MWSubstack 016: Writing; Class Closers
Why and how we teach the writer first and then the writing. And suggestions for class closers to help pull all the learning together.
Welcome to MiddleWeb Substack. It’s a twice-monthly, two-topic, five-minute read for middle grades educators, featuring a selection of MiddleWeb’s most popular and influential articles, a book review, and a noteworthy 4-8 resource or project we’ve spotted. That’s it!
►TEACHING THE WRITER FIRST
Prepare your young authors for the hurdles ahead
We have so many good articles about writing in our archives. It's impractical to list them all here, so we'll highlight a selection and encourage you to explore the complete trove. You won't be disappointed. The breadth and depth is amazing.
Many of our contributors take the position that the best writing instruction first focuses on developing a writing mindset in our students to set the stage for explorations of grammar, mechanics and story structure.
Matt Renwick explicates this concept perfectly in Teach the Writer First and the Writing Second, recognizing the gap between formal curriculum standards and the emotional and organizational hurdles of writing, Check out his ideas for student-centered strategies that acknowledge these challenges and equip students with tools they need to overcome them.
Here are some other teachers and coaches who offer practical ways to prep kids for writing success:
Middle Schoolers Love to Write Flash Fiction
Flash fiction is engaging, appealing, and motivating to students and to teachers, precisely because of its brevity, accessibility, and manageability, writes teacher/author Linda Rief.
10 Ways to Shift the Focus from the Writing to the Writer
How do we put our young writers first? We seek to develop a mindset and actions that provide opportunity, dignity, and encouragement, says literacy expert Regie Routman.
How We Learned to Love Writing Together
When we shared this story by Ruth Ayres, from her book Enticing Hard-to-Reach Writers, it was a holiday gift to any teachers still wondering whether their students can ever learn to love writing so much they stop turning in incomplete assignments.
Give Students Writing Feedback That Works
Laurie Hornik describes how she and her ELA team produced a feedback protocol for reading, coaching and evaluating assignments they're still using five years later.
Three Fun Activities to Keep Students Writing
Writers get better by writing, says author and ELA teacher Marilyn Pryle. She shares three fun writing tasks that help get the job done.
Building a Foundation for In-Class Writing Clubs
Lisa Eickholdt and Patty Vitale-Reilly’s favorite student collaboration is the Writing Club – an opportunity for kids to write in authentic, engaging, and creative ways. Here's how they do it.
Our Students Need a New Definition of Writing
The narrow “alphabetic” definition of writing actively disengages youth, warns literacy author Shawna Coppola. Students prefer forms that incorporate visual, aural, and multimodal texts.
Writing Teachers Are Coaches, Not Umpires
Umpires focus on the correctness of the game. Coaches concentrate on the growth of players. Courtney Rejent and Patty McGee show how to shift the focus from correcting to coaching.
How a Tiny Spark Can Ignite Student Writing
K-6 literacy coach Paula Bourque brings an extra spark to quick-write activities, expanding the concept to include brief low-pressure assignments that ignite passion, creativity & awareness.
Regie Routman “believes that we are most fully ourselves when ‘teaching, learning, and living are interwoven and seamlessly integrated.’ To show us this full self, she shares stories that might help us navigate our own worlds.“ – Read Sarah Cooper’s review of The Heart-Centered Teacher.
►CLASS CLOSERS
Refocus to reinforce.
Research and practical experience supports the notion that class closers can help pull all the lesson's learning together and gather valuable formative feedback. Here are two articles from our archives that can help you wrap up the class with impact.
Power Up the Learning in the Last Minutes of Class
Closure is critical if the learning is going to stick. See Curtis Chandler's wide selection of quick and meaningful wrap-ups to reinforce each lesson, including student favorites.
Tap Out! Help Students Self-Assess Fast
Quickly assess student progress with a “Tap Out!” at the end of class. Kids think about their efforts toward meeting a learning target, says Rita Platt, and teachers get formative assessment data.
►ELSEWHERE
Social media’s favorite English teacher
“Taking the time to be engaging” and setting high expectations are key to good teaching, TikTok influencer and Arkansas middle school teacher Claudine James told Edutopia. She’s surprised as anyone she has 5.7 million TikTok followers. Her speciality? Grammar.
►OUR BOOK REVIEW
Working Hard, Working Happy: Cultivating a Culture of Effort and Joy in the Classroom by Rita Platt.
Who needs to read Working Hard, Working Happy? Happy teachers, says reviewer Anne Anderson. "They will feel validated when they recognize many favorite practices." And also unhappy teachers. "They can nurture a culture of joy in their classrooms with the practical strategies Rita Platt offers." Read the complete review.
►REVIEW THIS SPOTLIGHT BOOK
You’re a Teacher Now! What’s Next? (Tom Hierck & Alex Kajitani). Solution Tree, 2024.
“Anyone who has ever held the noble title of teacher has had that initial moment where they ask themselves, 'What have I got myself into?'” write Tom Hierck and Alex Kajitani. A quick read and conversational resource that both new and veteran educators will find handy to have. GO HERE to see the free book and our reviewing guidelines.
►NEXT TIME
We'll share some useful articles timed for the beginning of school and take a close look at norms, routines and procedures.