I went to a great PD with Columbia Teacher's College (TC) Reading and Writing Workshop staffers. I went to a seminar by my favorite TC staffer, Kate Roberts. She did a presentation on supporting struggling writers. Over the course of the presentation she deconstructed several common student complaints (e.g. "My hand hurts.", "I can't think of anything to write about." etc.) to help teachers identify what to notice and teach, and what resources to use or provide.
If you have a common complaint you'd like to hear about post it in the forum and I'll check my notes and share my own experience. Thanks.
Complaint: "I don't know how to spell."
1. Observe and notice behavior
Does this student:
