Craft & Draft

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching.

In this episode, Pam and Jacob catch up on two listener questions—one a follow-up from last week and the next a brief discussion about paperwork…

And then Pam and Jacob dive into why they believe starting with the standard is crucial to a successful lesson.

The post #113 Starting with the Standard appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching.

In this episode, Pam and Jacob explore the world of grading. They discuss practical advice, real world examples, and how grades work into workshop (plus what they should and SHOULD NOT do.)

All of that and more on Craft & Draft this week!

The post #112 How Grade-centric is Your Class? appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

Jacob asks, “What is writing in the writing workshop?”  Pam and Jacob ponder the question and consider how writing in the workshop is different than a traditional English classroom.  

Pam shares how the writing in the writing workshop depends on student centered writing driven by student choice. Jacob shares how writing is a response to the students’ lives born of an organic process celebrated by the writing teacher.

They each discuss the importance of why it is important to provide opportunities for students to experiment with their ideas, processes, language, followed by an  appreciation of writing.

Join Jacob and Pam while they delve into how workshop writing is different from a traditional English classroom writing. May the episode help you determine how you want to approach the writing process, too!

The post #111 What is Writing in Writing Workshop? appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

Jacob and Pam answer a listener’s question regarding what to do when students are not following the workshop expectations.  Pam empathizes with the listener and tells about some moments in her career where the students did not cooperate making for some difficult days.  

Jacob shares how he managed a few difficult days and years in the classroom.  He explains how he operates in a productive, but somewhat noisy environment.  

Pam explains how routines help with management.  Jacob discusses the routines in his workshop and Pam mentions how she has had to change her typical routine to help curb some undesirable behaviors as well as the varying needs of the students in her workshop.

Join Jacob and Pam while they talk about managing difficult days. Maybe you will find a nugget to help you when you have a difficult workshop day!

The post #110 Managing Independent Work Time appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

The year is going full blast! The students are comfortable with the classroom, and the honeymoon is over.  

In this episode, Jacob and Pam share that this is the part of the year when a workshop may become stagnant.  Jacob asks Pam how her workshop is going.  She explains how each class workshop is not working in sync with each other.  Due to the various needs and levels of skill in the classroom each class’s workshop is moving at its own pace. Pam includes how this has placed a bit of struggle on how she plans and solves issues within her workshops.

Jacob shares how being organized moves to a whole new level as an administrator.  He shares how he is in a position to assist teachers with their workshops.  He shares how he is planning on using a new tool to help him keep notes, organize, and make everything digital.  

Join Jacob and Pam as they strive to keep their workshop fresh for all their st

The post #109 Honeymoon is Over appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

Lesson planning is fun until it becomes an overwhelming task.  Pam and Jacob love to figure out how to plan for authentic learning. When the plan comes together and the students grow, it creates a euphoria few things can match. But what happens when mandates, to-do’s, and curriculum starts to make lesson plans bog down? 

Join Jacob and Pam as they discuss why they trust the writing process and how that trust influences their work inside and outside of the classroom.  May you be inspired to trust the process daily in your workshop, too!

The post #108 Lesson Planning Woes appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching.

In this episode Pam and Jacob spend some time discussion what makes good teachers (from the mouths of students), replying to listener comments, and diving into the value of cold writes. They also discuss how different writing purposes yield different results, and as teachers, we have to know the end goal before we decide on a style or purpose in writing for the assignment.

Enjoy!

The post #107 The Value in Cold Writes appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching.

In this episode, Pam and Jacob answer a question about how to grade authentic writing with the standard as the core focus. They then dive into the world of grammar instruction, discussing everything from using programs, how to engage students, and even why grammar exists at in writing.

Enjoy the show!

The post #106 Grammar Matters appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

In this episode, Jacob and Pam answer questions about how to teach vocabulary.  They each share how they use vocabulary strategies, and teach it within the context of reading and writing.  Pam shares a vocabulary book resource.  Jacob explains how teachers need to get students excited and shares how he keeps vocabulary in the context of learning new words while reading and writing.

Another listener asks about how to move the students toward creatively publishing their writing.  Jacob shares how Linda Reif addresses publishing in her new book.  He also shares how he encourages his students to publish by directly teaching publishing.  Pam offers some ideas about how she has taught publishing during her workshop.  She also shares how she uses a publishing center.

Join Jacob and Pam as they respond to listener questions about vocabulary and publishing.  Maybe your questions will be answered, too!

The post #105 Vocabulary to Publishing appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

Another year has begun! Jacob and Pam spend a bit of time sharing how the new year is going.  Jacob shares how his new journey will be a continuation of the workshop model.  He explains how he is enjoying supporting teachers and students as they work toward literacy.

Pam discusses the first three days of her workshop.  She explains how the lesson she shared during the workshop was received by the students.

Patrons have sent in a few questions, so Jacob and Pam answer their questions. Pam explains how she nudges writers to more in depth writing.  Workshop teachers often find planning for a substitute takes the students out of their workshop mode.  Jacob explains how he plans for an absent day.

Join Jacob and Pam as they continue the workshop journey! May you continue your journey, too!

The post #104 Continuing the Workshop Journey appeared first on Craft & Draft.