Question: My school uses the Jane Schaffer Writing program for 7-8th grade both in history and English classes. We teach about thesis statements in 7th grade and other teachers on campus begin teaching them in 6th grade and even 5th …
Dear Dr. Louis, Would you review this prompt and give me feedback? “This week in class we talked about happiness and what things make you happy. Reflect on those things we talked about. Then, in 5 sentences, please summarize your thoughts …
By David Dorn Carl Glickman (Glickman et al., 2013 p. 234) provided a compelling mission statement to guide professional development within schools: “Education is a human enterprise. The essence of successful instruction and good schools comes from the thoughts …
Teachers are acutely aware of the continuous pressures they undergo throughout the year as they work to cover the curriculum with young people who arrive in their classrooms with varying levels of cognitive development. Our suggestion: treat the writing part …
By David Dorn The Gradual Release Model, or guided instruction teaching strategy, ensures that students are supported in their acquisition of the skills and strategies necessary for successful writing. Implementing the gradual release of responsibility model requires time and careful instructional …
By Deborah E. Louis, Ph.D. It is precisely because Cherry blossoms scatter That we find them appealing. Does anything endure for long In this world of sorrows? – “Tales of Ise” 125 Mother was sitting at her Singer sewing machine …
By Deborah E. Louis, Ph.D. “If there is anything we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves.” C.G. Jung, (Collected Works, Vol. …
For teachers and students to implement the Jane Schaffer Academic Writing Program® with a high degree of fidelity, school leadership teams, grade level professional learning communities, and individual teachers must commit to a simple but key process. The process is …
Dear Dr. Louis, I need your insight and expertise. As so much continues to shift and change in our district, we have had more and more questions about all things related to English Language Arts (ELA) and literacy. Some folks …
A thesis statement is a writer’s promise that every word the writer uses supports his or her thesis statement. In argumentation, the thesis statement is critical. When we first teach our students to write a thesis statement in an argumentative …