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It’s been several months since I’ve written for Two Writing Teachers. In December my son was born, and I was on maternity leave until a few weeks ago. Then, in March I pushed aside all excuses… Continue reading →

Trains Go is a new 16 page board book by Steve Light.  It’s a book that helps a child differentiate between the sounds different trains make.  The board book helps readers hear the distinct sounds of a mountain train, a speed train, a steam train, a diesel train, etc.  It reminds readers that not all [...]

Trains Go is a new 16 page board book by Steve Light.  It’s a book that helps a child differentiate between the sounds different trains make.  The board book helps readers hear the distinct sounds of a mountain train, a speed train, a steam train, a diesel train, etc.  It reminds readers that not all [...]

I’ve learned the importance of communicating clearly with students through the Responsive Classroom training I’ve had and books I’ve read about teacher-talk.  One book that resonated with me several years ago was Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning by Peter H. Johnston.  In his book, Johnston made me think deeply about the words [...]

Tammi Myers wrote the following on our Facebook Page in response to the post I wrote on Tuesday: Sometimes we repeat jargon with the goal of being consistent with other grade levels- but that just gives us a class of kids who can parrot the terms with no real understanding. Tammi makes an excellent point.  [...]

One September, I was creating a chart with my students about the things good writers do.  They said things like “good writers write long and strong” and “they add details.”  I was initially impressed.  These kids seemed to know some of the things it took to be a strong writer.  But then, I conferred with [...]

I’ve been doing Pilates since August 2008.  I started it in order to get stronger after some surgery I had in 2007.  I’ve been doing it three times a week for the past few months.  While I have nothing even close to Madonna’s physique, I have certainly become stronger.  My Pilates Instructor is very cautious [...]

I conferred with one of my students during Reading Workshop today about the writing she was doing about her reading. I noticed the words “things” and “stuff” appearing. I showed her the poem I wrote earlier today in order to encourage her to use words like “things” and “stuff” only when it’s clear [...]