1. Raising the Level of the
Writer’s Notebook
August 2015
Jeannette Schroeder

2. Raising the Level of the Writer’s Notebook
Session Outcomes:
1. Deepen our understanding of what a writer’s notebook is
2. Deepen our understanding of why we use a writer’s notebook
3. Deepen our understanding of how to use a writer’s notebook
4. Plan for teaching and record keeping systems
Jeannette

3. What is a writer’s notebook? What is it NOT?
Materials: T-chart for individual participants. Large chart for group share out.
It is a writer’s tool. It is a place to live a writerly life. It is a place to build a treasure of purposeful ideas (ideas, thoughts, and memories) to choose from for writing more later. It is a place to safely try out writing. It is a place to push your writing skills.
It is NOT a journal or diary. It is not a place for assignments. It is not a place for a focused project.

4. Why do we use a writer’s notebook?
Video
To raise the level of student ownership and engagement (volume, variety, thoughtfulness) Stephanie’s Video

5. How do we use a writer’s notebook?
Notebook walk mini lesson
Free-write mini lesson
Lift a line mini lesson

6. When do we use a writer’s notebook?
Anytime throughout the day on the jot page (teacher models this all the time)
Homework – not with prompts, only Try-its (i.e. We worked on figurative language today on our narratives, revise for that in your writer’s notebook or start a new entry with attention to figurative language)
Homework entries can be used for editing practice the next morning.
( Read page 27)
Writer’s notebook should be used throughout the school year during writing workshop- “What To Do When You Think You Are Done Writing?”

7. Issues to Handle
With homework: get your parents on board, help them understand what a writer’s notebook is and is not
Writer’s returning to school with their notebook: Teach the importance of “write, write, backpack”
The mechanics (i.e. Do you skip lines or not? How to separate an entry from class writing and homework writing?)
Privacy issues and CPS: Message that whatever writers choose to write about in their notebook should be sharable (it’s not a diary) Folded pages signal privacy as an option for timid students who are not ready to share

8. What have been your issues?
Kae
Ways to build your classroom library-
Open Court Books can now join your library- leveled and read aloud
Garage/Yard Sales
Scholastic book points
Ebay- book bundles
Friends of the Library Sales- Libraries once a year sell books that people donate
Scholastic Warehouse Sale

9. Student Self-Evaluation Rubric
When to introduce?
At the end of the launch
Teach towards this- DO NOT introduce this right away!!!

10. to raise the level of the writer’s notebook in your classroom!!!
PLAN
to raise the level of the writer’s notebook in your classroom!!!

11. Q & A
Evaluations