How to Launch Your Writing Workshop in Kindergarten and First Grade

Teaching writing in the primary classroom is a plate-spinning circus act! How can we meet the needs of all of our young learners who need so much support without going mad? These tips will help you launch a manageable writing program that will make your kids excited to write everyday!

1. Allow enough daily writing time. Ideally you should block out 45 minutes to an hour for writing. Plan on 5-10 minutes for your mini-lesson, 30 minutes for independent writing and 5-10 minutes for sharing. If your schedule is too jam-packed to allow for an hour, prioritize a 30 minute block for writing. This may mean that your mini-lesson is taught earlier in the day or even the day before. You can modify by having sharing time at the beginning of your next writing block. Be creative!

5 Ways to Sprinkle Some Summer Througout Your School Year

You know that satisfied feeling you get at the end of your contractual teaching day when you look up at the clock, glance at your sparkly clean desk and think,"It feels great to be completely caught up, ready for the rest of the week with all of my lessons prepped, all of my calls home done and my plans sketched for the month ahead!"? No??? Of course not! That, unfortunately, is not a part of any teacher's reality. You could work 24 hours a day and still find things that needed to be done!

Teaching can be an all consuming job. How many nights have you lied in bed unable to sleep worrying about one of your students or perseverating on a difficult conversation? We have all been there more than we'd like to remember which is why teachers suffer burn out and even secondary trauma.

I challenge you to make this year different for yourself. Set a personal goal to sprinkle some of that carefree summer feeling throughout your school year in order to be your best self for your students and family. Follow these 5 tips to make this year amazing!