1. Establishing a Writing Environment in Your Classroom Dennis N. Corash EDU 3660 Adopted from: Nancy Atwell In the Middle

2. Schedule Writing Time Schedule whole group sharing times daily. Encourage peer conferences so student discover the topics, modes. And audiences other writers, including the teacher, have chosen.

3. Publication Is Critical By publishing student writing, students discover the topics and modes other writers have chosen. Use a variety of ways to go public with writing. In your table group list ways to go public with writing.

4. Writers Going Public Individual bound books Individual pieces distributed Class Magazines School paper School Yearbook Local newspaper Trade Magazines Writing Contests Sharing with other teachers or administration  Blogs  Writing class website  Intercom communications  Poster  Bulletin Boards  Displays at public events  Enactments or recitations  Correspondence  Shared writing in other classrooms

5. Notebooks or Folders Student maintain and have a handy running lists of potential topics, jotting down ideas as they come on a special sheet of paper. For future reference, students keep lists of topics on which they have written, again on a special sheet of paper.

6. Talk to your Student Writers About how they come up with their ideas for writing. About how professional writers come up with their ideas for writing, drawing on published accounts of professional authors’ process. Invite professional authors to your classroom to talk with student writers.

7. Share with Students Calls for manuscripts from student authors. All those magazines and books that publish children’s writing, as well as student writing contests. http://www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/contest/kaa_about.asp http://www.lawsoflife.org/contest/ http://kidquote.blogspot.com/ http://charactercounts.org/programs/FFL/ and many, many more…

8. Teachers do… Read to students Provide time for independent reading Have a large assortment of books. Introduce new modes and techniques in mini-lessons. Conduct whole group topic searches in mini-lessons, asking kids to record the ideas they generate for future reference. Provide a variety of writing materials.

9. Teachers always. Allow student to abandon pieces and move one to other subjects. Provide regular, frequent blocks of time for students to think, plan, become ready, and write. Acknowledge that every student has something to say. Let your students know you care and are interested in their ideas, experiences, and areas of expertise.

10. Expect that every student will have ideas for writing.