Wrapping Things Up

It has been an incredibly busy spring, and I am finally catching my breath!  I feel pretty bad that I haven't been back here to post anything in such a long time.  I am making it my resolution to do better next school year but you will have to nudge me if I slack off. 

My last visit to Surline Elementary was really fun; it was great to see the progress the students had made in their writing, and how proud they were of their work.  I modeled a lesson about "satisfying endings" using a piece I had written about my cottage.  I showed the students how I used mentor text to get a feel for how other authors ended their narratives, reading the last page from Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, The Day the Babies Crawled Away by Peggy Rathman, Up North at the Cabin by Marsha Wilson Chall, and When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant.  When I conferred with students during workshop time, I focused on their endings, asking them to talk to me about how they were wrapping up their writing in a way that was satisfying to the reader (or what their plan for their ending will be).  I always leave them with a sticky note, giving the a Teaching Point just for them, that serves as a suggestion of where they will go next and also as information for the classroom teacher about where our conversation was focused.

As the year comes to a close, I am thrilled to see the progress of so many writers throughout COOR.  Teachers in every district are honing their craft and making workshop an important part of their instruction.  Research tells us that individual conversations with students make the most impact in improving their writing.  Although it is very time consuming and labor intensive, the rewards are great.  We ALL continue to work on our conferring skills, striving to find just the right words for each student that will unlock their thinking and help them independently move their writing to the next level.  I hope you will stay on this journey with me and continue to do the thinking and talking with your peers to move YOUR skills to the next level.  That will indeed be a satisfying ending!