How to support student writers without relying on writing formulas—Part 1: Quick Writes

Moving Beyond the 5-Paragraph Essay During my presentation at the Secondary Schools Writing Centers Association (SSWCA) Conference this past weekend, a participant asked how she could support her

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Empowering Your Classroom

Celebrating Women’s History Month With Your Students March Madness is alive and well. It seems no matter what you teach, someone has ideas on how you can bring

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Why Traditional Approaches to Curriculum Design Don’t work

Why Traditional Approaches to Curriculum Design Don’t Work And What We Should All Be Doing Instead The Problem with Traditional Approaches to Curriculum Design The problem with traditional

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Why (and How) We Should All Be Teaching Living Poets

This past weekend, I had the great joy of participating in the VATE Conference in Orkney Springs, Virginia. One of the most impactful breakout sessions I attended was one in which the hosts explored

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5 Reasons to Use Rubrics

The Pitfalls of Trying to Measure “All The Things”  Are you using rubrics? This blog explores 5 reasons you should be. The other day, I came across a post in

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Making Connections: Reimagining the Beginning of the School Year

It seems like every August the question on every teacher’s mind is: what am I going to do with students during the first few days of school? No

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What We Write For

Writing for Discovery Last night, I had the joy of hosting the Northern Virginia stop of the National Writing Project’s, “Write Across America” (WAA) campaign, a nation-wide writing marathon

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Summer Olympics: Keeping Students Engaged in the Waning Days of School

I hadn’t stopped speaking before the glares began. Angry face after angry face greeted my words.   I was thrilled.  Why was I so happy that my students were

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Encapsulate Your Learning: Time Capsules in the ELA Classroom

In December 2021, historians in Richmond, Virginia, uncovered not one, but two, time capsules that had been embedded in the base of a Confederate statue. The country watched

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Writing into Summer: End-of-Year Menu Boards

This time of year, it seems one question is at the forefront of everyone’s mind: What are we going to do with our students after “the test?” Whether

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