At my NCTE presentation, I shared strategies for boosting writing engagement, using the ICEL Framework as a guide. Some key recommendations include increasing involuntary student participation, being flexible with curriculum demands, fostering a supportive writing community, and getting to know students as writers and people.

Welcome to Tuesday's Slice of Life!

As we crawl toward winter break, it’s worth remembering that writing isn’t just something we teach; it’s something that can refill us. This post explores simple, meaningful ways to reconnect with your own writing life.

How can we prepare for the complexity of writing instruction and the roadblocks for students? We can create question sequences that help us prepare for the side-by-side conversations as writers develop and create.

For years, I wondered why students weren’t applying word study, reading, or writing strategies across the day—until a mentor asked me a simple question and everything clicked. Here's how you can bring that clarity to your classroom, too.

Join us today for a Tuesday slice! #SOL25

If you teach with curriculum that isn’t workshop based, but know that those missing workshop elements would increase your students’ writing development, then it’s time to “workshopify” the curriculum!

Estimated Reading time: 737 words,3 minutes. Audience: Elementary Teachers The Context There was a time in my life when teaching writing didn’t involve actual writing. I understood writing instruction as that, just a set of instructions and feedback for students. Then came Writing Workshop, and with it, the gift of rediscovering my love for writing. Being encouraged to sit and write with my students felt like a recess pass. Year after year, I wrote alongside them. I sketched, scribbled, and made lists while they transitioned from the minilesson to independent work.

It's #GivingTuesday! Join us in the generosity of shared stories.

I'm always seeking out gifts for fellow teachers. This year, I’m featuring work created by members of our Two Writing Teachers community. Today’s post features a “wish list” of books that our co-authors have written, along with a call for publications written by you, our TWT members!

When you think about the impact of strength and coordination on writing, it helps you realize that big movements lead to smaller movements. Therefore, paying attention to the development and progression of large motor skills can help develop writers.

It's that time of the week again! Please join us for SOL Tuesday.

I'm always looking for ways to deepen students' understanding of vocabulary. Today, I’ll share a few strategies, tell how they help my writers, and list how much time I expect those activities to take in the classroom.

Morning Meeting isn’t just a joyful way to start the day…it’s a perfect time for building both social and academic skills. Learn how small shifts, like intentional Morning Messages and shares, can give students meaningful opportunities to practice and strengthen their writing.

Join fellow Slicers at NCTE by filling out the form for a meetup in Denver. Even if you're not attending, share your slice of life story link by leaving a comment.

Morphology doesn’t require lengthy lessons. A few intentional minutes can transform how students see and use words. These easy, ready-to-use ideas and linked activites will help you bring morphology to life in any classroom K-8.

Lighten your mental load by placing more agency in your writers’ hands. Here are simple ways to empower your writers and make your life easier.

Charts have become less common in the classroom as slides become more prevalent. But paper charts serve specific purposes that slides can't serve. Here’s why we all should be making more charts.

Please join our writing community and share your slice of life story today!

Working in a Reggio-Emilia-inspired school has allowed me to see writing workshop practices through new lenses, bringing greater depth to the art of teaching writing, to how students and teachers collaborate, and to the power of documenting student learning.

Discover how purposeful, student-centered signage transforms learning environments and get practical tips for making every sign count.

Please join us today in sharing a slice of life story!

The co-authors have been brainstorming ways to strengthen the collaboration and connections between each other and also between readers. Our ultimate goal is to re-kindle and energize the writing lives of teachers and students.

What is the value in "teaching" children how to draw a person, even before they may start to draw figures on their own?

Looking for ways to maximize your writing minutes? Tight transitions, built on a foundation of smooth routines, help pave the way to more productive writing time.