Sneak Peek #4 Into Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing
These sneak peeks have been fun for me to write, as they’ve inspired me to go back into my book and think about what some of the highlights of the chapters are. This is the fourth of five peeks, and if you missed any, here they are:
Sneak Peek #1: The first chapter is about ways to build writers’ identities, so this first post has several ideas for helping writers get to know themselves.
Sneak Peek #2: Since the second chapter delves into curriculum, this post has ideas about how to set up units and think about what student writers need to know and be able to do in order to express themselves with precision and clarity.
Sneak Peek #3: Instruction is key! Chapter 3 and this sneak peek are all about instruction formats and how you can get the most out of the minutes you have with students.
This fourth peek deals with assessment, and I hope you won’t stop reading! When I think about assessment for students as opposed to assessment of students, it takes on a much more positive meaning, and it’s in this spirit that I’ve written both the chapter and this post.
Each chapter of Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing begins with the list of questions that the chapter addresses.
These questions focus Chapter 4 of Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing, honing in on key elements of the assessment of writing.
One of my favorite conversations I had with a teacher happened as a result of her question: How do I know what students can do? As we talked about the answer to that questions, she realized that I am in a constant state of assessing student writers whenever I work with them. I’m watching and listening for what students understand and are doing during lessons, during independent writing time, during conversations students have about writing… That being said, we created a list of all the formative assessment data she could collect in order to know what students could do and what she could teach them next.
Chapter 4 of Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing provides options for formative assessment that exist every day in a writing class.
You’ll find that over and over, I emphasize the importance of leading conversations with a focus on what students are able to do. This asset-based approach leads to important realizations about the complexities of writing and the ways teacher can celebrate, nurture, and identify meaningful next steps for the writers in their classrooms.
Throughout all of Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing, I strive to keep an asset-based approach, always leading with what students can do.
Another important concept that comes up over and over again in both these sneak peeks as well as in the book has to do with student agency. In fact, student agency is the entire focus of the final chapter and sneak peek. This Writing Reflection Form empowers students to self-assess, considering their own strengths and goals. Come back next week for more ideas about how students can be involved in and take charge of their learning.
I love working with teachers and anyone else who is passionate about teaching students to write! I’m available for virtual or on-site professional development during the summer and during the school year. Feel free to reach out to meehanmelanie@gmail.com with questions and ideas.