Collect and store writing samples and mentor text
Beyond just telling students what “good writing” looks like, teachers need to show them examples, too. Although teacher-made models can fulfill this show-them-examples need, it is also great to reveal authentic student writings that someone of a similar age created.
Constantly look to save great student writings. These writings (also known as anchor papers) are a fabulous method of revealing what “good writing” looks like with your students before they begin writing themselves. It helps them define quality, quantity, and format. However, if you’re like me, I am forever saving writing samples in a pile, and then later, when I read through them, I find myself wondering Why did I save this one? What skill or trait did it possess that I wanted it to be an anchor paper example?
To help you remember the reasons you chose to save a particular writing, we’ve developed a new product — a sticky note called “Writing Skills in Action.” As you collect writings, you can quickly note all the skills/traits that stand out in the piece as you add it to you growing pile. You can also indicate the specific title/topic, the writing genre, and the writer’s grade-level. Keep in mind, it’s great to have not only strong writing samples, but also not-so-good ones. Students need to see both the goal and pieces that miss the mark. Our new sticky note contains a spot to indicate if the writing is high, middle, or low in quality. You may have already made something similar yourself, but if not and you’d rather not go to the bother, just click below.