Grades — good or bad — tend to make us do unproductive things. Each September, when I assess my students’ first piece of writing, processed and polished, leave feedback, and return it to them, one of two things happens: students who did well give a great sigh of relief and check English class off of […]
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Writing With Mentors — 30% Off On Heinemann.com!
Have you been waiting for Amazon to have Writing With Mentors in stock? Wait no longer! Heinemann is offering Writing With Mentors at 30% off right now — far cheaper than you would get it on Amazon — and it ships IMMEDIATELY! Get your copy now at this amazing price!
Don’t Skimp on Sharing–7 Ways Your Writers Can Share (and Publish!) Their Work
As publication day approaches, I feel a little anxious. No matter how well the study has gone and how strong the products are, I never know quite what to expect of publication day. Because I sometimes used to skip from one study to the next without setting aside time for sharing and publication, I now […]
Translating Writing With Mentors for Elementary and Middle School, Part II
Last week, we shared our four fundamental beliefs about teaching with mentor texts — beliefs that apply to any students in any classroom, from kindergarten to senior year. We believe that: Real writing is the result of studying real writing Students benefit from studying hot-off-the-presses mentor texts Students need to study multiple mentor texts in […]
Translating Writing With Mentors for Elementary and Middle School, Part I
Our bookshelves are jammed full with books meant for elementary and middle school teachers. Donald Graves, Nancie Atwell, Georgia Heard, Katie Wood Ray, Ralph Fletcher, the gals at Two Writing Teachers — these are the teachers who have taught us how to teach writing, who continually push us to reconsider what we think we know […]
Writing Workshop: Rhythms vs. Routines
This summer a good friend introduced me to the Slow Home podcast about simple, intentional living and slowing down. I started with episode 5, “Rhythm, Baby,” about the differences between rhythm and routine. In this episode, the host Brooke McAlary discusses the differences between the two and explains how they play out in her life […]
#writingwithmentors Tweet-a-thon Wrap Up & Winners!
Writing With Mentors is officially out in the world and making its way to your mailbox as I type! Over the last two days we wrapped up our marathon Tweet-a-thon — 14 days of sharing hot-off-the-presses mentors texts that will inspire, engage, and teach your students myriad writing techniques and elements of excellent craft! Here […]
#Writingwithmentors Tweetathon Days 12 & 13
Gentle readers, tomorrow is the day — the day we have been anticipating and dreaming about for more than a year. Tomorrow is the day that Writing With Mentors is released and available to you! Tomorrow also wraps up our amazing Tweet-a-thon! Here’s what we shared on Days 12 & 13. There is still ONE MORE […]
#writingwithmentors Tweetathon Days 10 & 11
This morning, we get to officially say, “Our book comes out this week.” How cool is that? Meanwhile, the Tweetathon rolls on. Here is a wrap up of the mentor texts from this weekend. We have had hundreds of amazing, hot-off-the-presses mentor texts shared over the last week and half. Texts you can print off, copy, […]
#writingwithmentors Tweetathon Days 8 & 9
Yesterday, Writing With Mentors showed up in our mailboxes, hot off the presses! Which means it is only a matter of days before it shows up in yours! It. is. beautiful. In the meantime, readers, friends, colleagues from across Twitter have been burning up the Internet sharing their own hot-off-the-presses treasures: mentors texts to inspire and […]
moving writers 