TCRWP – Monday: PM Session 1– Mary Ehrenworth
Resource: Visible Learning for Teachers by John Hattie
Cyrstal Clear Vision of what you want to achieve
Feedback
Continuum of Teaching Writing – where is your school?
No Writing – Writing Assign – Reading Response – Units of Study +++ independent writing
Narrative
Argument
Information
Poetry
X2 Year
These two combined are the ULTIMATE
?? Do the units “HAVE” to be taught twice per year or does it work in our scenario @ Corbett?
– ie. Narrative one year, Argumentative the next, etc.
Why to become a “skilled” writer? – to make sense of our lives (get through trouble, express beauty)
– to express/communicate ideas – to develop “original” ideas
– to instill sympathy and open up new perspectives – to build community
– to get a better Job – email, informational, report, etc.
– to be a producer of text/ideas/information not just a consumer
– to create art – engage with the world/the human condition
– evidence of your thinking
Beliefs need to play out in classroom practices
Beliefs and values of writing workshop
 Writing is a craft = EVERYONE can get better at it
 Our lives are worth writing about
 We write to...
 understand ourselves and others (narrative)
 deepen and share knowledge (information)
 advocate for ourselves and others (argument)
 Writers need...
 protected time
 choice
 response (teacher + authentic audiences)
Introducing Writing Workshop
How are we going to use our time and our space?
1. everyday we're going to start with a mini-Lesson – this is when I talk and you
listen – if you have questions, write them down, but I'm not going to stop to
answer them (MEETING AREA) –
(NOTEBOOK/UTENSIL/PARTNER/HOMEWORK)
2. independent writing time – you get to work and talk and I will listen – you'll
need to figure out who you are as a writer... goal – get a lot of writing done is the
number one rule (INDEPENDNET PLACES) – where is your cabin in the
woods? Sometimes we will meet for conferences or you will meet with your
parter. Small groups will also meet sometimes. Your going to need to figure out
how to keep going without being told what to do.
3. Partner share – sometimes whole group – finding a partner that you can work
with for the next few weeks
4. So... we need to figure out meeting area, writing area (stuff), quiet/music area)
5. You might need to figure some of this out. We'll have time in the first few days
to do so, but after that I know I won't need to talk to you about this
6. First few days you need to get this in place – its simply too hard to do so
afterward – so PRACTICE even if it's just jotting and moving to the meeting
area
7. 90/90/90 – sitting up straight, so that your brain is turned on and you're listening
8. “NOT ALLOWED DURING THE MEETING”
9. Defined transition is critical!
10. Work on engagement NOT management
Why Personal Narrative?
**Use this to start every year – REGARDLESS – and establish routine
– Volume (2 pages per day!)
– fluency
– intimacy
– knowledge of kids – its ok to do this for 6 days! But at some point it needs to be a unit.
– rapid growth
– building community
– cornerstone of craft for other types of writing
– life skill
Notebook Share Day one – start a story – go home and continue to work on it
Day two – give a partner a “tour” of your writing notebook. What strategies have you used so far?
What starters did you choose to tell? What are you proud of? What do you want to do next, as a
writer?
When Collecting Writing Partners Say:
“Read that to me” (Don't show...don't tell. READ IT!)
“I love the part where...”
“It makes me think about... it made me feel...”
“It reminds me of...”
“JOT THAT DOWN” - in response to your partner
“You have to write that!” This is why the same partner is so important!! Get to know your partners writing
The workshop will look like this over and over....
1. Do some work
2. Generate a checklist
3. Make a goal
**Kids MUST be taught HOW to be a partner!
What you find out while partners explain themselves as writers:
1. Overall engagement and progress
2. fluency and rate
3. kids of stories and topics
4. possible partners
5. how do you talk as writers
6. who you're worried about
**Partner-talks – ALWAYS cut them off when they are still on fire
HIGH-LEVERAGE COLLECTING STRATEGIES
As a teacher – you need to pretend that these strategies work for you so that you can teach them.
Ease kids into writing homework: once they start drafting – the notebook needs to go home – what's the
difference between a writer who takes their notebook home two days per week and produces two pages
of writing will have 160 pages MORE of writing! BUT!!!! DO NOT send notebooks home until kids
have soooo much to write about that they won't be “stuck”
“Should you take your notebook home – or just a piece of papaer”
“When you go home – you're going to be working on your narrative writing and on getting better at
your narrative writing”
Here are a few strategies to have in your back pocket so that you won't ever feel stuck
1. Lists are pivotal
Issues in my stories
People in my stories
Moments in my stories
This will lead you to the positives and the negatives bouncing back and forth.
SECOND TRY:
Issues
People
Moments
Trusting my self
Oliver
That's not a girl
Bike accident
Being Present
2. Another List
Comments
Ophelia/Forrest/Oliver
Emotions
Responses
Victim – when you've been hurt
Bystander – when you were a bystander
Perpetrator – when you've said something
“Bounce”
anger, hurt, disbelief
silence/acceptance
“That's so gay”
rage
How dare you? Do you
have any idea why that's
not OK? = dialogue
“It's so hard for me to be
around you”
sadness
anger
3. A new map – where your stories might be hiding
See Photo:
“Trouble is golden for crafting stories”
Tuesday: PM Session 1 - Mary
** One really important aspect when teaching lists is to practice summarizing – stories should be short
(around 1 min), and stop telling it at the point of tension.
**As exaggerated as you think you're being, you need to be even more. Professional writers are OVER
THE TOP – that's what makes them PRO's – put your whole body into it.
**Slow down the moment of tension – pause in the intro/the lead in – TELL IT LIKE A Writer
Revising our Demonstration Writing for:
– Emotional Range – push yourself to write outside of your typical range to help students
reach those other emotions: trouble, beauty, glory
– Kinds of Stories – some stories have to be action stories – they can't all be psychological
(Allow boys to write violence) – make sure that your stories contain action, sports, body
stuff
– Identity Representation – Make sure that all kids can see themselves in your stories – all
ethnicities, kids in power, kids without power – tell inclusive stories!! Find them in your
own life!
**You also need to be able to name your stories for the issues they contain (this is a story about
betrayal... this is a story about judgement, etc.)
Resource:
Boy Writers
Misreading Masculinity
Bel Hock
Kevin Kumashiro
Quiet Leadership
?? How is your classroom anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic
Instructional Methods
– Direct Instruction – 80% of lessons - model followed by practice
– give feedback to kids the way a coach does – be transparent
– She asked us to share our life as a writer: here's what you did well, point out
specifics directed toward becoming a writer – use the discourse of writers
– I do NOT want kids who need someone to turn the light off on them. They will not
get hired. (Be better about knowing when someone is trying to get your attention)
– Inquiry – mentor texts or across two or three (such as Shihab Nye)
– Guided Practice – getting help in kid's own writing (you have to leave kids alone to do this)
What partners say/do during revision: (Scaffold for WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE! - works midworkshop)
– What do you want me to listen for? GOALS
– What's one thing you're trying to do as a writer?
– I really heard/saw that here...
– I love the way you....
– I can see where you...
– Didn't you also say that you wanted to.... (This is the part where you remember what a
partner is trying to do!)
Informal Assessment During Partner Talk (Share this with kids – DO THIS!)
– Volume
– Who is revising along the way
– How kids talk about their purpose/goals/techniques
– How their writing fulfills these goals
** When you give a lesson, open up the strategy so that all kids can acceess regardless of where they
are in their own writing ability. Also – end with a choice – students need to make choice in where they
are going next
Mini-Lesson Architechture
– Connection (can be a story or something as simple as finding out where they are in their writing
– the goal is to explain “WHY” we're doing this now)
– Teaching Point (DEMO) - “One thing writers do....” This language is really important – be a
COACH providing STRATEGIES – not a provider of giving direction. “WHAT” and “HOW”
– “Today I want to TEACH you...”
– Active-Engagement – Try-it with YOUR OWN WRITING – set them up for success with
your own stories and cuing systems and one place where the task has been achieved well
once – give three places where they can practice!
– Link (This is the “WHEN” they would do it... today, or is it a choice)
Writer's who embrace revision become the most powerful writers
“A thing I know about you as writers from looking at your stories is that...”
“We're going to look with the lens of dialogue”
“Run my finger down to see the places where I might be able to add dialogue”
“Think: What could he have said not what he did say (because we'll never really remember what was
actually said”
“Anybody can add dialogue – it's about getting the dialogue to do the work in your story”
“Some of you may be ready to add dialogue today – some of you may need to finish your draft...”
“Watch what I'm doing and then talk to your partner about what you saw me do”
“Take one of these and get started”
Dialogue
– Brings people's voices alive
– Develop character's traits and emotions – should provide insight into what kind of person
they are
– Combine it with body language and tone of voice to build tension
Setting
– you can use details in setting to create a mood in the story
– you can create the psychology of the story – but show them BOTH ways
Sample text for lessons – clean it up and summarize the background so that they can focus on just the
lesson at hand – so... for dialogue, cut the dialogue out and strip out all the extra details. It should be
no more than 4 inches of text. Ask yourself: What part of my text am I going to use. Also – Demo in
the hard stuff – leave the easy stuff for the kids! Hold off on the tension in your own stories and make
sure that they have multiple moments of tension that you can feed out bit by bit. SLOW IT DOWN!
TAKE YOUR TIME!!! DON'T GIVE IT ALL AWAY!
Use the same characters in your stories... they become metaphors for the lessons you want to teach
Develop a group of 3 or 4 characters that you write about consistently
GET THE PLOT DOWN FIRST
Using your own writing for revision:
1. you demo in your writing, kids study and analyze the moves you make
2. you demo in your writing, they try it in their writing
3. you demo in your writing, they try the work in your writing
4. you study a mentor text, they help you adapt your writing
Transitioning from narrative to argument and essay:
What's your kids experience with essay?
BootCamp for argument structure
When in narrative writing, the heart of the stories kids are writing are hidden ideas. When they move
to essay, the stories now need to be EXAMPLES of ideas – in the service of the idea – the idea needs to
be EXPLICIT!
Have students go back to their own writing and annotate for issues hiding in the story. Practice with
the kids with your OWN writing with a social aspect in it.
NEXT: Pick one issue and try saying it as a sentence:
Ex: Perseverance can get you what you want.
Then back it up with three reasons, ways, or kinds of “Perseverance”
Idea/Claim/Thesis
Reasons/Ways
Evidence
Bootcamp is saying it out loud over and over on topics/essays we're NOT going to write. Kids want to
stop at “BECAUSE”... you have to push them to find examples and evidence.
Beyonce is a great role model “BECAUSE”.... and then follow up with “FOR EXAMPLE”
Because...for example
Because...for example
Because...for example
Over and over until they can do it OUT LOUD! Repeat the stem over and over....
The third little pig is fascinating because...for example
The third little pig is fascinating because...for example
The third little pig is fascinating because...for example
The third little pig is fascinating because...for example
This will lead to cookie-cutter essays but it's an apprenticeship. It matters and it's necessary. More
sophisticated structures require logic which is a different lesson altogether.
“Practice with your partner – they can help you. Very often they'll see something you might not.”
Wednesday: PM Session 1– Mary
Literary Essays: Start with partner share.
–
–
–
–
–
How's it going with your literary essay?
How are?
Rehearse it... “Say it out loud”, “What are your three points”, “Tell me your idea”
Show me...
Maybe you could... (This is VERY different from “You should”) - if you do this, give at
least TWO choices EVERY TIME
*** Have kids practice this type of partner talk!!!
– Remember that it's TOTALLY OK to pause and ask for a minute to think!!
– Respond as concisely as possible is important
“Quick Feedback on your transition time – you're transitions are becoming much faster.”
Resources for building mentor texts:
Modeling:
Eleven by Sandra Cisneros
“Looking at your homework and how far along you are, I don't think you're ready for a mini-Lesson
right now. We're going to have 7 quiet minutes for writing – here's what you're going to do... A few of
you... A few of you... 7 minutes from right now, everyone needs to have a draft of a first paragraph.
Informal Teaching Moves:
– quick assessment for readiness for the lesson
– completeness of homework/last task
– “Fix-it” time/”Catch-up” time
– coach partner talk with/pos-neg feedback
– “Do-over” - coached practice of partner talk
– We're not just working on making better writers, but also better partners
Literary Essays (6th grade unit) and Writing About Reading (7th grade unit)
Character – 1st few essays – traits and/or character change... maybe about lessons character's learn
Theme – move beyond morals and lessons by 8th grade
Craft – analytical thinking
Start on Monday finished by Thursday – aiming for being able to write a literary essay in 40 minutes
**This is a continuum and it's Ok to move kids back down the continuum and then bring them back up
**Theme and Craft essays are also a great place to have kids write in groups or partners
**Make sure that text is dense enough and complex enough that it will yield a variety of ideas
Writing About Reading (7th grade unit)
Reading notebook in which students build a companion book for a book – includes
information/text/analysis
GREAT for dystopian, fictional, and fantasy books
Raising the level of Literary Essay (and essay/argument)
**Assumes there is structure AND a thesis present!!! **Use a quick partner TRADE to quick-fix this
thing up!! Are these things present!!
– Angled retelling
– for introductions:
1. Assume your reader has NOT read your story – you have to tell them enough about it so that the rest
of your essay makes sense
2. Don't tell them so much that you wreck the story!
3. Angling your introduction (retelling of the story) toward your thesis
– This is going to be formulaic to begin with... as they master this, we can push for
essays that are more complex as their logic and analysis grows.
– “In the beginning you start with a recipe and as you grow as a cook, you can do
so without the recipe.”
4. Needs to happen in their body paragraphs also
Gate 4-A: Intro/Thesis Practice Attempt:
Gate 4-A is a story about two women – one who is how unexpected friendships have the power to
restore faith in humanity and society at large.
The story suggests that people can be kind to each other. They try to help each other, they listen to
each other's troubles, and they give small gifts to each other.
**Save detail for your body paragraphs
**Don't open a new thesis here... save that for the conclusion
When problems arise, ask yourself, is it a WRITING problem or a READING problem – Go back and
bury the text – use a movie, a song, etc. to help scaffold this process – Assess this using an ONDEMAND
– Elaborated analysis
– demonstrate with expanded versions of the essay over 4 days: read through all asking
students to notice and then share with a partner. Walk through it and label those changes
and adjustments and how the change makes a huge difference
– demonstrate the next step by connecting examples from the text and that analysis with
author's craft
– Sophisticated transitions
Thursday: PM Session 1– Mary
Watching the lessons in action through a lens
1. Tone (teacher's tone)
2. Engagement (with the students and the lesson)
3. Structure (of the lesson)
4. Pace (being able to tuck in all of your teaching without feeling rushed)
Video: Cornelius teaching Fantasy Writing
Teaching point is already charted
Language about time is imbedded in the lesson – really quickly, 30 sec to turn/talk
Here's what I need you to do to get started – capture 3 “what ifs” (ideas) on your paper “writing fast”
and “all over the paper” - again language of time is built in.
“look back through and circle your favorite – the one that you think you could write” - I'm going to
think... teacher gives example and already has his charted!!
NOT reading his charts but showing that it's there for them to refer back to!
ENGAGEMENT – comes from the examples he chooses to use and the teens who are in front of him
Video: Larry Neal teaching envisioning to write with detail
use lens of engagement here – he's pulled them into the meeting with compliments about the student's
writing – and then has them hooked by talking about what he wants to teach...
Teacher has his notebook with him and he's NOT reading his story... he's talking about what he wrote
and has selected the piece that he wants to explode – this is the ONLY part he reads! And now he's
acting it out to slow it down... it shows the step-by-step process that kids need to write down.
Did you see what I did – walking back through his technique yet again
Give me a sign if you can do that.
Look at your story and find the part you want to explode – give me a sign
Circle it – not play the movie in your mind when you get it – give me a sign
Turn and share – this talking out before writing is POWERFUL! But his seemed short.
Video: Mary teaching really strong writers working on historical fiction
Notes on the kids so that she can compliment SPECIFICALLY
examples – using short stories on the table that provide the specific lesson she wants to teach (resources
are at the ready for kids)
example of her own writing – talking through it and only reading ONE scene
highlighting a specific part from the text and calling attention once again to point out the
historical research that she's done.
**Showing three or four things implicitly modeled rather than scaffolded
Do you see how I did it, you should do it, do it now.... repeated. With high writers this doesn't work.
Show and talk about what I did and where I want to go. EXPECT them to try it.
Watch me do it.... do you see what I'm doing?
Help me with the next part: try it out with a partner.
Talking with a kid about their writing
Resources:
Hidden Gems
Mary's book on teaching Grammar
Conferring:
1. See what they are doing well FIRST and what do I want them to keep doing
2. Be careful with your language - “You're “getting” good at...” rather than “you “are”
good at – the two things are REALLY different
3. GO BIG in your compliments! Name what she's doing and give it (the thing student is
doing) a little bit more.
4. ***You've got to be able to see the kid's strength AND NAME them.
5. Then decide, what's worth teaching?
1. is she/he ready to tackle something and what is it
2. and is what I'm going to teach relevant and high impact.
1. Elaboration – sense of detail/specificity - YES
2. structural work/blocking out - YES
3. dialogue – no
4. punctuation - no
5. grammar – no
6. intro/conclusion work – no
7. internal emotions/responses – no
8. WRITE ALL OF THIS DOWN SOMEWHERE so you've got a list of future
work!
***THE RESEARCH AND THE TEACH DO NOT NEED TO HAPPEN ON THE SAME DAY!
9. Remember that you have to have a strategy ready to teach – just ONE, maybe
TWO - “One thing writer's do is...and they do this by...”
10.
**Once they have words on the page, you can teach them. And you want to teach them one skill that
they can carry forward over and over – that's the high-impact skill.
**Keep track across the week of who I'm working with – divide the week between strong and weak
kids.
Resources:
Addie
Misfits
Gladwell
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Everything is Illuminated
Conferring with STRONG WRITERS:
1. Wow, it really feels like you're getting somewhere with you're writing. I'm going to take
this with me and think.
1. Talk to another teacher about where he needs to go
2. Look for a mentor text that would help him expand on... a metaphor, tense,
endings, exploding moments
3. Get out a checklist – look at your own writing – what have you done/not done
4. Who are your taking inspiration from in your writing? What authors?
**Every now and then, take a week and take a look at your conferring. Are you getting into a rut?
Make a system for labeling about conferences! G: Grammar
S: Skills
C: Content
Kids also need to talk to you about “soul”
Curriculum:
Analytical
approaching a text with
the intent of analyzing how
the author is writing – craft
= Literary Essay
Does NOT need a
counter-claim – it's
explication.
Persuasive
trying to persuade your
audience and you feel
free to manipulate your
audience with research
= Political Speeches
Argument
principled argument in
which you acknowledge that
the argument is complex and
recognizing the other side
= Mitigated Speech
= Counter Claim
Progression in Argumentation:
Idea / evidence (5th grade)
Idea / evidence ---- Claim / Reason /evidence (and subordinate ideas) (6th grade)
Idea / evidence ---- Claim / Reason / evidence ---- position/argument/counterargument (7th grade)
Idea / evidence ---- Claim / Reason / evidence ---- position/argument/counterargument ----
position/context + argument/counterargument + argument/counterargument + conditions
(8th grade)
Literary Essays
can go both ways:
1. highly analytical
as we've seen and been working on in small groups
2. personal response
What's the part of the story and what's the part of your life?