storytelling. Three narratives are brought together by connecting words or images that puts the threads into conversation […]