Actual Writing
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Actual Writing

  The goal of any good writing instruction should be actual writing. I watched a strong lesson on figurative language last week. Students were able to easily identify several examples…
Writers write.
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Writers write.

  Writers write. Subject and predicate. Reality and hopeful wish. What we fail to realize as writing teachers is that students need time to immerse themselves in writing. Bad writing.…
Summer Learning Gain
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Summer Learning Gain

  Each year, we hear about the potential learning loss that students will experience over the summer. This year, we’ve been warned of the unprecedented learning loss that students have…
Working Within Constraints
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Working Within Constraints

  Sometimes, working within constraints is the way to get out of your funk. Give yourself a limit or roadblock. Something that will cause you to think clearly about your…
The Secret Is Almost Out!
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The Secret Is Almost Out!

  Today, I met with our secret society of writers at school. This group of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students are extremely dedicated and passionate writers. They span all…
Pen Snob
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Pen Snob

  I’ll admit it. I’m a pen snob. It started a few years ago when I discovered Sharpie pens. Any time I wrote anything, it had to be using a…
Passionate Writers
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Passionate Writers

  My son is a passionate writer. He often sits with me as I write and publish. He asks a million questions about my process which I always try to…
Craft in the Real World – Some Takeaways
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Craft in the Real World – Some Takeaways

  I just finished reading Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses. The book examines how stories are told, who tells them and how…