Word-by-word

Dan Patterson@Flickr

Students worked today on revising an in-class write they did last marking period. Yes--it seems like forever ago, but letting an essay "sit" and then revisiting can give the writer fresh eyes. I had a list of revision items and kids worked through these very diligently. After about 20 minutes, most were tired out--and I acknowledged that this was what makes our writing better: the effort. Just like any skill, writing will improve only when we go back to it again and again and again.I collected these marked up drafts and students will return to them next Moodle Monday.

Tomorrow students will do their second timed ACT write for practice; in a few days, I'll also have them do a self-critique, listing what they have come to see as their strengths and weaknesses in English. Students who took the ACT workshop offered at the high school last night shared some of the tips and tricks they learned.We'll be winding down our more formal and structured ACT practice--but always working on those reading and writing skills that are so essential to life beyond high school.