Welcome to the next to the last Writing Round-Up of 2017! Because we've had so many new friends join us throughout the year, we thought we'd take these last two weeks of 2017 to share some of our favorite finds for teaching writers and becoming teachers who write -- just in case you missed anything the first time around.
So grab a cup of cocoa, find a comfy place to sit and let's dive in!
For Teachers of Writers
You may have seen this post floating around the Twittersphere, but in case you didn't please check it out. Our friend Kathleen Sokolowski who is a 3rd grade teacher, co-author at Two Writing Teachers, and a co-director of the Long Island Writing Project, talked with the NY Times about what writing looks like in classrooms today -- and why so many kids struggle with writing.
It's Time to Tell the Truth -- Myths About Writing:
As you return to your classroom, it will be worth your time to stop and think about the stories about writing that run throughout your students' minds (and your mind too!). Certain beliefs, whether true or not, permeate our instruction and our students' engagement with writing. You may want to share this document from NCTE, 10 Myths About Learning to Write, with your students and colleagues so we can get those stories out of the way and do some real writing.
Do your students get overwhelmed with the editing process and don't know where to begin? Maybe it's because they focus on too many things at once. This post from The Robb Review will how you how to help your students focus in on what the edit for which will make their editing more effective and productive.
How often do your students get to talk with each other about their writing? This post from Alan Wright will explain why we need to give our writers this time to talk about their writing and the choices they make as authors.
Want more information about the writer's notebook and what should go in it? Shana Karnes gives us a peek into her notebook and shares some of her thinking about the things she includes. After reading this, you will be inspired to start your own notebook if you haven't already!
For Teachers Who Write:
Sometimes we are hesitant to write because we fear not getting it right -- the pacing, the conflict resolution, the details, etc. This post from Writer Unboxed, called "Non-Advice for Writers," will help put your mind at ease and get you to just put the words down on the page for the sheer joy of discovering them.
It's always interesting to hear writing advice from popular authors and this article from Neil Gaiman, Five Must-See Tips on Perfecting Your Writing, doesn't disappoint. I especially appreciate his words of wisdom in tip #3.
Want to write more, but feel you don't have any good ideas to write about? This post, "7 Ways to Cheat Writing Inspiration" from Institute for Writers will give you some creative ways to get going. I especially like #3 and came up with quite a few story ideas from it.
Join Us! Let's get 2018 started "write" with our monthly #TeachWrite Twitter Chat on Monday, January 1, 2018 (New Year's Day) at 7:30 pm ET. Our theme this month is "Being a Goal-Getter in 2018!". If you'd like a text reminder of our monthly chat, you can sign up here.
Looking for help with your writing practice or
your writing instruction?
Teach Write is dedicated to helping teachers and their students grow as writers. We offer virtual and in-person coaching and professional development services to help you grow your writing habit and/or become a stronger teacher of writers.
Contact us today for more information!
