As Jenna and Evan were PLC-ing with Grapevine Elementary Humanities teachers last week and celebrating the great writing students have been doing, the focus shifted to using exemplar charts as a tool to move our writers forward. Exemplar charts lift up qualities of strong writing and when displayed in the classroom, allow students (and the teacher) an opportunity and visual to spiral back to review important writing skills. The work with the Grapevine Elementary teachers inspired this week's Tips from the Two of Us. As a first-grade teacher, Jenna was introduced to exemplar charts by her instructional coach a few years ago. When she began using them as a tool for her writers, she had no idea the impact they would have. After looping to second-grade with the same class and continuing her ongoing work with exemplar charts, she was amazed at the outcome.
The first step is to choose a student writing sample that exemplifies moves of a strong writer in the genre you will begin teaching. It can be one of your very own writers (with their approval), a teammate's writer, a student sample from your Units of Study kit, a STAAR sample, or any other item that feels right for what your students need.
Once you have chosen a sample, facilitate a discussion with your class while they hold a copy of the work or you display it on your projector for all to see. If you have a fancy poster maker, envision the sample enlarged as if you are creating an anchor chart. Read it aloud, bit by bit, with expression in your voice. Your excitement is contagious. Start by asking, "What moves make this student a strong writer?" Let the conversation fill the classroom.
As students carry on, praising the writer, listen in and spotlight student responses. Meanwhile, imagine if this writing sample belongs to one of your very own....the sense of pride they will feel as they hear the celebrations of their very own work! Spotlight student responses on sticky notes (bright colors and different shapes are our personal favorites) and post them on the sample, with arrows, where they align.
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| Grapevine Elementary School Kindergarten Writing Sample |
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Units of Study by Lucy Calkins
Gresha's 2nd-grade narrative page 1 |
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Units of Study by Lucy Calkins
Gresha's 2nd-grade narrative page 2 |
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Units of Study by Lucy Calkins
Gresha's 2nd-grade narrative page 3 |
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Units of Study by Lucy Calkins
Gresha's 2nd-grade narrative page 4 |
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| 4th-grade spring 2016 STAAR writing sample (score 4) |
After your students have highlighted the strengths you had hoped for, or you've chimed in to focus them in on a few, it is now a new tool in their writer's toolkit. Display it in your room, copy it for their writing notebook or folder, and even let them snap a picture and add it to their Google Drive if you want.
You have just deliberately, without your students realizing, let them set the expectation for the kind of writers they will become. Now, they need YOU to believe that they can do it! It will not only take an encouraging teacher who has faith in his or her writers but will require you to know the craft moves your writers are already confident with and those that will take some more explicit instruction and inquiry to master. The post its can then become future mini lessons, mid-workshop teaching points, the focus of a small group, but most importantly a visual tool and reminder to move your writers in the right direction.
Are you wondering if the student writing sample you chose feels like an unattainable expectation for some of your writers? Consider how you could use a different sample to meet the needs of different learners and support all students in meeting their writing goals. Are you interested in seeing higher quality writing cross-curricular? Consider how you could work with your team to create exemplar charts in all content areas. Our team is always here to support you in your Writing adventures and we are looking forward to seeing the success exemplar charts play in your Humanities classrooms (and possibly even beyond) this year.
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