New Units of Study

by Stacey Shubitz

I purchased the original Units of Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 3 – 5 when they were published in 2006. In the early days, those books were like a Bible to me. I… Read More →

Common Core — Appendices

by Ruth Ayres

Many of us are digging into Common Core Standards. We are spending time reading the standards, figuring out what they mean, and noticing how they grow from grade to grade. Indiana (my state)… Read More →

Choice Literacy: Coaching the Common Core {Part 3 of 3}

by Ruth Ayres

The third part of the conference was led by Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan. They inspired me to stick to my beliefs. One of the ideas they talked about is a Framework for… Read More →

Choice Literacy: Coaching the Common Core {Part 2 of 3}

by Ruth Ayres

The second portion of the Choice Literacy workshop, Coaching the Common Core was led by Heather Rader. Heather is the author of Side By Side: Short Takes on Best Practice for Teachers and… Read More →

Choice Literacy: Coaching the Common Core {Part 1 of 3}

by Ruth Ayres

Recently Deb Gaby and I attended a Choice Literacy Workshop called Coaching the Common Core. It was one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended (and I’ve attended a lot of really great… Read More →

Talking Poetry with Lynne and Rose + a Giveaway

by Stacey Shubitz

Poetry Mentor Texts: Making Reading and Writing Connections, K-8 is the latest gem from Lynne Dorfman and Rose Cappelli.  Not only does their book help you hone your poetry workshop instruction using mentor… Read More →

The Intersection of Poetry and Informational Writing + a Giveaway

by Stacey Shubitz

When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders can be used as a mentor text to help students craft poems, instead of biographies or informational reports, about people they read about and research.

Information Charts: A Guest Blog Post by Kristi Mraz and Marjorie Martinelli

by guestteacher

We are so delighted to be guest blogging here at Two Writing Teachers. We know many teachers who use this invaluable resource and are honored to lend our thoughts on writing. It’s that… Read More →

Vintage Ayres {2007}: The Heart of It All

by Ruth Ayres

I’m smiling at the phrase Vintage Ayres. It’s a little bit of a smirk because, really, am I old enough to qualify as vintage? Maybe not. But definitely so in blog years. I… Read More →

Pathways to the Common Core + a Giveaway

by Stacey Shubitz

I’ve been working hard to prepare lectures for my graduate students that address the  Common Core State Standards, or CCSS, with regard to the teaching of writing.  While I have read through the… Read More →

Approaching Common Core + PARCC

by Ruth Ayres

Yesterday I heard James Kofi Annan tell his story of child slave to business man to freedom fighter for the children in Ghana. Check out this CNN video for a taste of what… Read More →

Common Core + Students’ Needs

by Ruth Ayres

Much of my time this school year has been devoted to studying Common Core Standards, as well as keeping up with the ever-changing discussion about the PARCC assessment. I’ve been thinking about the… Read More →