Welcome to the September 17, 2017 edition of The Writing Round-Up, a gathering of some of our favorite tips for teaching writing and being a teacher-writer.
Have you settled into the flow of the school year yet? Getting into a routine always makes me feel so much better and gives me more time for other hobbies...like writing!
So let's get started with this week's Round-Up...
For Teachers of Writers
We all know that the writer's notebook is an important part of the writing experience, but how do we set the stage for notebook success in the coming year? Moving Writers has the answer in "One Notebook to Rule Them All." I especially liked the reinforcement that students need ownership of their notebook so it can become a tool in their writing life. This can't happen if teachers are always telling them what to put in it, right?
The first weeks of the school year is the perfect time to get to know the students who will write with us for the coming year. Don't fall prey to the lure of using this time to have your students complete worksheets and other stale writing projects just because you don't know them as writers yet. This post, also from Moving Writers, will motivate you and share many ways you can get to know your student writers so you can have a successful school year.
Comics as Writing Mentor Texts:
Inviting comics and other graphic novels into your classroom is a great way to hook your students, especially those who are reluctant readers and writers. There's much to be learned from examining comics as mentor texts and then using what you learned to inspire thoughtful writing and art as this article from Teachers, Profs, Parents: Writers Who Care explains.