STLinATL

Taking time to develop your own writing – as a teacher – is a difficult task in the midst of many other important responsibilities! Sitting down to write is hardly a priority but using your own writing with students is a powerful tool in your approach as a teacher of writing. In this session, we will spend time writing our own “teacher texts” to be used in the writing units (genres) you teach. Arriving at this STLinATL session with an idea of the specific genres you teach throughout the year is key. Together, we’ll dive into creating those “teacher texts” that you will use to inspire your students, lead specific mini-lessons, and support your writers with some of the known pitfalls of the unit(s). By crafting your own personal narrative (or persuasive argument or informational text), you will have a focused text that not only shows your students that you are a writer (like they are!) but also a text that helps you focus your mini-lessons on the key topics to produce a grade-appropriate piece. We’ll develop “I can” statements together that provide structure to the piece, and you’ll spend time writing in two to three genres with the opportunities for support and feedback along the way. If you are a hesitant writer or a passionate one, this session is for you – we’ll tackle some of the work that gets placed on a low-priority list so you are equipped to teach in powerful ways!