Monthly Archives: September 2009

Writing Lessons That Work

Posted on September 29, 2009 | Leave a comment

If you must teach writing, you know how nebulous and difficult it can be to define exactly what good writing entails. As a writer myself, I love to teach writing. I find that giving specific goals and focusing on one small aspect in each lesson has been highly successful. Not only do my students turn out excellent written work, they love to write and actually ask for more writing assignments. It doesn’t get much better than that!

 

Try these lessons in your class and see what happens.

 

Writing Lesson: Teach With Baby Steps

 

Five Day Descriptive Writing Lesson This is my most popular writing article.

 

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Lilith Magazine Seventh Annual Fiction Competition

Posted on September 24, 2009 | Leave a comment

Entry Fee: FREE

Deadline: November 1, 2009

Guidelines: http://www.lilith.org/writers.htm

Lilith Magazine focuses on stories that appeal to Jewish women and the issues in their lives. They award $250 for the first prize in their fiction contest, and publication in Lilith Magazine. Past winning entries are online to read. Send your story of up to 3,000 words to:

LILITH MAGAZINE

250 West 57th Street, Suite 2432

New York, NY 10107

In addition, Lilith Magazine is having a second annual poetry contest. Again, the topic is any subject that will appeal to Jewish women. You may include up to three poems with each submission. The deadline for this contest is November 30, 2009. Check the Lilith website for all the editorial guidelines and sample winning stories and poems.

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Posted in Contests, Contests November

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Emphasize Mastery Over Grades

Posted on September 22, 2009 | Leave a comment

Every teacher wants to help students master the material, not just pass the test, then forget it. Here is how to focus your teaching on mastery. When you teach to mastery, you’ll find your students are more relaxed about their learning, as well as more focused.

 

Here’s the article: Emphasize Mastery Over Grades

 

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Writer’s Digest Your Story Contest

Posted on September 17, 2009 | 1 Comment

Deadline: Bimonthly on the 10th

Entry Fee: FREE

Guidelines:  http://www.writersdigest.com/YourStory/

Here’s an opportunity to get published both in Writer’s Digest magazine and on their website. Every other month, they give a prompt for a story. Using that prompt, you can write any type of flash narrative you like, up to 750 words. According to their guidelines, they are looking for inventiveness, creativity, and humor. Look in the current print issue of Writer’s Digest for the latest contest prompt. If you don’t want to buy it, many libraries carry copies at the circulation desk. Contest #19 ended on July 10, 2009, so the next two contest deadlines should be September 10 and November 10, 2009. The online submission form makes entering a simple process. Don’t’ forget to read past winning entries before you submit your story to “Your Story.”

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Posted in Contests, Contests Anytime

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The Anthology Builder’s Match That Artwork Contest

Posted on September 16, 2009 | Leave a comment

Entry Fee: FREE

Deadline: September 20, 2009

Guidelines: http://www.anthologybuilder.com/match-that-artwork.php

Do you look at pictures and people and a story pops into your head about them? Do you use pictures to break writers block and unleash your creativity? Anthology Builder is sponsoring a contest for writers to stretch their imaginations through art. Look at the cover art on their website, and write a story about one of the pieces of artwork. Stories must be between 1,000 and 50,000 words, (that’s quite a range,) and the only restriction is they do not accept fan fiction. They have a prestigious panel of authors and editors acting as judges. You could win up to $200 and publication in one of their anthologies.

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How to Deal With Pushy Parents

Posted on September 15, 2009 | 1 Comment

Every teacher, at some point in his or her career will have to deal with parents that are over-enthusiastic about their children’s educations. These are the parents that will interrupt class, because what they have to say is more important than what you have to teach your class. They will tell you how to teach, because they know the best way to do it. They will demand you make exceptions for their children.

 

Here are some ways to Deal With Pushy Parents.

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Get Ready for Back to School Night

Posted on September 8, 2009 | Leave a comment

If you’ve been following my classroom organization tips on this blog, then you should be able to prepare for back to school night easily. This article from September 2008 gives you a three day plan to get yourself, your students, and your classroom ready.

 

Teaching Tip: Back to School Night

 

Next Tuesday, I’ll have some tips for dealing with everyone’s favorite: The Pushy Parent. Don’t miss it! Subscribe to the TeacherWriter RSS feed or follow me on Twitter.

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The First Line Winter Writing Contest

Posted on September 3, 2009 | 2 Comments

Entry Fee: FREE

Deadline: November 1, 2009

Guidelines: http://www.thefirstline.com

“Waiting for change always seems to take longer than you would expect.”

 

Use this first line, verbatim, create a story between 300 and 3,000 words to enter in the First Line Writing Contest. This is a quarterly contest, so if you miss the deadline for the May contest, there will be another one, with a new first line, coming up in August.

The editors say they like to make the online magazine eclectic, so they accept stories in all genres. That being said, they will publish the winning entries in their anthology. Winners are notified 2-3 weeks after the deadline, a quick response time in the publishing world.

The first lines are always intriguing, making this a fun writing project. Winners receive $20 and a copy of the anthology. Submissions are all done via e-mail, so check the website for guidelines.

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Posted in Contests, Contests Anytime, Contests November

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Classroom Instruction That Works

Posted on September 1, 2009 | Leave a comment

What are the most effective ways to teach students? Robert Marzano has dedicated his life’s work to researching and developing the best teaching practices. If you only buy one teaching book a year, this should be the one you purchase. You can read my review of it in this article, Classroom Instruction That Works.

 

Teach With Your Strengths is a book to check out from the library. It will help you find your own unique teaching style.

 

Finally, no teaching can take place until you have a positive classroom. Student need to feel safe before they can learn. Positive Classroom Discipline will give you teaching strategies that will make your students more responsive.

 

Coming next Tuesday: Get Ready for Back to School Night

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