Are you ready to create a life that makes more room for what you love? Check out these tips on how to live like a writer.
So... summer break is here! My kids finished school yesterday and now we settling into our new "normal" for the next two months. Late nights playing outside, swimming, ice cream for dinner, picnics, the beach,
Keeping opinion writing organized is tricky for many students. Check out this post to see how this opinion writing flipbook can help with opinion essays!
What is a writer's notebook? Only the best way to organize your brain! Check out these tips for starting a writer's notebook.
Learn the components of a check by looking the example provided. Practice writing a check on the blank check. Click here to download the PDF Click here for a full list of handouts
Use this post from Writers Write, your one-stop writing resource, to explore the 12 common character archetypes and how writers can use them.
Go into any classroom and you'll find reluctant writers. Some will tell you writing is boring. Others will say it's too hard. Some students are afraid to begin because they don't know if their idea is good enough. So, how do we engage these reluctant writers? These 6 strategies will be sure to help you find success with any reluctant writer. 1) Talk it out One of the reasons students can struggle with writing is because they don't know WHAT to write. Whenever we start a writing task, I have my students share their thoughts as a whole class and also with a shoulder partner. The benefits of the whole-class talk is that it can be less daunting for some. It also provides a wide variety of learners to share their thoughts letting your reluctant kiddos hear more ideas. Sharing with a shoulder partner can be beneficial too because letting only one person hear what you're thinking can be safer. Also, students can carry on a short conversation, letting the ideas go a little deeper. 2) Draw it I often find that students with limited writing output can be excellent artists. Giving them some time (it doesn't need to be more than 5-10 minutes) to draw out their thinking allows them to get the creative juices flowing. Check in with your reluctant writers and help to provide some vocabulary for their image. You can leave them with a sticky note of thoughts from your conversation to get them going. Additionally, you can have your class get up and do a gallery walk to view all the drawings in the room. This prompts learners to have even more ideas! I like to give them another few minutes to add to their drawing in pen. This allows me to see what new info was added as information from others. 3) Brainstorm There's a lot of power in the tried and true graphic organizer. Getting some of the work "out of the way" helps reluctant writers to feel successful right away. Webs, Venn diagrams, t-charts, and 5 finger planners are all options depending on the writing task. Giving students the time to process their thinking through any of the top 3 strategies can be very rewarding. 4) Get them started In my experience those who are reluctant often feel overwhelmed at the start of the task, no matter how big or small it actually is. Checking in with them, and writing a few sentences (their own words from your conversation, of course!) can boost their confidence and attitude right away. Sentence starters can also be really powerful as well. 5) Involve technology If you're fortunate to have access to technology in your classroom - involve it! Some things I've done with reluctant writers in the past include: allowing students to video tape themselves telling their thoughts rather than write to use a voice to text feature to use apps with predictive spelling such as Clicker That being said, there is a time and place for the use of technology. I caution it's overuse as students do need still need the skill of writing with pencil and paper. 6) Don't assess Sometimes the issue can be that students are afraid of the assessment. As much as we love to grade, it can be really powerful to turn the reigns over to the students. Ask students self-assess or to to analyze each other's work in small groups. Through these activities, students will see that they don't just write for a grade, they write to strengthen their ability and think more clearly about a topic. There really is no need to assess EVERY piece of writing, especially if you do a weekly journal write. Let students know when pieces will be assessed (and how - with clear criteria!) and when they won't. Need some more writing inspiration? Check out my Pinterest board. Pin this post. Helping to inspire,
Need some help with your writer's notebook organization? Check out these tips to get your system organized.
Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to be a writer, if you want it badly enough, or if you’re truly meant to be one? Below follows a list of 10 signs that you are meant to be a writer. Check out how many of them apply to you.
Writers Write is your one-stop writing resource. These lists will help you select the character traits you need for the characters in your books.
Make your mark with unforgettable writer logo designs! Let's learn tips for enchanting visuals that resonate with readers and spark imagination.
Whether you are trying to write a novel, pen an epic poem, or maintain a blog about this or that, it’s inevitable that you will at some point experience one of the following: lack of inspiration decrease in motivation general malaise writing burnout general I-don’t-give-a-shit Some people refer to these symptoms as “writer’s block,” but I … Continue reading What to Write About When You Have Nothing to Write About
Are you struggling to keep your story ideas and inspiration organized? Check out these tips for organizing a writer's notebook!
As an author, do you find yourself agreeing to every demand made of you, which ends up leaving you stressed? If so, this article will help you to say 'no'.
It's the middle of your writing block and you sidle up to a student to have a writing conference. And it goes great. You feel like you made a difference with that kid. You feel like you accomplished something. But then you start doing the math... "Let's see, I just spent 8 minutes with this student, so at this rate it'll only take me... hmmm... 9,000 years to meet with everyone." It quickly gets overwhelming and you may start wondering, why even bother? Holding one-to-one writing conferences with students is a really effective way to help them grow, but conferences that last 8-10 minutes a pop just aren't sustainable. Even 5-minute writing conferences are tough. So are 4 minute writing conferences. 2 minutes. That's where we want to be. Now, before you start rolling your eyes telling me you'll never get anything out of a two-minute conference, hang on. Let's just for a second assume that you CAN have a meaningful, productive writing conference with a student in two minutes. Okay? If that's the case, what would that allow? If we had two-minute conferences with a class of 30 students, it will only take us four 15-20 minute writing sessions to meet with every student one-to-one. Less than a week to see everybody! That's motivating. Now I need to prove to you that two minutes is enough. That with two minutes, we can scooch a student writer forward. So let's dig into how to have a worthwhile two-minute writing conference. We'll break our time into three sections: Learn, Show, and Push. I want you to keep in mind this isn't meant to be a formula, but I also recognize that it can be really helpful to see exactly how those two minutes might get filled. So let's meet with one of our students, Leroy, and see how a two-minute conference might run. "Hi Leroy." And boom... our two minutes have begun. With the first thirty seconds or so, we LEARN. We check our notes for the focus of recent conferences with Leroy. (We do this quickly, like 5 seconds quick: Okay, I met with Leroy about leads and setting details recently.) We orient ourselves to what Leroy is working on right now in his writing. (We do this quickly, like 5 seconds quick: Okay, Leroy looks to be drafting his personal narrative about losing his gerbil.) We scan a chunk of Leroy's writing, preferably what he's been writing today and/or yesterday, looking for something to focus on with him: We're looking for progress related to the focus of one of our recent conferences. (In Leroy's case, we look at his lead and how he describes the setting. We might also ask Leroy how he's doing with one of these skills.) Do we need to revisit one of these skills? Or, Can we build off one of these skills, either by taking the skill to a more sophisticated level or by choosing a related skill to focus on? We're also open to a glaring need, unrelated to a recent conference, that we think should be a priority to address and therefore trumps the skills we were focusing on before. What if nothing jumps out at us? As a default, we'll use the writing skill/strategy we taught in a recent whole-group minilesson as the focus for this writing conference. With the next sixty seconds or so, we SHOW. This is the meat of the conference: the teaching part, the coaching part, the modeling part. We've chosen something to focus on, so let's do it! With Leroy, let's imagine we noticed him describing his setting, and we think he's ready to take it to the next level. So we're going to first show Leroy what we noticed: "Let's look at this little part you wrote here, Leroy. I see that near the beginning of your piece you wrote two details about the setting, one about being in your house and one about it being a Saturday morning. I can tell you are trying to think about that part of your writing. Then we model something new for Leroy: "So Leroy, when writers are trying to establish their setting, they do what you did: they describe the place and the time. But to really be successful, they use sensory details that really help the reader imagine the setting. For example, I see that most of your narrative so far is taking place in your bedroom. So we could try adding another setting detail that can help the reader picture your bedroom. If it was my bedroom, I might write, "The stench of my dirty socks strewn all over my bedroom floor almost knocked me over." Do you see how that helps the reader put themselves there in my room? What sense did I use with that extra detail? With the last 30 seconds or so, we PUSH. We transition from showing and modeling to giving the student an action step. "So Leroy, think about your own bedroom and how it was on that morning when your story took place. I want you to try adding a sensory detail that will help bring the setting alive for your reader." Now we feel out the student. Dots might be connecting. Or blank stares might be forming. Or anything in between: If Leroy gets started right away, we observe and simply be a sounding board for him. If Leroy struggles to get started, we might make a suggestion or ask a leading question to help him get the ball rolling. "I added a detail involving smell. You could do that too, or think about sounds, feels, or specific sights." If Leroy stares blankly at his writing, not sure what to do, that's okay. He might not be ready to make this jump, or maybe he does understand but this particular situation is just stumping him. Again, we might make a suggestion or ask a leading question. Depending on the student and the situation, we don't necessarily need to stay and continue to watch the student work. We leave the student with a closing push: "As you continue writing, Leroy, and your setting moves, I want you to think about those extra sensory details here and there that you can add, okay?" Our two minutes have ended. We make a quick note about the conference and move on. Here's a little chart that sums up the three parts of our two-minute conference: I highly encourage you to get out your phone, set it on the student's desk, and have the stopwatch running during the conference. It's the only way to really keep the timing a priority. There will be conferences when you think, this student needs more of my time, I can't just whisk along and move on here. I get it, that's understandable. Just remember though, if you do that very often, you're going to be right back where you started in this whole thing. Utilizing this two-minute outline with your students is one key component of a practical and effective system of writing conferences. But what about keeping all the interruptions at bay? And what about other types of interactions like strategy groups and check-ins? And what about the forms on which to keep records? And how does this change the big picture of my writing block? What does a week of independent writing really look like? Don't worry! Head over to my blog where I get deep into ALL of those questions in my post, How to Have Successful Writing Conferences with Student Writers. You can pick up all the forms I use there, too!
Keeping opinion writing organized is tricky for many students. Check out this post to see how this opinion writing flipbook can help with opinion essays!
Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to be a writer, if you want it badly enough, or if you’re truly meant to be one? Below follows a list of 10 signs that you are meant to be a writer. Check out how many of them apply to you.
So, where exactly is your plot taking you? What happens next? What is this story about? It’s time to think about plot. Plotting Worksheet
If you're a writer and feel like you can't get any focus, try these Android and iPhone apps for better organization.
This is an era of standard-based teaching, with lots of curriculum to cover in very little time. Teachers are pressured to make tough decisions that will have a serious impact on their students' education. We can't do it all, so what subject matter shall we prioritize? What's most important? If it's not likely to be on "the test", can we afford to spend time on it? Something has to give, and creative writing is all too often the first candidate for the chopping block. It's a subject that doesn't fit well into a standardized test. It's tricky to grade. Its value is difficult to justify by means of the standard research data. In fact, the value of creative writing has also been called into question by some Common Core designers. These leaders see the emphasis on "self-expression and emotion" that's associated with creative writing as being somehow detrimental to "lucid communication." These developments are unfortunate for a number of reasons. Creative writing does, indeed, allow for self-expression and emotional release - benefits that shouldn't be disregarded. Much has been written about the psychological and emotional benefits of creative writing. Let's take a look at some of these practical values of creative writing, and consider some arguments for keeping it in our classrooms! It has been shown in studies that children who have the opportunity to study creative writing improve their performance in other subjects. Math, science, and language studies skills have all been shown to benefit from practice in creative writing. Writing encourages broad, creative thinking and helps build a problem-solving mindset that is open to multiple alternatives. In other words, kids who write regularly tend to become innovative analytical thinkers. This skill translates well to study of any subject, and will also benefit the student in their later career. Speaking of writing regularly, it's easy to add some quick creative writing lessons into any class period with this set of 5 FREE Creative Writing Lessons. The language of literature is different from what's used in day-to-day writing and conversation. Creative writers get a chance to experiment with new words and unfamiliar turns-of-phrase. Students can take time to find the word that conveys their thought with the greatest clarity, precision and style. This is an excellent mental exercise. It's also fun! Students who build their vocabulary through creative writing go on to become adults who communicate clearly and vibrantly. This is a skill that's valued in the workplace, and earns the respect of colleagues. Get students building their vocabulary with this set of 101 This or That Writing Prompts. Students get to choose the writing prompt that appeals to them as they develop their skills as a writer! The creative writing class experience involves group review of a student's work. Creative writing students learn to accept constructive criticism, and to use it to improve their work. Students are also given the opportunity to analyze the work of others, to weigh its merits, and to offer thoughtful, respectful guidance. This ability to work cooperatively in a group setting will prove to be invaluable in adult life. Students can practice the skill of peer editing and review as they review creative myths, fables, or even persuasive advertisements. Giving students a chance to work together and build a community of writers is a wonderful and essential part of creative writing. Creative writing gives students the chance to assert themselves and their opinions, and to develop their “voice.” This, along with the opportunity to see their own words on paper, helps to build self-confidence. Students who regularly put their thoughts out for their fellows to read, and even criticize, are less intimidated by other challenges. A student who has gained confidence and found his or her own unique voice through creative writing is better equipped to succeed in the adult world. I saw some of the greatest growth in my students during my favorite poetry writing unit. Giving students a chance to write creatively as they experiment with different styles of poetry builds such confidence! In a standards-based and data-driven educational environment, it's not always easy to justify the need for creative writing. It's also not necessarily an easy topic to teach. However, for all of the reasons above, I feel that it's well worth the effort to include creative writing in our regular curriculum. In addition to the well-documented emotional benefits and "soft skills" it encourages, creative writing also develops a range of practical skills that are valuable in adult life. Here are a few FREE creative writing activities that you can download right away: ➤ Limerick Writing Lesson ➤ Spooky Story Writing ➤ Spring Poetry Writing Lesson ➤ Pinwheel Poem Writing Lesson ➤ Winter Myth Writing I hope you've found some great reasons to teach creative writing! Thanks for stopping by! Mary Beth P.S. Be sure to sign up for a free set of Creative Writing activities here!
Wondering how to create a writing routine? Check out these tips to organize your day so you can create a writing routine that works for you.
From Audre Lorde to Jeffrey Eugenides, read a list of acclaimed Turkish writer Elif Shafak's favorite books.
These kindergarten anchor charts will give you the tools you need to teach math, reading, friendship skills, and much more!
Even if children cannot yet write, they can still learn to tell stories. This is why oral storytelling practice is such a valuable tool for our emergent writers! Learning to tell stories with detail will
If you need a great way to add meaning and ease to your language arts this year, check out 10 things we love about Brave Writer's Arrow + Boomerang guides.
Like story itself, each scene follows a specific structure. Learn the three important building blocks of the scene arc.
PIN TO READ LATER Google Docs is a great alternative to Microsoft Word. If you’re a writer, I think you’ll find the mobile apps and collaboration options particularly useful, and you may be surprised by some of Google Docs’ lesser-known features too. I’ve tried to be as thorough as possible in this article and accompanying video. I also update as new features…
Are you looking for books to help you launch Writer's Workshop? Check out my top 9 books to use as mentor texts to set up Writer's Workshop!
Want to write a story that works? Learn how to plot your novel using the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet in this post! (Free worksheet included!) #writingtips
Do you have reluctant writers? You know- those students that stare into space the entire time that they are supposed to be writing? Do you have bored writers- students who watch the clock during wring? How about adding some fun to your writer's workshop! I have some simple ideas for you! 1. Let Students Choose
Need some useful tips on how to write an interesting plot? Check out this article!
Stan Lee is considered be the greatest comic book writer of all time. Check out this FREE unit study for children to learn all about him!
Check out these six ways to teach your class how to improve their writing skills and use these 10 prompts to help your students dive into journaling!
Do you know who Rachel Carson was? She was quite well-known in the 1950s and early 60s and had a profound effect on our environment. But many don't know her name today. She was a writer and biologist who had a talent for writing about the natural world in a way that connected with every day people.
