The first thing that stood out to me in this chapter is the reminder about the importantance of reading aloud. This concept has also been reinforced this week as I have attended Pre-AP training where the presenter has had us read aloud many of the pieces she included in our packet. This is another area in which I need to work as I incorporate more anchor texts, samples of good writing. I also really like the argument graphic organizer. I have found that students respond so wonderfully to such organizers...maybe we fill like we are completing a puzzle? Maybe almost playing?

Oh the importance of students hearing good writing! With the trends in language today, it is scary to think that they may not be able to differentiate good writing from everyday speech! It is also important that they see good (and relevant) writing...I seem to be giving daily reminders that formal writing does not include text message abbreviations! (I need to have a rubber stamp made with that reminder!) I really want to incorporate letters into the persuasive writing unit as well. Our eleventh graders are so inundated in preparation for the Missouri state assessment (persuasion is the focus) that I haven't thoroughly incorporated commentary into their writing. I'm a little ashamed that I haven't continued to that level...I've probably cheated them and myself out of some really good writing!

A quotable portion, for me, is Penny's making her writing workshop structure transparent: "...write one, then raise the quality of the next in a more complicated version of the first." I often lapse into having kids write one piece of a particular genre, hurrying to another for fear of not having time to get everything in. Shame on me. For any of us, the first time we learn a new skill, we're shaky. We need more practice to hone our craft. This structure allows us to go deep, moving toward geniune understanding rather than never leaving the wading pool.

I am constantly in search of text to use as models, a task Penny highlights in this chapter. My Google Reader has been a lifesaver in this task. I search for good sources and good writers and subscribe--via RSS--to their sites. Finding and subscribing to a few good columnist can yield a wealth of editorials.

One question for Penny: on the lesson plans on p. 138, I notice a vocab quiz over 40 words. I see reading/writing workshop having the same structure. With reading, we explicitly teach reading strategies and author's craft (literary elements and language), using lots of texts to model our own active reading and teach, in mini-lessons, specific skills/strategies. Then, we have students practice--in small groups and individually, applying the skills/strategies. Our mini-lessons grow increasinly deeper, nudging students to the deeper waters, having them read actively and critically. Writing workshop seems to follow this same structure--mostly. But Vocabulary. What do you do with it? Where and how does it fit?

We (my writing PLC teacher and I) have chosen 100 SAT prep words to study over the semester. We introduce them about one a day and then use vocabulary as the center of a mini-lesson about once every two weeks. We are always high-fiving kids who use the words in writing and in talk... we do word webs that connect the words to each other, lots of strategies we've all learned with teaching vocabulary. The most important one is having the tests be cumulative all semester. We always put vocabulary in the context of effective word choice in writing.

Penny--thanks for sharing the vocabulary process. It sounds similar to what I'm doing. Today, I created a visual map of the first semester: 22 sticky notes for the first quarter, 19 sticky notes for the second quarter. Yes--that would be the number of ninety minute class periods I'll have. As I tried to sketch in mini-lessons for reading and writing workshop...I--as I always do--was overwhelmed. It's hard choices we English teachers have to make, carefully selecting activities, lessons, texts for the too few encounters we have with our students.

I couldn't agree more. I always ask, will I ever find a teaching job where I have enough time to do what I believe is right for my students?