Writing
"To inspire each child to find their own unique voice, I utilize elements of the writing workshop model, teaching curriculum from various angles and for all learning styles."
Be the Sentence!
To practice how to identify and write complete sentences through a hands-on and collaborative activity, the children personified a sentence using sentence strips. Working together in groups of three or four, first graders built a sentence with a group of words and presented their complete sentence to the class.
Weekend News
As a way to foster community and practice personal writing and presentation skills, first graders report “Weekend News” every Monday, sharing a highlight or notable event from their weekend. A binder with the year’s “Weekend News” is sent home at the end of the year as a keepsake for each student.
"How-To" Books
To bring real-world application and student interests into a writing unit, my first graders wrote "How-To" Books. Utilizing a combination of mini-lessons, conferences, shared writing, and independent writing, the unit culminated with students writing their own "How-To" Book on a topic of their choice.
Feelings Wall
To integrate writing with social-emotional learning, I use the Feelings Wall to build a classroom culture that supports the whole child and act as a building block to personal narrative writing. After reading How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods by Saxton Freyman and Joost Elffers, and brainstorming a list of emotions, every student picks one emotion, and writes about a time they felt that way. The Feelings Wall becomes a reference for helping the class express and understand their emotions, while also building the vocabulary for a future personal narrative unit on writing stories with big emotions.