Choice Lit Topic: Teaching Writing
Everyone who writes for Choice Literacy loves teaching writing, because we all write ourselves. We know it is “hard fun,” as Donald Murray famously said—exasperating and exhilarating at the same time. The writing workshops you will read about here and see in our videos are busy, noisy, vibrant places. And most days, we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than in the midst of ’em! Here is where you’ll find our latest discoveries, insights, and occasional boneheaded mistakes in teaching writing.
Results
Three Ways Student Writers Taught Me How to Use Writing Partnerships
See with the eyes of your heart. Look for the good in people. Look for the good in the mirror. Look for something that's working and you will find it....
Teaching Students to Be Teachers
When it unexpectedly flurries at school, rather than pushing against the excitement and desire to watch the snow for the sake of plowing along with the lesson at hand, we...
Teaching Writers to Hear Feedback
Recently I did one of the things I love to do most: talk with someone about their writing. It doesn’t matter whether you’re 7 or 77, I enjoy talking about...
It’s the Final Countdown: Using Chunking and Timers to Scaffold Reluctant Writers
When it comes to writing, are you a procrastinator? As much as I hate to admit it, I’m one. I cringe to think of how many papers I wrote in...
Helping Writers Self-Correct
Let’s face it: We’ve all been there. Finally, we find a quiet evening to sit down with a stack of writing from our students. We make a nice cup of...
Rural Matters: Revealing Perceptions and Celebrating Roots
If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance that you either teach rural students or were a rural student yourself. According to a research study conducted in 2019, “Nearly...
Good Work, Writer
I ring the chimes in our meeting area, and the hubbub of excited voices comes to a halt, students' hands go to their heads, and their eyes turn to me....
Three Strategies for Revising Informational Writing
My youngest child was the first one to move out on his own, and the first thing my husband did was set up a toolbox for him. He said, "Someday...
Infusing Poetic Techniques in Our Writing
“'I tuck the kitten under my jacket and run out of the woods, across the street, down the sidewalk toward my house,’” I read, then pause to look up. “I...
The Importance of the Workshop Model in High School
Instructional coach Holly Wenning shares the importance of the workshop model, and especially work time, for high school students. See the transition from minilesson to work time in a 10th-grade...
The Power of an Anchor Chart in a Digital World
I have noticed a trend lately that anchor charts seem to be disappearing in classrooms. I see commercially printed posters on the walls outlining character traits or phonetic rules. Or...
Quick Take: How Do Writers Get Started?
Ruth Ayres shares different ways writers can enter a writing project.
It’s About Survival
It’s that time of year. The home stretch, the last leg. You are almost there . . . but not quite yet. Testing is done, the room is getting buttoned...
Deepening Discussion with a Circle Process
“What does that mean, ‘Listen to your heart’?” Enrique asked, as all eyes turned to him. My eighth-grade dual language class was exploring what it means to live with integrity,...
Picture of the Week
“Mrs. Parks, can you take a picture?” is a common question that I hear throughout the day. For better or worse, my smartphone and iPad camera have become an extension...
Status of the Class for Readers and Writers
At the beginning of a school year, I posted the following photo from one teacher’s classroom on Twitter (also available here): A teacher from another school responded, “Great to do...
Using Images for Rehearsal in Persuasive Writing
“I really want to see how you work with Robert,” Ebony said to me during a meeting about her current unit. Ebony, a first-year teacher, was at the beginning of...
Opinions! Everybody Has One
After teaching middle school for seven years, I have learned that most middle school students have opinions and are not afraid to express them. But I found I didn’t always...
What “Should” Kindergarten Writing Look Like at This Point in the Year?
“What should their writing look like at this point in the year?” one of the new kindergarten teachers asked in a recent professional development session. This would be a tough...
Write Like Nancy
I met a stranger one morning. I guess all people are strangers until you meet them. Nancy, the stranger I met, was riding her bike as my dog was on...
The Answer Is Always “Yes”
When I first started implementing a writing workshop as a young teacher, I remember being paralyzed by the thought of my writers being in different stages of the writing process...
