Mary Ann Smith – författare

Many writing teachers are searching for a better way to turn student writing into teaching and learning opportunities without being crushed under the weight of student papers. This book introduces a rubric designed by the National Writing Project—the Analytic Writing Continuum (AWC)—that is making its way into classrooms across the country at all grade levels. The authors use sample student writing and multiple classroom scenarios to illustrate how teachers have adapted this flexible tool to meet the needs of their students, including using the AWC to teach revision, give feedback, direct peer-to-peer response groups, and serve as a formative assessment guide. This resource also discusses how to set up a local scoring session and how to use the AWC in professional development.

All teachers face challenges—from the daunting and unexpected, like teaching during a pandemic, to nagging doubts about daily interactions and teaching practices. If there were ever a time for sharing teacher personal and professional breakthroughs—the ways teachers have successfully and courageously turned a corner—that time is now. In this collection of compelling narratives, high school and college teachers show us how they have taken on issues such as faculty and student relationships; struggles over personal identity in the classroom; joys and complexities of working with emergent bilinguals, basic writers, and first-year college students; and the forever question of how to engage students. This is a book about breaking rules, caring about students, navigating systems, and taking chances. It's an uplifting journey and along the way, teachers do what they always do: They share the reading and writing assignments that have worked for them during the best and worst of times. The matchless part, however, is teacher wisdom. Where would we be without it?Book Features:Brings together narratives by veteran teachers who describe recognizable challenges and what happens when new understandings trump old ways of doing things.Provides ideas for teaching that arise from the breakthroughs of college, community college, and secondary teachers and are applicable to all grade levels.Celebrates teachers—their voices and practices, their intelligent and empathetic approaches to solving problems and making change.Illustrates the transformative power of writing about breakthroughs and encourages all teachers to share their stories. Includes an appendix with sample materials for school and writing group leaders who want to initiate similar breakthrough projects for teachers.