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Mentor Text Wednesday: The Wagamese Hockey “Poem”

Mentor Text: untitled Olympic hockey poem by Richard Wagamese (arranged by Allan Hawco) Techniques: Editing Poetic Form Background – Is anyone else struggling to find the groove this year? I’m thankful that I have years of experience to draw on, and archives of lessons to tweak, to build new ideas upon. I’m using that this week […]

The Moving Writers Community Guide to Article of the Week

Each month in the Moving Writers Community, I share a complete reading or writing unit plan from my classroom. But this month, by popular demand, I am instead sharing an 11-page e-book detailing the process and resources I use for Kelly Gallagher’s famous Article of the Week in my own classroom. Here’s what you’ll find […]

Using Mini Portfolios to Assess What Actually Matters in Writing

For the last two — almost three — years I’ve been in survival mode. Pandemic stress + endless COVID-school shifts + serious health issues in my family have left me treading water. And, to be honest, when you’re drowning, you’re not pondering innovative ways of getting to the shore; you are grasping for survival in […]

Mentor Text Wednesday: Some Time with the King

Mentor Text: an excerpt from Fairy Tale by Stephen King Techniques: Establishing voice Introduction Foreshadowing Background – One of the things I rediscovered during the pandemic was my love of the writing of Stephen King. The Kingcast podcast played a role in nudging me back his way. Listening to two fans and their guests analyze his […]