Teachers College Writing Institute

By, Janna Hering & Yasmen El Hassa

Getting Started with Personal Narrative

Generating Ideas--what makes powerful stories

Turning points in our livesKids can make a timeline

Special place Kids can make a map and plots stories on the map

Special peopleList stories with the special person

Strong Feelings

Last times / First times

Getting Started with Informational Writing

Choosing a topic

Make sure you are an expert! No need for research

Teacher should have his/her own topic to model with

Lessons

Kids should orally rehearse before writing

Explore structures

Getting Started with Opinion Writing

Types

Personal Opinion

Persuasive

Literary Essay

Ideas

Use debate to prepare for literary essay. Take a side of a book or argue about a character

MinilessonsDon’t call on students! Lots of turn and talks with writing partner,

listen in and share ideas for them“I heard partners say….”

Use the book as a script (you can change your stories so they’re more real)

Keep it to 10 minutesUse a squirrelly kid as your timer =)

Minilesson Structure & Oral PromptsConnection

When you engage the students and state your teaching point

State teaching point “Today I want to teach you that…”

TeachDemo “Now watch me as I…”

Recap “Did you see how I…”?

Guided Practice “Now it’s your turn to…”

Inquiry

Active EngagementTurn and talk

“I noticed that you…”

Link“Today and every day…”

“One thing that you could do…”

“Don’t forget your also could…”

Writing Partners

Experiment with partners for the first month (speed dating)

Change partners with the unit (don’t change during)

Should have similar writing levels/goals

During minilesson, always sit together

Management techniques partners have certain spot in the room where they always sit

Put difficult or new students in a triad

“Famous writers are in groups but they’re not with their best friends!”

ConferringShould be under 10 min

Table compliment (easy, no planning)

Use checklist to keep track of who you’ve conferenced with

“How’s it going? What are you working on as a writer?”

Research-decide-teach

Always end conferences with a LINK Restate teaching point

Talk about student’s plan

Group conferencesPull groups by strategy

Quick Tips for Grammar & PunctuationMinilesson Idea

“I want to teach you that paragraphs have a purpose”

“Watch me as I look through this writing and try to add paragraphs”

Model first paragraph break

Have kids try with their partner. “Where would you add a new paragraph?”

“We change paragraphs to introduce a new character, change setting, change time”

“When you go off today, take a look at your paragraphs”

Grammar chartAdd 2 per unit

Teach CHOICE not rules

“Go off and see where you could try to change the mood by adding paragraphs somewhere”

Quick Tips for Grammar & PunctuationMinilesson idea for punctuation

“I want to teach you writers have choice”

You can change the mood with different punctuationShe runs.

She runs!

She runs?

She runs…

“How does each change in punctuation change the mood?”

http://www.supergrammar.com/

Fundamental Beliefs of TCRWP

Topic ChoiceStudents should choose topics they are passionate about

DO NOT give writing prompts in WW

Structures & RoutinesShould be predictable4-5 days a week; 45-60 min

Minilesson, tip or strategy of the day (7-12 min)Independent work time

1 on 1 conferences (5-7 min)Small groups Peer talkMentor texts

Mid-workshop instruction (mostly management at beg. Of year)Share (5-10 min)

Library

Offers an important way to grow a positive classroom reading culture that will allow students to love reading

Introduce as many authors and titles as possible

Include some all-star classics, but also many of the newest cutting-edge titles

Students should be excited to book shop, allow them to change books two to three times a week