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Have you ever visited a colleague’s classroom or watched a video of a lesson and wondered, “How are those kids so perfect? How do they seem to know exactly what to do, the… Continue reading →

It's all about the link. Make sure your minilessons link to ongoing work. Link to making choices. Link to all the other minilessons. Link to the charts and resources in the room. Most of all link your minilesson always to problem solving and independence.

Every year, around this time, I start having dreams about setting up my classroom. In the classroom of my dreams, I’m moving around small circular tables, unfurling a brand new rug for the… Continue reading →

It’s been several months since I’ve written for Two Writing Teachers. In December my son was born, and I was on maternity leave until a few weeks ago. Then, in March I pushed aside all excuses… Continue reading →

I think the thing that makes a writer is Habit. Yes, that’s habit with a capital H. (I go back and forth between whether it’s habit that makes a writer or belief that… Read More →

The very fist student day of school, Deb Gaby (the reading coach in my school district) and I stumbled upon a meeting between 5th and 6th grade language arts teachers. They were discussing… Read More →

Find out how to bring two classroom routines into the 21st century with QR Codes.

I’m a big advocate for writers to find a space that works best for them. I also think it’s important for students to learn to write anywhere. I’m productive as a writer because… Read More →

Interactive Modeling: A Powerful Technique for Teaching Children teaches us how to use interactive modeling to teach a variety of classroom routines, behaviors, and skills in an engaging way that shows students what to do while providing them with a safe space to practice.

At my school, today marks day four for students. We are nearing the end of the honeymoon period. You know what I’m talking about, right? The newness of starting  school is wearing off… Read More →

This week we bought school supplies for our kids. Although there was a list and three excited children, I found it difficult to focus. Instead I was envisioning the possibilities for writing centers.… Read More →

As summer takes over, I’ve realized our routines are shifting with the season. Typically I write for 15 minutes in the morning and again at night. During the summer I write first thing… Read More →

If you are a regular reader, you know a lot of my thinking lately has been about writing process, and specifically nudging third grade writers into more traditional drafts. Today’s post is a collection of my thoughts about drafting. I hope it is applicable to a range of writers — not a specific grade level. [...]

Sometimes writing workshop gets a little messy. At least it does for me. I think we are trucking along, working our way through a unit of study, learning as writers, preparing for a celebration and then — all of a sudden — it crashes. Sometimes it crashes and burns. And sometimes I just want to [...]

In honor of Labor Day, I’m writing a little post about the kinds of “labor” I expect to see in writing workshop. Early on in the school year, it’s important to define student and teacher roles in writing workshop. With the holiday, this may make a perfect minilesson in your workshop this week. The teaching [...]

This time of year thoughts about creating a safe and inviting classroom fill our minds. This is one of  my favorite things to think about. Today I shifted the question slightly and began thinking about writers specifically. How can we make writers feel welcomed? Here are some ideas I’m tossing around. More importantly, I can’t [...]

A procedure I appreciate in many writing workshops is the use of a quiet writing time (Some teachers call in No Walk No Talk. It happens after the minilesson in order to give the writers in the room a chance to settle into their writing. Here are some reasons I like this procedure. It provides [...]

I’m a believer in routine. When writing workshop is predictable everyone is able to work more efficiently. It takes several weeks to build the procedures necessary to create the culture of writing workshop. Over the past two weeks I’ve collected some footage of routines in primary classrooms. One of the important things about developing routines [...]

Of all the things I’ve done to become a more proficient teacher of writing, the act of putting words on a page has had the biggest influence on my practice. As I’ve engaged in being a writer, I’ve learned the nuances of the craft. Being a teacher who writes influences my instruction more than anything else. However, [...]

I was doing some thinking this morning about the routines I’ll need to rehearse with my students this-coming September. My mind went from general (e.g., walking in the hallways, fire drills) to the specific (i.e., Writing Workshop). Therefore, I figured I’d post my working list of structures I want to teach my fourth [...]