Monday Writing Journals

Monday is a great day for journal writing because kids usually are bursting to tell about the fun experiences they had over the weekend. In addition to daily journals, try creating a special one just for Mondays. Download the reproducible below to get you started. For more info on journal writing, check out my previous postings on January 11 and 13. :-)

 

Click image to download

this reproducible.

Highly Effective Teachers

"Highly effective teachers, as Stanford education professor Linda Darling-Hammond points out, need a vision, a theoretical foundation, deep content knowledge, a variety of teaching strategies and effective classroom management. And that's even before addressing the interpersonal skills that so define the memorable teachers that touched our lives and made us the people we are  today."  Desiree Zamorano

What Teachers Say about Daily Journal Writing

A teacher friend sent me a great article from http://www.educationworld.com/
It starts:
One of the best things about daily journal writing is that it can take so many forms. Teachers can use journal writing to meet specific goals, or the purpose can be wide open. . . . Some teachers use journals as the one "uncorrected" form of writing that students produce.
To read more and learn about WRITING MOTIVATORS THAT WORK FROM TEACHERS WHO USE THEM, click on the link below or just google "Journal Writing Every Day."

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr144.shtml
 
Also, check out my previous posting for even more journal writing ideas!

Journal Writing for Emergent Readers

I'm a huge fan of daily journal writing starting the first day of school in Kindergarten! Below is a sample of a kindergartner's writing in a classroom where journal writing is valued and is an important part of the day. The first sample shows Tyler's writing  on the very first day of school. The next sample shows a page from his journal just 4 months later.   
For some great tips on getting started in your primary classroom, download the following 2 page reproducible and share it with your team. Have fun with your new little writers! You will be amazed at their progress.  

 

Click image to download

this reproducible.