S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Dec 7, 2009, 11:02 pm

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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Dec 7, 2009, 12:16 am
The act of paying attention brings us peace. — Julia Cameron Yesterday I was thinking about how life is messy and how often it is human nature to try and cover-up the mess instead of face it he...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Dec 4, 2009, 4:11 pm
I’ve been intentional about writing a teaching point for each of my lessons in Reading and Writing Workshop.  Last night I typed them all to share with my students.  Starting Monday, they will...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Dec 3, 2009, 8:21 pm
Last month I was consulting in a school with some primary grade teachers. They expressed concerns about infusing mentor texts into their classrooms. I provided them with some language for developing...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Dec 2, 2009, 7:33 pm
Refining is the process of purification.  Natural resources are refined when they are almost in a usable state in order to make them more valuable. I think teachers ought to engage in a refining proc...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Dec 1, 2009, 1:30 pm
I credit Kylene Beers with being the first person to tell me about Twitter in the Summer of 2007 when I was enrolled in a week-long course she was teaching at the TCRWP Summer Reading Institute.  Bee...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 30, 2009, 11:06 pm

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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 30, 2009, 1:25 pm
About a month ago, All-Write hosted Cris Tovani.  I probably should have blogged about the workshop the next day, but I didn’t.  Instead, I’m blogging about it today after I’ve had...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 26, 2009, 11:59 pm
I was so honored to chair “Integrating Blogs, Podcasting, and Digital Videos into Fourth and Fifth Grade Language Arts Classes” at NCTE this year.  I learned a tremendous amount about the...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 25, 2009, 11:11 pm

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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 25, 2009, 11:01 pm
The past eight days have been exceedingly busy, while also being exceedingly great.  First, Ruth was here and we spent a lot of time planning out the final third of our book.  Then, I traveled to Ph...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 25, 2009, 2:54 pm
I had envisioned being able to share with you some of the dreams on my freshmen’s lists.  However, Monday we had a lock down drill smack in the middle of block two, altering our plans.  Then y...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 23, 2009, 11:10 pm

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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 23, 2009, 11:01 pm
Sylvia Vardell chaired “Poetry Party! Celebrating 2009 NCTE Poetry Award Recipient Lee Bennett Hopkins,” which Ruth blogged a little bit about on Friday.  This was by far the most fun I&#...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 23, 2009, 5:08 am
I rolled into my driveway around 8:30 last night.  Andy had given our kids late naps so they could stay up and see me.  This may not have been our best parenting move.  They were excited, but also ...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 22, 2009, 9:11 am
Katie Wood Ray, Matt Glover, and Isoke Titilayo Nia hosted a session entitled “Independence in the Primary Writing Workshop,” which Ruth and I attended yesterday morning.  Ray, Glover, an...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 21, 2009, 8:28 pm
We were fortunate to cross paths into Kevin Hodgson when we were walking through the Convention Center at NCTE this afternoon.  He was leading a Tech on-the-Go Presentation about creating digital com...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 21, 2009, 2:54 am
“Let our testimony be our pen.” – Anonymous African American Male from Chicago I found myself rushing to get my lunch from the Reading Terminal Market so I could eat it while listening to Alfred...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 20, 2009, 4:51 pm
Today was a good day, but what day at NCTE isn’t?  Since we just finished our last session and have dinner plans in a few minutes, you’re getting a list of swirling thoughts.  Expect mor...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 18, 2009, 11:36 pm
“There is nothing permanent except change.” – Heraclitus As a child, I didn’t know much about change.  I moved from Brooklyn to New Jersey when I was a baby.  I switched schools in the fall ...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 18, 2009, 8:22 pm
Right now I’m sitting in Stacey’s kitchen, thinking how good it is to be in the same house as my friend. I already know I have a great class.  (We’ll see if I still feel this way ...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 16, 2009, 11:09 pm
Please link your Slice of Life Story to this post by leaving a comment.
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 16, 2009, 3:44 am
Today is the first day of the new trimester.  This means two things: I get to teach my own class starting today — English 9A with 26 students. I barely slept last night and woke up early today...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 15, 2009, 9:56 pm

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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 12, 2009, 11:47 pm
NCTE’s Annual Convention in Philadelphia in next week.  I’m delighted to be chairing a session for some educators from California entitled “Integrating Blogs, Podcasting, and Digita...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 11, 2009, 11:02 pm
I’ve had 13, a collection of short stories edited by James Howe, sitting in my bookshelf for the past few years.  I bought it based on the recommendation of a staff developer at the TCRWP who share...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 11, 2009, 1:53 pm

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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 10, 2009, 4:53 pm
I use conventions in my writer’s notebook and in e-mails. I tend to write with proper conventions when I’m IM-ing since I know it makes my message easier for my reader to decode when we’re writi...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 9, 2009, 11:08 pm

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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 9, 2009, 7:39 pm
I’m intrigued by peer conferring.  There’s just something about two writers coming together to talk about their work that’s interesting to me.  I love the nuances of peer conferrin...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 7, 2009, 10:53 am
I was talking with a friend and colleague of mine, Deb Gaby.  She was commenting about how often in life when we begin to think differently, this new awareness crops up in many different aspects of o...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 5, 2009, 7:41 am
Dialogue. It’s something we wish students would use purposefully inside of a piece of writing. Too often, when our students do write with dialogue, it sounds like this: “Hi,” I sa...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 4, 2009, 9:09 pm
These words are speaking to my soul tonight.  I’m planning to use them in a workshop I’m leading tomorrow. Students such as these walk into your classrooms in every size, shape, and color...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 2, 2009, 11:29 pm
Happy Election Day!  Whether you’re teaching today, attending professional development (I’m personally leading a session on conferring, so I’ll be posting my Slice later today.), or...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Nov 2, 2009, 10:54 pm
At the Basic Workshop Training there is always time for Adult Writing.  Yesterday, I shared one way to help get students writing is to read aloud a well-written text (a poem, picture book, or novel ...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 30, 2009, 12:40 am
This past Monday I heard Kwame Alexander, who is a poet (He trained with Nikki Giovanni at Virgina Tech!), author, and founder of Book-in-a-Day, speak at the KSRA Conference in Hershey, PA.  My handw...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 29, 2009, 12:21 am
Pennsylvania-based author Linda Oatman High led a session entitled “Writing to the Beat of a Different Drummer” at the KSRA Conference I attended this week.  (My handwritten notes from he...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 28, 2009, 12:51 am
From time to time, I use this blog to sort out ideas I’m wrestling with.  I must admit this puts me in a vulnerable place.  Such was the case with Monday’s posts.  Audience — aut...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 27, 2009, 5:06 pm
KSRA Authors Tea Mug & Chocolate (er, what’s left of the chocolate) Originally uploaded by teachergal When I received the registration form for the KSRA Conference, I did something I don’t us...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 27, 2009, 12:11 am
Please link your Slice of Life Story to this post by leaving a comment.
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 26, 2009, 11:13 pm
This finally led me to thinking about my high school art classes.  I was in the Honors Art Course and for me it was tough to get into.  I worked even harder to stay in it.  I didn’t have the ...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 26, 2009, 6:46 am
Last week I was in a history class.  It was the teacher’s prep, but there were students working to put final touches on their presentations which were due later in the day.  Out of the blue...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 24, 2009, 8:29 am
Revision is one of my favorite parts of the writing process to teach.  I enjoy figuring out ways to encourage writers to make significant revisions.  It seems so often our students revise just to ap...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 23, 2009, 4:12 pm
This morning as I was listening to the radio on my way to school, they were asking little kids to respond to the question:  How do you know someone loves you?  This response stuck with me: You know ...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 22, 2009, 7:50 pm
I presented at the Capital Area Writing Project’s WordFest tonight.  Just thought I’d share my presentation in this forum as well. SESSION NAME: Well-Chosen Words About Slices of Real Li...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 22, 2009, 10:23 am
A copy of Laurie Halse Anderon’s The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School arrived at my home last week. I read it once and put it aside since I was unsure of what this book would be most su...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 21, 2009, 9:43 pm
It’s getting late.  I’m tired.  A blog post is required before I go to bed.  Although I have a list of possibilities, I don’t have the energy for them.  Not tonight.  Tonight I...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 20, 2009, 7:20 pm
Many parts of the U.S.A. are experiencing unseasonably cold weather right now.  Since my favorite season seems to be slipping away a bit too quickly, I wanted to take some time to cherish the positiv...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 20, 2009, 12:02 am
Our weekly Slice of Life Story Challenge coincides with The National Day on Writing today.  Celebrate this special day by doing one, or more, of the following things as a writer: 1)  Craft a new pie...
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S.A. S. posted an article on Two Writing Teachers - Oct 19, 2009, 1:14 am
These words of Peter Johnston’s from his book Choice Words (2004) have been tumbling around in my mind this weekend.  I plan to keep them close as I go about my work this week. If nothing else...
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