Composing Ourselves As Writer Teacher Writers

The essays in this anthology are reflective of the advancements made by those who were students, friends, mentors and colleagues of Wendy Bishop. They all center around the premise that the terms writer, teacher, and researcher are inextricably linked. The implications of these statements are reflective of the fact that the field of composition studies is one in which the subject of writing should remain at the forefront of disciplinary conversations. This is something that Bishop repeatedly stressed in her scholarly endeavors and in which the authors in this text wholeheartedly agree.

The premise of Developing Writing Teachers is this: When teachers of writing identify as writers, it adds a special dimension to their writing pedagogy. Practical and accessible while drawing on a range of relevant research and theory, this text is distinguished by its dual focus—on teachers as writers and the teaching of writing. Part I addresses the question, What does it take for a teacher of writing to develop an identity as writer? Using case studies and teacher narratives, it guides readers to an understanding of the current status of writing as the 21st century unfolds, the role of expressive writing in developing a writing identity, the relationship of writing to genre and rhetoric, writing and professional identity, and writing as design. Part II focuses on pedagogical practice and helping writer-teachers develop a toolkit to take into their classrooms. Coverage includes building a community of writing practice; the nature of writing as process; the place of grammar; the role of information, communication and representational technologies; and how assessment, properly used, can help develop writing. Ideal for for pre-service and in-service courses on the teaching of writing, the Companion Website provides aadditional readings/documents; PowerPoint presentations; assessment resources; and lesson and unit plans and planning guides.

Introduction. Modern Music Education -- Creativity in Music Education -- Technology in Music Education -- The Informal Learning Approach -- Digital Audio Workstations -- Notation Software -- Other Online Tools for Fostering Creativity -- Makey Makey and Coding for Creativity -- Electronic, Digital, and Virtual Instruments -- Tech for Facilitating Creativity with Small Ensembles -- Other Considerations.

At long last someone has produced THE practical guide for teaching analytical writing Compose Yourself lays out everything a teacher needs for teaching the art of clear, complete and well-organized writing in the content areas. In fact, I would purchase this guide for students as well as teachers-and not just for high school, but for both middle school and college as well. -Dr. Katherine Nolan, Education Consultant Finally, a book on how to teach analytical writing in all subjects. And the toolbox I was thrilled to find templates, rubrics, and clear-cut examples for descriptive, process, and persuasive writing. Compose Yourself is a must have for all teachers. -Susan King, Magnet School Administrator, Tampa FL, MSA National Board, National Presenter We are perceived by how well we write. Currently our nation's teachers are struggling to find time and tools to teach thoughtful, logical expository writing. Compose Yourself is a simple, straightforward writing guide for all subject area teachers working to improve their students' analytical, expository writing skills. Compose Yourself must find a place in the toolbox of our nation's secondary teachers. -William F. Roberts, Assistant Superintendent Hacienda La Puente Unified School District (California) Compose Yourself A Guide to Critical Thinking & Analytical Writing in Secondary School is a quick and easy guide to teaching and learning critical thinking and analytical writing at the secondary level, regardless of the subject area. It is perfect for teachers, parents, and students who want to go beyond the worksheet to strengthen their thinking and writing skills, better learn and retain information, and improve overall academic performance. After using this guide, students will be able to write clear, concise, analytical responses to complex, real-world questions in all subjects. This resource includes step-by-step processes, copious examples, writing checklists, helpful tips, and black-line masters, all to help all students improve their thinking and writing. Amy Rukea Stempel has been zealously working in education and education reform since 1989. Prior to founding Lightbulb Learning Services, which specializes in the alignment of curriculum to academic standards, literacy development, and classroom/school leadership, she has led standards and curriculum development projects for the Education Trust, Edison Schools, Inc. (formerly the Edison Project) and standards development efforts for the Council for Basic education. In addition to experience in education policy, Ms. Stempel has also taught literature in the International Baccalaureate program for many years and has happily lived the harried and stimulating life of a classroom teacher. Ms. Stempel's prior publications include, Gaining Traction, Gaining Ground: How Some High Schools Accelerate Learning for Struggling Students, Standards for Excellence in Education (contributor), Where in the World Are We? The Need for International Benchmarking, Six Case Studies of Performance Assessment, and Standards: A Vision for Learning. Many years ago, Ms. Stempel completed a B.A. in English from Carnegie Mellon University and an M.A. in Liberal Studies (with concentrations in literature and history) from Georgetown University.

When teachers write, good things can happen; writing helps educators to better understand themselves, as well as students, parents, and colleagues. This practical book illustrates how to encourage, lead, and sustain teacher-writers, especially in group contexts. In contrast to guides on writing and teacher research, this book is designed for those who support teacher-writers, such as teacher educators and literacy coaches. The authors offer descriptions of key practices they have developed over years of coaching, teaching, and collaborating with K–12 teachers who write about classroom instruction, teacher research, or advocacy for better policy and pedagogy. Knowing firsthand just how hard writing can be for teachers, they provide a repertoire of strategies to elicit writing, to support teachers as they write, to find audiences for the teachers’ work, and much more. This book offers clear guidance to coach teacher-writers to: Choose topics and shape ideas.Conquer insecurities and draw from their strengths.Establish authority with their audience.Navigate publishing, including choosing venues and working with editors.Find time and space to write and create the habits of writing daily.Respond to audience reaction to their writing.Reflect on their teaching and writing. Develop a voice and vision as a professional. “Understanding writing is a lifelong journey. This book is an indispensable guide to beginning that journey yourself and together with colleagues.” —Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, executive director, National Writing Project “Gives advice on how I can become a better collaborator, facilitator, and cocreator who helps teachers celebrate the power (and joy) that writing can give them.” —Cathy Fleischer, professor, Eastern Michigan University “The authors know how to support teachers in gathering the courage to write. I am grateful for the ideas that have ignited my own writing.” —Penny Kittle, Teacher and Author

George Orwell set out ‘to make political writing into an art’, and to a wide extent this aim shaped the future of English literature – his descriptions of authoritarian regimes helped to form a new vocabulary that is fundamental to understanding totalitarianism. While 1984 and Animal Farm are amongst the most popular classic novels in the English language, this new series of Orwell’s essays seeks to bring a wider selection of his writing on politics and literature to a new readership. In Why I Write, the first in the Orwell’s Essays series, Orwell describes his journey to becoming a writer, and his movement from writing poems to short stories to the essays, fiction and non-fiction we remember him for. He also discusses what he sees as the ‘four great motives for writing’ – ‘sheer egoism’, ‘aesthetic enthusiasm’, ‘historical impulse’ and ‘political purpose’ – and considers the importance of keeping these in balance. Why I Write is a unique opportunity to look into Orwell’s mind, and it grants the reader an entirely different vantage point from which to consider the rest of the great writer’s oeuvre. 'A writer who can – and must – be rediscovered with every age.' — Irish Times

Perfect for use in teacher preparation courses and professional learning groups, this book shows what critical pedagogy looks like and identifies the conditions needed for it to emerge in the K–12 classroom. Focusing on and documenting their experiences with one of their most disenfranchised students, six teachers analyze and rethink what they do in the classroom and why they do it. In so doing, each comes to re-imagine who they are as teachers and as individuals. This engaging collection illuminates writing as a powerful tool for thinking deeply about how and why teachers respond to students in particular ways. Book Features: Prompts and suggested writing exercises at the end of each chapter to support teacher-writer groups. Guiding questions at the end of each chapter to support the instructional practices of K-12 teachers. Powerful stories of teachers' and students' experiences with standards, tracking practices, evaluation practices, and life. Helpful appendices, including books for further reading and an essay about the Oral Inquiry Process by Bob Fecho. “This is an important book for all teachers to read—beginners and experienced, as it confronts all of us as teachers to pay attention to the social and political contexts within which we work and consider what we often ignore—our student’s lives outside of school.” —From the Foreword by Ann Lieberman, Senior Scholar at Stanford University “Kudos to Stephanie Jones and her colleagues for making moral sense of the day-to-day craft of education.” —Carl Glickman, educator and author of The Trembling Field: Stories of Wonder, Possibilities, and Downright Craziness Stephanie Jones is associate professor in the department of educational theory and practice at The University of Georgia, and co-director of the Red Clay Writing Project. Her books include The Reading Turn-Around: A Five-Part Framework for Differentiated Instruction.

This book is about teaching writing and the gritty particulars of teaching adolescents. But it is also the planning, the thinking, the writing, the journey: all I've been putting into my teaching for the last two decades. This is the book I wanted when I was first given ninth graders and a list of novels to teach. This is a book of vision and hope and joy, but it is also a book of genre units and minilessons and actual conferences with students. -Penny Kittle What makes the single biggest difference to student writers? When the invisible machinery of your writing processes is made visible to them. Write Beside Them shows you how to do it. It's the comprehensive book and companion video that English/language arts teachers need to ensure that teens improve their writing. Across genres, Penny Kittle presents a flexible framework for instruction, the theory and experience to back it up, and detailed teaching information to help you implement it right away. Each section of Write Beside Them describes a specific element of Penny's workshop: Daily writing practice: writer's notebooks and quick writes Instructional frameworks: minilessons, organization, conferring, and sharing drafts Genre work: narrative, persuasion, and writing in multiple genres Skills work: grammar, punctuation, and style Assessment: evaluation, feedback, portfolios, and grading All along the way, Penny demonstrates minilessons that respond to students' immediate needs, and her Student Focus sections profile and spotlight how individual writers grew and changed over the course of her workshop. In addition, Write Beside Them provides a study guide, reproducibles, writing samples from Penny and her students, suggestions for nurturing your own writing life, and a helpful FAQ. Best of all, the online videos take you right inside Penny's classroom, explicitly modeling how to make the process of writing accessible to all kids. Penny Kittle's active coaching and can-do attitude alone will energize your teaching and inspire you to write with your students. But her strategies, expert advice, and compelling in-class video footage will help you turn inspiration into great teaching. Read Write Beside Them and discover that the most important influence for all young writers is their teacher. Penny was the recipient of the 2009 NCTE Britton Award for Write Beside Them.