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As teachers we need to adopt a very sensitive approach to the teaching of poetry, one that combines discussion and writing, one that examines ideas and feelings, one that encourages appreciation of the poetry of others while also giving room for our students to write freely when creating poetry. In this document I have tried to offer approaches to the teaching of writing poetry that can be used by all classroom teachers. Download a Word copy of this document here. These approaches encourage children to play around with words, to experiment with their sounds, their rhythm. They also allow the teacher to introduce new terminology in a fun way.

Great Poems to Teach Compiled by the Teachers & Writers Collaborative, this list contains 341 poems submitted by teachers who participated in a workshop organized by TWC. Selected for participation by C. K. Williams, teachers applying to the workshop were asked to supply a list of poems which they had successfully taught in high school English and Language Arts classrooms.

Class # U3X8Y2 Student numbers: spx001-spx040

This web site provides an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and improving student writing based on the Six Traits Writing model. The links below provide an overview of the model along with the scoring rubrics for each trait. Exercises provided here will give students and teachers a chance to read sample writings, rate them, and compare their ratings with ratings made by English teachers. This will provide a valuable opportunity for both students and teachers to improve their understanding of the Six Traits and, in the end, improve their own writing.

The practice of sustained silent reading (SSR) is based on the belief that motivation, interest, self-selection, modeling, and time spent reading contribute to student reading achievement. This article describes a study designed to ascertain the prevalence of SSR in classrooms in a particular geographic area and the degree to which the program's original goals are being met. Seventh-grade teachers were surveyed regarding participation in SSR, organization of the program, material selection, and methods of evaluation. Findings indicate that silent reading is popular in the classroom in part because of the opportunities for instructional decision making it provides teachers. However, the individual implementation of the program has resulted in many aspects of the actual practice of SSR deviating from the original model. Questions regarding the integrity of current practices as compared to the original model are discussed, and suggestions to teachers who plan to implement or revise SSR programs are offered.

"This web site provides an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and improving student writing based on the Six Traits Writing model. The links below provide an overview of the model along with the scoring rubrics for each trait. Exercises provided here will give students and teachers a chance to read sample writings, rate them, and compare their ratings with ratings made by English teachers. This will provide a valuable opportunity for both students and teachers to improve their understanding of the Six Traits and, in the end, improve their own writing."

"Teachers College Spring 2010"

"What do successful teachers do to help their students become confident and proficient writers? Write in the Middle: A Workshop for Middle School Teachers addresses that question in an eight-part professional development workshop."

"Write in the Middle: A Workshop for Middle School Teachers A video workshop for middle school teachers; 8 one-hour video programs, workshop guide, and Web site

Bring poetry to life in your school! These pages are specially designed to help you and your students to get the most out of the Poetry Archive. There are lesson plans and activities for all key stages and for the inclusive classroom. Poetry can enrich other areas of the curriculum too; there are ideas here for History teachers, and we will be adding material for other subject areas in the coming months. This is a growing, developing resource, so come back and visit regularly to see what's new. Our plans include a forum for teachers to discuss their experiences, as well as a space where you will be able to create your own teaching materials and share them with colleagues.

Teachers of Writers and Readers Workshop Support Hi! Thanks for checking out WritersRock, an interactive website for middle school teachers who are using the TC Writers and Readers Workshop Models. Our goal is to support each other in our teaching practice by sharing resources, systems and management strategies, and other practices that will help us spend more of our time directly serving our students. Use the menu on the left, or the links below, to navigate this site. Let us know what you think by adding a comment!

"Teacher Ideas This page features all the lesson plans and classroom ideas I've collected. They're organized by topic, with general education and Dahl resources first, books next, and shortstories last"

Short Story unit

Before students can begin to study film, they must be provided with a focus. There are many ways to look at a film. Posted below is a suggestion for teachers. Throughout this teacher guide for To Kill A Mockingbird, you will find numerous resources which touch on many of the characteristics listed below.

Targeting Text A Guided Writing Project Targeting Text was a collaborative project undertaken by teachers from a cluster of three schools in the Bowen District - Lindisfarne Primary, Lindisfarne North Primary and Cambridge Primary. The purpose of the project was to focus on the place of guided writing in a balanced writing program. Inspired and supported by Dr Jan Turbill of the University of Wollongong, the teachers were able to develop and share their own skills in using guided writing as a key teaching strategy.

How can you help students find meaning in informational texts and become independent strategic readers and thinkers? Nonfiction Reading Power gives teachers a wealth of effective strategies for helping students think while they read material in all subject areas. Using the best children's books to motivate students, Adrienne Gear shows teachers how help students zoom-in, question and infer; find the main idea, make connections, and transform what's on the printed page. Key introductory concept lessons for each of the five reading powers provide valuable insight into the purpose of each strategy. The book also explores the particular features of nonfiction and offers lists of key books organized around strategies and subject areas.

Here's how to start using SpellingCity: the online spelling program that makes practicing for spelling tests fun: If you are a student, start by entering some words into the "Start Here" box and test your spelling skills. If you are a teacher (or parent), start by using the site like a student to get familiar with the site. Then, teachers (and parents) should create an account so you can save word lists. The reason to register for SpellingCity is to save spelling lists.

"A Word About Reading Workshop Reading workshop gives students the opportunity to read a wider range of material than might be found in a basal reading series and to respond to the material in a many ways (Atwell, 1989). Teachers have used this rather broadly defined model to create various experiences for their students. Generally, a considerable block of time is set aside each day for reading workshop. During that time students typically engage in the following activities: * reading and responding to literature * having group minilessons on skills and strategies * participating in individual conferences with the teacher to review progress, receive individual instruction, and make plans for future activities * sharing reading responses with the group "

Classroom Strategies Explicit strategy instruction is at the core of good comprehension instruction. "Before" strategies activate students' prior knowledge and set a purpose for reading. "During" strategies help students make connections, monitor their understanding, generate questions, and stay focused. "After" strategies provide students an opportunity to summarize, question, reflect, discuss, and respond to text. Teachers should help students to understand why a strategy is useful, how it is used, and when it is appropriate. Teacher demonstration and modeling are critical factors for success, and student discussion following strategy instruction is also helpful. The most frequently researched strategies can be applied across content areas; other content-area specific strategies are emerging, and we will include them here in the future.

You already spend a lot of time trying to persuade your parents or teachers to allow you to watch more TV or do less homework. Now you can use those same skills to write a persuasive essay!

"The Writing Workshop, similar to the Reading Workshop, is a method of teaching writing using a workshop method. Students are given opportunities to write in a variety of genres and helps foster a love of writing. The Writing Workshop allows teachers to meet the needs of their students by differentiating their instruction and gearing instruction based on information gathered throughout the workshop."

"Inside Writing Communities, Grades 3-5 A video workshop for grades 3-5 teachers; 8 half-hour workshop video programs, 8 half-hour classroom video programs, workshop guide, and Web site