Tons of people all around the country are embarking on this new work-from-home adventure and in the teacher world, it’s not something we even really thought was possible. Teachers get their joy and their excitement from being face-to-face with their learners. In the primary grades, teachers and students alike thrive with hands-on learning. There are […]

Writing workshop in first grade can be tricky to implement, but once you and your class have the process down, it can be such a rewarding time. One of my favorite parts of the writing workshop happens during independent writing. It’s the writing conferences! When you hold writing conferences in first grade, you may get […]

Writing workshop in kindergarten, first, and second grade can be HARD. There’s no denying that. Our young learners want to communicate and tell stories, but they need a lot of guidance getting their ideas on paper. If you are headed into a new year of school and looking for some new tips or guidance, I […]

Writing in the primary grades can be a bit scary at times! Many of my first grade students are just learning to read and simultaneously I would like them to write a 3 page personal narrative with an opening, three details and a catchy closing. It isn’t always easy, but writer’s workshop is one of my favorite things to teach in first grade because the difference made in a year is remarkable.

After teaching writing to my first graders for 5 years, I have a sad secret to share with you: I totally underestimated my young students.     Bleck. That pains me to say, but it is true. My first year in a classroom I thought writer’s workshop was going to be an absolute trainwreck in […]

Do you teach realistic fiction writing in first grade? Confession: Writing realistic fiction is a genre I hadn’t taught before two years ago. However, once we hit the ground running with it, I knew it was going to stay for the long run.   My first graders LOVE coming up with their own character and […]

This past week we launched our writer’s workshop lessons!   I use my writer’s workshop units throughout the year, but before we dive into small moments we talk about what Writer’s Workshop looks like in our first grade classroom.   This poster is hanging in our classroom and we go through each of these bullet points throughout […]