We have come to believe in the importance of incorporating a great mentor text into a writing. A mentor text is a published piece of writing whose idea, whose structure, or whose written craft can be analyzed andd discussed as a means of inspiring their own writing.
This is a blog where the writer shows how to use the book she reviews as a mentor text. As her says, "After writing my thoughts about the book, I will have around five bullets at the end for ways to use the text in writing or reading. You can always find several ways to use the text; I'm just choosing the top ways I think the book could be used."
Poetry Writing with U.S. Children's Poet Laureate
Poetry's cool - and a lot of fun! In this workshop, I will help you turn your words and ideas into descriptive and powerful poems. As you explore the world of poetry writing, I'll share with you writing tips that I use when I write my poems, as well as ideas for revising your work. When you complete the workshop, you can create a special edition of your poem - published online! I won't be commenting on your poems, but I'll enjoy reading them after you've posted them online.
Online lessons for those absent or need extra help, also great practice. Amazing site! Seems to have just about anything you would ever want or need to learn in school. The practice section is really great too.
Our students should have a kinesthetic brain break every 25-30 minutes. Brain breaks are refreshing to students and teachers alike. They do take some time out of class, but the efficiency of our students goes up when we incorporate them. Please comment if you have variations on a particular brain break.