RTM Students are WRITERS! November 9, 2010

 The movement to encourage “writing process” in classrooms is more than 30 years old.  It represents a shift from teaching product to process: We call it “Teach the writer, not the writing!”

 Writing Workshop  Writing Units of Study, and  Mentor Texts

 Children have choice about topic  Writer’s folders in the primary grades  Writer’s notebooks in the upper grades

Teachers are facilitators. The level of student engagement is VERY high.

 Summer 2009, “units of study”  In seventeen teachers piloted and trained  In visited other school districts

 Thirty-three additional teachers joined  All first grade teachers  Teammates of the piloting teachers.

 The time commitment to teaching this way: minutes, 3-4 times per week

 All remaining grades 1-5 teachers will be using the new writing units of study in the school year.

 Children develop “vision” before their writing and re-vision processes Teachers and students study well-written examples

Plan Teach Model Engage

Students work with a similar-ability partners

Research Decide Compliment Teach Good recordkeeping during these conferences is essential.

 Share their work  Talk about their strategies  Listen to/give constructive feedback.