Fiction + Research

Some of you know I’ve been dabbling with writing fiction for the past six months. I’ve also had the pleasure of leading a fiction writing unit of study in two different classrooms this school year. One of the things I’m noticing about myself as a fiction writer is a natural affinity for research. It’s not [...]

Sundays for the Soul: Not for Robots

Check out this website I stumbled across: Not for Robots Writing is hard. People for whom writing is not hard are robots and should go away. Thank you. I’m not telling anymore, just that when I found myself in the midst of the site I knew it was perfect for Sundays for the Soul. Let [...]

Writers that are Speaking to Me

Devon Kinch, author of Pretty Penny Sets Up Shop   Today’s post is written by Devon Kinch, author of Pretty Penny Sets Up Shop. My first grade daughter attached herself to this book the minute it arrived in the mail. It’s one of those that she wants to read over and over. My husband & [...]

From the Past: What Really Matters

Some of you may know that before Stacey &  I began blogging together I wrote a blog called Inspiring Readers and Writers. As Two Writing Teachers grew, I poured more of my time and energy here instead. Eventually Inspiring Readers and Writers became dormant and Two Writing Teachers became the only place I blogged professionally. [...]

SPORK Giveaway Results

Thanks, everyone for the comments. It’s fun to read random facts about each other and strengthens our community. Nancy Steineke in Reading & Writing Together: Collaborative Literacy in Action (target grades 6 -12; Heinemann, 2002), suggests giving students a random question to begin group conversation. It breaks the ice, gets everyone talking, and helps them find [...]

Don’t Forget to Enter!

Remember to leave a comment to be in the SPORK giveaway. I’ll draw two names tonight! Here is the link: http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/mentor-text-spork/. Remember you can enter as many times as you want!

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What is a Slice of Life?

The month long Slice of Life Challenge will begin in March. Until then, we have Slice of Life Tuesdays, where we encourage you to share a Slice from your life. It’s a simple way to practice what we ask of students — to write for ourselves and be part of a community of writers. I [...]

Sundays for the Soul: A Baby Shower

Today’s Sunday for the Soul is for Stacey. I’ve been thinking that it would be fun to have a little online baby shower for her — but how? Well, today is our chance to shower Stacey and Marc and Isabelle with a little love. As Stacey is adjusting to life as a new mom she [...]

Words that are Speaking to Me

I don’t create characters so much as I make room inside my mind and heart for them to come and get me. I am drawn to characters who make me feel deeply — make m mad, confuse me, make me wonder, break my heart, stagger me with what they are up against. — Carolyn Coman

Mentor Text: Spork

Spork is a book about coming to terms with being yourself. I loved it the first time I read it. My kids loved it so much that I’ve read it enough times to not love it any more, but I still do. Since it’s one of those books for me, I looked at it with [...]

Spork

It is 11:37 PM. I have been up since 4:42 AM. My alarm will plink-plunk again at 4:40 AM. I will be sharing my thoughts about Spork by Kyo Maclear/Isabelle Arsenault tomorrow. Until then, check out the cover and the links to the author and illustrator.

Giveaway Results

Better late than never. Yes, this is the first I am sitting down at the computer since I left the house this morning. It’s been a full day, but very good. Before the drawing, thanks for joining in and leaving comments this week. I think the power of blogging is bringing many voices together. I [...]

TK Today

Did you know TK is shorthand meaning, to come? Stacey taught me that while we were working on Day by Day. So this post is a post about what’s to come later (after work, after playing with the kids, after making dinner, after . . . you get the idea). So later you will find: [...]

Writing Group

Today after school I get to meet with my writing group. We’ve been meeting for about six months now and it has been a very good thing. It started when I emailed Mary Helen and Ruth asking if they would be interested in being part of a writing group. Ruth co-wrote Building Bridges from Early [...]

Share a Slice Today

Don’t Forget: Any comment you leave on posts dated Friday (1/14) through Wednesday (1/19) enters you for a chance to win two copies of Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea. If you want a chance to win Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares click here. If you want to read more about these books,click here.)

Remembering Today

Last year Stacey wrote this post in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Observation. I encourage you to check it out today.

Sundays for the Soul: Amy LV

If you don’t know already, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater totally rocks. If you are thinking Who’s Amy LV?, keep it to yourself and click here to see her remarkable blog, The Poem Farm. Not only does Amy write an original poem every single day, but she also talks directly to students, making her blog a prime [...]

Words that are Speaking to Me

This quote sets in a frame on top of my drier, as a constant reminder. Today seems like a good day to share it with you. But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear [...]

So What?!?

I’ve noticed many of my conferences this week have centered around purpose. I’ve found myself asking again and again and agian, “So why are you writing this? Why is it important?” Nancie Atwell in her lesson set, Lessons That Change Writers, teaches students to ask: “So what?” when they are writing. I think this sticks with [...]

Giveaways!

Random House has generously donated four copies of Because of Mr. Terupt and Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares to giveaway to Two Writing Teacher readers. Woo-hoo! So here’s how the giveaway is going to work. It’s a little different than the way we’ve hosted them in the past . . . so read carefully! [...]

Mentor Text Thursday: Voice

My husband picked up Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea (Delacorte Press, 2010, Books for Young Readers is an imprint of the Random House Children’s Books Division of Random House) and read it the same day it arrived at our house. This is unusual. He is not a fiction reader. He is really not [...]

Dunk ‘Em!

When I first began coaching, Barb Bean and I worked together. Throughout the year, we were intentional about immersing students in the kind of writing they were making. Often this meant genre, but sometimes it was a particular author or craft move. During her poetry unit, Barb brought in a pack of Oreos and some [...]

Ruth’s SOLS: Mean Girls

My third grade daughter came home yesterday after school upset because she was: Kicked out of the Horse Lover’s Club at recess. One girl told another girl I don’t love horses enough and they don’t want me in it. But they don’t know what’s in my heart and that I love horses more than almost [...]

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