EVERYONE IS WRITING, NOW WHAT?! TEACHING SMARTER DURING INDEPENDENT WRITING Presented by: Jackie...

EVERYONE IS WRITING, NOW WHAT?! TEACHING SMARTER DURING INDEPENDENT WRITING

Presented by:

Jackie Novak

Lake Orion Community Schools

1st-3rd Session

jaclyn.novak@hotmail.com

Plan for the Session

More advanced session Management is in place Let’s get down to the nitty gritty

How to teach well during independent writing

What good teachers ask How to use resources you already have How to change your conferring based on

the writing process

Can you imagine?

Why isn’t it hard for us to imagine what kids are capable of during 40 minutes of

indoor recess?

Why Independent Writing Scares Us

Managing workers is highly demanding – grown-ups

We know kids need to spend time with their writing, but it is the least directed component

We lose the comfortable feeling of directing everything and must teach children how to do it

Planning for Writing Workshop

What teachers spend the most time planning for outside of the instructional day?

Units of study Mini-lessonsEditing student workPublishing (parties, formats, etc.)

Writing Workshop Components

Mini-lesson Independent Writing Partner Work Share Time

Differentiated teaching!

Think About Your Mini-Lessons

Reflect on your own teaching Jot down your mini-lessons for

writing All of them you can remember! Any unit during the school year Which are your favorites? Which do you return to often?

Why Confer?

If we care, they’ll care – whack a mole and my year

We need to ask writers questions so they begin to ask questions themselves – independence CCSS p.18

Undivided attention/relationship – memories Provides accountability to child John Hattie’s research p.1

180,000 studies, 30 million kids ~ student achievement 100 factors that contribute ~ feedback 5%

Let’s Look at Process

Planning Drafting Revising Editing

There are certain teaching moves we make to help children at each stage of

the writing process. p.1-4

Planning

Students are rehearsing and planning for writing.

Student talk is encouraged. Sketching for early writers is also encouraged since it is

the first step toward communicating in writing.

Drafting

Students are writing down ideas by referring to a plan they have made. Teachers help students

stretch out words and think about keeping a focus.

Sometimes the teacher helps the student draft and revise at the

same time.

Revising

Students add more and/or take out parts of the writing that

don't belong with the main idea. Students think about how and where to put the words on the page. The pieces of writing in

these conferences are whole; the writers are going back to

imagine a new way of thinking about them.

Editing

Students go back to a piece of writing that is completed to

fix missing words, punctuation errors, or spelling mistakes. The

students are being taught to discover an error, correct it,

and find another one.

You Have What it Takes!

Conferring is just an individual mini-lesson

Principal and wall charts Example of a teacher - good leads Take your list and plug the mini-

lessons into the writing process categories p.2

Creative Scheduling

The pendulum stops here – Sharon Taberski

Goal: Making contact with every child at least once during the week

Serravallo’s scheduling plan p. 5-6 Mrs. Wills’ scheduling plan Quality vs. quantity Turn & Talk – create your own

I Have My Resources…Now What?

Do NOT immediately hunker down Move and make your quiet presence

known Watch everyone for a few minutes Smooth out an issue Mobilize a few children who need a

nudge Get an idea for future conferences Cluster slow starters

Once Writing Starts…

Continue to dot the room with your presence Work with one child per each section of the

room If you sense that children need more attention

include others in your conference Walk around with your conferring materials (packet walk starting at page 3) Don’t be hyper-invested to make every

piece perfect. It will be still be “kid writing!” Hold kids accountable to get their work done

Managing Distractions

Kids should not wait at their seat, raise their hand, or interrupt your conference

Conference sign-up(Be careful!)

When will you get to theconference sign ups?

What’s Wrong in My Classroom?

When we are too busy rushing, we’re not noticing patterns

Elementary school does not mean long lines of kids

Be an observer What is the problem? Stamina, start longer! Independence?

Where Does This Conference Fit in the Writing Process?

Find a place for this in the writing process.

When could this conference be used?

Look for architecture Research Decide and Compliment Teach

A final thought

Our wisdom and experience are too valuable to run untapped within us take the plunge and try something new.

“In truth, this is more than you and I ever got in school, so do your best with getting to everyone.” Katie Wood Ray“Each conference, well taught, makes us better teachers. Our children

deserve our bravest selves.” Lucy

Calkins