Mentor Texts: Batman: Evolving the Legend by Kristian Williams (@kaptainkristian) (Any of the videos on his YouTube channel are awesome!) Writing Techniques: Presentation Analytical or Critical Writing Pop Culture Writing Curation of material to augment presentation Background: You’ve already reacted with a sigh or a fist pump. Another geeky one. This is another one […]
Writing With Mentors has a 9-12 label in the top right corner, but it isn’t only for workshop-centered high school teachers. There is something in this book for every writing teacher who wants to engage students, connect them with the real world of writing, draw direct links between reading and writing instruction, and ratchet up the […]
It was 9:45 on a Thursday night with two weeks left in the school year and I was crying. My eyes welled up as I read a mash-up of Death of a Salesman and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Years after the death of their father, Biff Loman was inviting Happy to join […]
We owe a lot to Tom Newkirk. Actually, we owe almost everything to Tom Newkirk. This brilliant man has been a leader in our fields for decades, but one cold morning in Boston 2 1/2 years ago he spoke directly to Allison and me through a crowded room. And everything changed. We talk about this […]
Gamestorming a setting adds character to stories. Ideas and examples here.
Engage students in analysis of demanding texts by connecting to other genres with genre hopping.
Mentor Text: Various Poems Writing Techniques: Writing poetry Writing around a theme or topic Building a writing community Background: Though it’s no longer something that I do, I have taught Art. It’s pretty clear in my classroom, as I do a lot of work that incorporates visual elements. I love having students express their learning […]
It is six o’clock on a Saturday night, and I am sitting at my desk in my classroom. The end of the semester is definitely near! While many of you might still have weeks of instruction left on the calendar, I am down to my last week before finals and commencement. My desk is a […]
Mentor Text: Swindle magazine Icons issues The Time 100 Issues The Time: Person of the Year Issues Tributes to Merle Haggard from Rolling Stone magazine Excerpts from Brad Meltzer’s Heroes for my Son & Heroes for my Daughter Profile of Frederick Law Olmsted from Nick Offerman’s Gumption Writing Techniques: Writing biography Focusing presentation of research […]
Remember that Family Guy bit where Stewie is begging to get Lois’s attention by doing that lovable and annoying and relentless thing children do? “Lois! Lois! Lois! Lois! Lois! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mama! Mama! Mama! Ma! Ma! Ma! Ma! Mum! Mum! Mum! Mum! Mummy! Mummy! Mumma! Mumma! Mumma!” Of course, Lois replies, […]
moving writers 