Teach2Write for Middle School Podcast

15. Drawing to Write Breaking Through Writers Block

Access the entire show notes here on my blog: Four main ways to use the Drawing to Write strategies: 1. Important objects. These object sketches in my writer’s journal are especially important if I need to refer to them again and again as I write a story. 1. Storyboards for presentations videos and big story scenes are another way that I draw to write. Although my art is just drawing stick figures or very simple to DC characters, usually front facing, these storyboards help me to organize my thoughts and visualize my message. 1. Floor plans of characters rooms or of an important building help me describe a setting as it relates to the space my character needs to inhabit. 1. Maps. When I wrote about a medieval castle, I also mapped out the entire area of the lord’s domain. One of my main characters had to run through it to escape from enemies, so I needed to know the lay of the land. Where would he hide? How would he get out of the second floor window and down a huge hill fast enough to get away from pursuers on horseback? Of course, my maps are nothing like J.R.R. Tolkien’s Maps of middle earth or George RR Martin’s Maps of a world of ice and fire, but a quick overview of Forrest, Mountain Range, river at the castle, now that I can sketch out in my writer’s journal BONUS: Characters. My students use this way more than I do. I tend to use stock images for this, but I love the elaborate character sketches some of my students create. As you can see, there are lots of ways that you can use the writing strategy of drawing to write. I’m sure that the drawing to write strategy could be used for helping students to formulate non-fiction writing as well. For more writing strategies, visit my blog at Teach2Write.com [https://teach2write.com/] For more on how to help students with writer's block, click for the START WRITE NOW GUIDE [https://kathleen-harsch.mykajabi.com/pl/120424]. For teachers who would like some drawing directed activities, my friend from Coffee Fueled Classroom has this: Earth Day Directed Drawing and Writing Activities [https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-Directed-Drawing-and-Writing-April-Bulletin-Board-4494335] Music Credit: “Come Inside” by Snowflake (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/snowflake/59564 [http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/snowflake/59564]Ft: Starfrosch, Jerry Spoon, Kara Square, spinningmerkaba

Ep 14 Ready Set Go Writing Sprints

Click here for the free Start Write Now Guide [https://kathleen-harsch.mykajabi.com/pl/120424] Music Credit: “Come Inside” by Snowflake (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/snowflake/59564 [http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/snowflake/59564]Ft: Starfrosch, Jerry Spoon, Kara Square, spinningmerkaba

Bonus Episode 7 Tips for Teaching During Covid 19

Ep 14 7 Tips for Teaching Writing During Co-vid 19 Teaching online I didn’t plan on talking about this today. This will probably be my shortest podcast ever. I was actually supposed to release my podcast about freewriting, but then everyone bought all the toilet paper and Purell, and now we’re all teaching from home. So, today I just want to talk about some easy things you can give students to do that requires no photocopying or learning Google Classroom or Canvas LMS.  Although I have lots of videos on my webpage, TPT and Instagram about Canvas, if you need them. 1. First of all, keep it simple. If you have to get some things together for your kiddos, keep  them simple. 2. Let students practice what they already know how to do. No new content. 3. Give them something to do that provides choice. For example,ask students to choose a book to read and write a paragraph recommending it to a friend or another way to demonstrate reading. It can be an online book if they have no access to books, but to their phone if they have WiFi. Here is a blog post on One-Pagers from the Cult of Pedagogy. [https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/one-pagers/] 4. If you don’t have a way to deliver curriculum, like Google Classroom or Canvas, see if school can give you a way to do a mass email to parents and students. If you have parents signed up for Remind101, you can use that. 5. For writing practice, students can write a story. Any story. You can give them a picture or image to start with and let them write about it. Remind students that capitalization and punctuation still matter. For those kids without internet, they can hand write stories in their journals. Their parents can take a picture and email it to you. 6. Here’s another idea. What if your student pretended they were a character in the book they are reading. A new character of their own creation or one that’s already in the story. They could write their own version of how they would interact with the other characters. This could be in a diary format, story format, a letter to another character in the story, or some idea the student comes up with. 7. Whatever you end up giving your students, remember that any practice reading and writing will help them.  Even if they aren’t getting direct instruction every day or learning new content, they will still learn. They will still be learning from what they read. Empathy for others, problem solving and knowing they aren’t the only person who feels awkward or different - this is what stories teach them. If they read non-fiction - they’ll learn information that can widen their background knowledge about the world. If you feel overwhelmed by all of this, reach out to other teachers, either from your own school or on Instagram, Facebook or email. I’ll leave my links for all of those things in the show notes below. Take some time for yourself and your family. Write a little more. Read a little more. Walk around in nature, if you can. Well until next Sunday, stay healthy. Stay safe and enjoy your extra time with your family. Bye for now and happy Writing! Need help? Reach out to me at: Teach2Write.com/blog [https://teach2write.com/blog/] Teach2Write, LLC Facebook Page [https://www.facebook.com/teach2writellc/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel&eid=ARBJzYHfVQW6IxE97-mcPOn4Wa5p9IABYS1dWiOzk_H3raMVHSlIhHXyza-ZD_iB6ZxvZAKxZo3dN79c] @teach2write on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/teach2write/] Email: kathieharsch@teach2write.com [kathieharsch@teach2write.com] Start Write Now Guide [https://kathleen-harsch.mykajabi.com/pl/120424] teaches my top four writing strategies as well as the intended audience strategy - also included are PowerPoint presentation and a rubric for assessment. Music provided: Come Inside by Snowflake (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/snowflake/59564 Ft: Starfrosch, Jerry Spoon, Kara Square, spinningmerkaba

EP 13 Writing Strategy Mind Mapping for Students and Writers

Here is a link to the show notes: https://teach2write.com/writing-strategy-mind-mapping/ [https://teach2write.com/writing-strategy-mind-mapping/] Here is the link to the YouTube video on Mind Mapping [https://youtu.be/C787_vyxU_s] The video is 7:10 minutes long and walks students through how to mind map about a place. Click here for the free Start Write Now Guide [https://kathleen-harsch.mykajabi.com/pl/120424] Click here for the link to more mind mapping resources [https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mind-Maps-Writing-Strategies-for-Middle-School-4998272] in my TeachersPayTeachers Store Music Credit: “Come Inside” by Snowflake (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/snowflake/59564 [http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/snowflake/59564]Ft: Starfrosch, Jerry Spoon, Kara Square, spinningmerkaba

Ep 12 Grab your reader and don't let go

3 Quick Revision Strategies: Revision Strategy 1. Determine your central idea. If you can't make this statement: The central idea of this nonfiction piece is...because..., then you need to brainstorm and figure out what you want your intended audience to know about your topic. Revision Strategy 2. Headings and Subheadings By figuring out your main ideas and writing down your headings and subheadings before you write, you will save lots of time in writing and revision. However, if you need to write everything down first, then, go back and look at how you can group your ideas together to make them flow. Revision Strategy 3. Reasoning through examples helps you win the game Did you give examples for each main point? Did you include evidence from other sources? Did you cite those sources? Did you tell why these examples are important to your main point and your central idea? For more proven writing strategies and techniques, click here to my blog at www.teach2write.com/blog [http://www.teach2write.com/blog] For the START WRITE NOW GUIDE to help you break through writer's block, click here [https://kathleen-harsch.mykajabi.com/pl/120424]. Music Credit: “Come Inside” by Snowflake (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/snowflake/59564 [http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/snowflake/59564]Ft: Starfrosch, Jerry Spoon, Kara Square, spinningmerkaba