Scholastic Spotlight: Esperance Mfurakazi

The Day I Will Never Forget

Mfurakazi, Esperance

Grade:  11

School:  Fargo South High School, Fargo ND

Educator:  Leah Juelke

AWARD:  Gold Key, American Voices nominee

“Help! Help! Help! Help! Help!” someone desperately shouted.    

“Mufatane amaboko,” my mom told us. We came out of the house intensely holding each other’s hands and we saw the dark sky. It looked like it had turned red. I was following where everyone else was going, I was so scared and I did not know what was going on. I was soon separated from my family and I started running faster.

Earlier in the evening, everyone had been happy. The people in our community of Banyamurenge in Burundi had integrity and respect for everyone. I was five years old and I was playing with my sisters. Sometimes we used to make fun of my elder sister and tell her that whenever she would get married, we would all have to follow her.

“Mwarasaze,” my sister would say.

My parents were always the best gift I could ever ask for. My wonderful dad used to encourage us. He would tell us to not listen to people who think that girls won’t be able to achieve much. He told us

National Writing Project Spring Meeting 2017 and a Request for ACTION Today

The cherry trees were just starting to bloom, during this year's meeting, which took place March 22-25th

Every spring, writing project teachers gather in Washington, DC for the spring meeting of the National Writing Project. We visit our senators and representatives on Capitol Hill to update them on the work we are doing at our local sites, and we ask them to support the parts of the federal budget that NWP competes for in its next round of grant-seeking. This year, we also had the launch of the second round of College-Ready Writers Program (CRWP) Advanced Institutes and the first launch of the CRWP High-Needs School Programs.

This year, Kelly Sassi was the only writing project representative from North Dakota, so she spoke on

Book Review: Thrive: Five Ways to Reinvigorate Your Teaching by Menoo Rami

BOOK REVIEW

Thrive: 5 Ways to (Re)Invigorate Your Teaching by Meenoo Rami

Kaylie Young

When I first heard who our NDCTE (North Dakota Council of Teachers of English) keynote speaker for the Summer 2016 conference was going to be, I had never heard the name. “You know, the book Thrive?” a friend of mine questioned. I didn’t have a clue, and I am a voraciously nerdy reader of educational teaching books. I sat back and waited for conference time to see what the hype was all about.

I remember listening to Meenoo Rami in Bismarck that summer, and I enjoyed what she had to say, but I didn’t feel the urge to pick up and buy the book. Fast forward a few months, I decided to take a continuing ed credit from my Red River Valley Writing Project. On the list of books to read for the year, Thrive: 5 Ways to (Re)Invigorate Your Teaching. I smiled to myself thinking, someone wants me to read this book. I opened it a couple weeks ago to begin reading, and to be honest I couldn’t put it down. I know that sounds like what someone would say who reads a novel with an actual plot, but I really enjoyed this book.

It was short, easy to read, and gave practical advice that many teachers already know, but it was nice to be reminded. Rami was direct, to the point, candid, and truly gave good insight into freshening up the teaching profession when many of us are guilty of feeling bogged down every school year. She chose a few ways to keep the fire lit within all of us; if one method doesn’t work for you, she has a few others to try without feeling overwhelmed.

The book is divided into 5 chapters: Turn to Mentors, Join and Build Networks, Keep Your Work Intellectually Challenging, Listening to Yourself, and Empowering your Students. What I enjoyed reading was that she incorporated other teacher’s ideas into each chapter. Those teachers gave different perspectives on the thoughts Meenoo already shared within the chapter. They were of varying teaching subjects, ages, and locations which gave validity to Meenoo’s belief that this book can benefit any teaching regardless of years under your belt, content area, and geographic location.

Chapter 1 discusses the importance of mentors, and how teachers need support to find confidence and success in their teaching. Meenoo reminds us that “what we do every day is tremendously important and difficult, but we also have the power to create a network of support as we continue to move ahead in this digital age which offers us so many possibilities” (Rami 16). Mentors are those teachers you visit with to bounce ideas off of and who encourage you to pursue your dreams. Every teacher needs a mentor to help keep them grounded and to push them to greatness.

Chapter 2 explains the value of joining or building a network for added support. North Dakota has a great network of English teachers in NDCTE. When I think about networks, I think about my core teacher friends at my school, but then I also think about all of my friends around the state that I am able to discuss curriculum ideas with whenever I want via the internet. Rami emphasizes the importance of having a network every where, so you are constantly learning from others to bring ideas back to your students and local school.

Her third chapter reminds us that our work needs to be intellectually challenging. She references three things that every teacher needs to feel motivated: autonomy, mastery, and purpose (46). I liked this section because she advocated for personal curriculum design; she pushed the need to create your own curriculum because it has the greatest benefit for students and teacher alike.

Chapter 4 was about listening to yourself. Having confidence in our teaching is difficult, it comes with time and years of practice, but Meenoo reminds us to be real with our students. When you are having a bad day, it is ok for the students to see that; it shows that you are real. Rami stresses the importance of focusing on you and giving yourself time to relax, focus, and jump back into the lion’s den.

The final chapter referenced empowering your students. Let’s face it, we don’t teach for the paycheck. I know when I am in a state of frustration and complete exhaustion, I think about why I do this job. Every time I come back to the kids. I do it for the kids. How come they have that much power over us? They control my day with their witty, zany personalities, but I woudn’t have it any other way. It is our job to teach them, light fires within them, and prepare them for this constantly changing world. What better way than to begin in the classroom?

What I found refreshing is Meenoo hadn’t taught for too long before she dove into writing this book. I haven’t taught long myself, and I enjoyed reading her beliefs on how to enliven teaching when it can take so much out of you, even if you have only taught a few years. She truly writes from the heart and has great lessons and ideas that all teachers should try to practice to keep this draining, exhausting, yet humbling job in perspective. Thanks Meenoo for reinvigorating my teaching with your practical ideas! I highly recommend this short read, especially when you need a teacher-pick-me-up!

The RRVWP Book Discussion Group will be discussing this book on Saturday, April 22nd at Dunn Brothers Coffee on the corner of 13th Ave S and 25th Street S in Fargo at 10am, immediately following the Writing Group at 9am. Join Kaylie and organizer Kim Rensch and other TCs at this event. 

CRWP Success Story: Cadie Olson

About Cadie Olson
Cadi Olson is a special education teacher at Moorhead High School.  She is always looking for new ways to improve her students' learning. This year she's learning how to better prepare her students' writing by collaborating with area teachers and sharing some mini lessons with her students from the College-Ready Writers Program.

CRWP Success Story

My first mini-unit is where my success story begins.  I started the school year with the Writing into the Day mini-unit.  I had picked three articles with a hero theme.  The students read each article and focused on hero characteristics, which they journaled about and shared with the class.  From this discussion, the students picked the three characteristics they felt were the most necessary for all heroes as the topic for an essay. They included textual evidence while writing their essays.

The students I work with are seniors in a pull-out special education English course.  Their exposure to making a claim, supporting a claim, and using textual evidence is limited to none, and my experience teaching students to write an argumentative essay using text evidence was also limited, as I’m generally teaching basic writing skills. I knew I had to break the process down and use graphic organizers to help students through the process, but knowing where to start or what to focus on first was a bit more difficult.  Just like my students, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

When we finished the essay, I was pleasantly surprised.  My students were able to make a claim and were able to use text evidence to illustrate their points quite well.  It also gave me a direction to go when teaching argumentative writing.  My biggest takeaway was that my students completed their writing and felt pride in what they had accomplished and enjoyed the discussion.  I also felt more confident in my teaching this style of writing.  

CRWP Success Story: Tanya Neumiller

About Tanya Neumiller
Tanya Lunde Neumiller is currently teaching English 11 and Dual Credit Composition/English 12 in Kindred, ND.  Tanya has a degree in elementary education and secondary English and a master's degree in Secondary Studies.  Before teaching in Kindred, Tanya worked at the Department of Public Instruction.  Tanya's favorite professional authors are Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. 

CRWP Success Story

    At this point I have focused on two aspects of the college-ready writing program.  First, I have my juniors writing and thinking about argumentation with two text sets, one on tuition-free college and the other on the issue of Colin Kaepernik not standing during the national anthem.

    For both texts sets, I followed the process suggested in the mini-unit on “Writing into the Day to Jumpstart Argument.”  Students read a different article each day and identified the main claim each author was making.  They then identified what they thought was the author’s most convincing evidence.  Each day they were required to record their own thoughts and opinions after reading the point of view introduced that day.  Finally, students were to put together their own argument with a main claim and utilizing at least one source that we’d read for evidence.  The essays were good in that they all had a main claim, but I felt the students overlooked some of the key evidence.  This then led me to turn to the resource provided by the course, Jennifer Fletcher’s Teaching Arguments: Rhetorical Comprehension, Critique, and Response.

    After reading Fletcher’s book, I felt that my students would benefit from “playing” The Believing Game and The Doubting Game, a technique developed by Peter Elbow.  I modeled how to do both, and had students complete the checklist that Fletcher provides as a resource.  After doing both, the students then wrote an argument essay explaining where they stood on the issue of contradiction (we read “The Olympic Contradiction” as Fletcher does in her book).  I also had the students write a response to playing The Believing Game and The Doubting Game.  I felt my students really gained a lot from this exercise.  Many wrote that they felt playing the believing game was harder for them, but at the same time it allowed them to look at all aspects of the author’s argument.  I asked them to use this process of reading for our next mini unit.

    We are now moving to the “Making Informal Arguments” text set.  While working through the various texts, we are also going to use Fletcher’s text to understand occasion and audience, the next chapters in her text.  We will also be using the resource provided in the “Making Informal Arguments” mini unit entitled “Moves Writers Make When They Organize an Opinion.”  I feel that this will allow the writers to experiment with the variety of ways they can set up the argument.

    One of the aspects that I have found most helpful in this program is when I used the formative assessment tool to review the student essays completed at the end of the “Writing into the Day” mini unit.  The tool was VERY effective in helping me identify the areas where students are struggling.  In addition, I thought it was especially beneficial to complete this assessment with a peer as we were able to do as part of our participation in the College-Ready Writers program.  I am looking forward to using the tool again when the students have completed this next mini-unit.  I know that I need to focus on effectively using evidence more, based on my first results, so that will also be a part of the next Mini Unit.

Weekend Writing Prompt

You drive to an ATM machine expecting to withdraw a small amount of money for weekend fun. But a few seconds in to the transaction, the screen announces that you have no money in your account and you need to find out why. Narrate your experience.

Scholastic Spotlight: Alison Gaarsland

Gold Key Award winner Ali Gaarsland at the North Dakota Ceremony

Today our Scholastic Spotlight features one of North Dakota's National Award Winners. As a state level Gold Key winner, Alison Gaarsland's work was forwarded to the national competition in New York City, where she won a gold medal AND the New York Life Award for her poem, To Dad." The latter award comes with a $1,000 cash prize.

Alison Gaarsland's bio

I have always been interested in writing. In elementary school, I would write stories, and English was my favorite subject. I got into poetry after I took a creative writing class my sophomore year.  We had a poetry project where we had to write 10 poems, and I remember telling my teacher,  I can't write poems, I don't know how to rhyme!"   During this time, I was living by myself at the Youth Works Shelter. This was an extremely difficult time in my life. I stayed up till two in the morning almost every night with the staff and they would help me think of words that rhymed with what I was trying to say. After practice, it became an easy flow. That summer I went on a lot of church trips. To pass time on the bus, I would listen to music and write.  Someone special to me once said, “I just love watching you write.” That has always stuck with me. That was about a year ago, and since then I have filled almost two journals.

I have been through different challenging situations in my life, After my dad died in 2015, our lives kinda fell apart. Through family members struggling, living in a shelter, and switching schools, writing was something that really helped me through my grieving process. My dad was someone who I

CRWP Success Story: Nancy Gourde

About  Nancy Gourde

                  For the past twenty-three years, Nancy Gourde has been a teacher of English and Spanish at the secondary level, currently teaching English I and AP literature and composition. She graduated from UND in December of 1973, before the National Writing Project’s inception, and Nancy is so thankful that she has had the opportunity to take part in two of the Red River Valley Writing Project’s Summer Institutes. Those weeks in 2010 and 2016 profoundly affected her view of the teaching of writing, and she is always quick to say that they were the best thing she could have ever done for herself professionally. Since the institutes, Nancy has felt even more sympathetic toward those who struggle with the writing process and uses research-based strategies to make the composition of written text a more comfortable experience.  She enrolled in the College Ready Writers Project at the suggestion of Dr. Kelly Sassi, and this experience is reflected daily in her classroom and her approach to the teaching of writing.

                  Nancy’s personal interests include watching baseball, doing the New York Times Sunday crossword, power walking, reading nonfiction, and coloring with her grandchildren. You can see her at the monthly meeting of the RRVWP reading group at Dunn Brothers on 13^th  Avenue .

Successes in the Classroom Thus Far

All of my students, whether in English I or AP Literature and Composition, understand and express the Poses, Wobbles, and Flows taking place in the classroom. They let me know through formative assessment and shared conversation when they wobble (and to what extent) and when they are ready to flow into the next pose. I have heard such comments as “Mrs. Gourde, I am wobbling real bad, real bad” and “Let’s go. We can flow.”  

For the freshmen, there is a realization of what rhetoric and the art of argument are. They know that to be effective, one has to recognize logos, pathos, ethos, and kairos in order to put forth one’s opinions, concerns, and ideas in a clear and appropriate manner. One success I have witnessed is the concerted effort to include credible sources in their arguments. They are aware that the sources need to work to bolster their claims and not just stand there in the work so that they can earn a good grade in that category of assessment. Though there are still wobbles in terms of finding the most credible sources and solid information, they are aware that evidence that is warranted is a vital part of the process.

Also, the ninth-graders know that evidence can be interpreted differently—which is exactly what defense attorneys and prosecutors do. This has helped the freshmen recognize that people read and interpret literature differently. For example, no one in the class disputes that Tom Robinson is the mockingbird, but what are the various “cages” that hold him? What are the cages that hold the populace of Maycomb, Alabama?  Discussion has helped to alleviate the fear that an interpretation is wrong; however, they know that evidence from the text must support their analyses. This realization and the practice of citing evidence from the text source has shown signs of success, though still needing reinforcement and practice.

The AP Lit. students have had to unlearn some aspects of their writing, which they find to be somewhat challenging. They are so used to expository writing that having to recognize counterclaims and disagreements has exasperated them at times, but being the driven and conscientious students that they are, they continue to work rhetoric into their writing. They have been successful in reading and annotating the work of other critics and literary analysts and responding to them with their own claims. The inclusion of these sources through the use of the They Say, I Say templates has made their papers more college ready, though not without some expression of frustration. The AP students benefit from the Burkean parlor--in this class, the saying goes “Life is a Burkean parlor”--and they consistently ask for discussion time to provoke their thoughts and act as a catalyst for their pre-writing. Though they balk at the change in thinking at times, they have shown a shift toward more college-ready writing. They are on their way.

CRWP Success Story: Lisa Gusewelle

Lisa Gusewelle, left, with NHS student volunteer at the Scholastic Awards ceremony

About Lisa Gusewelle

Lisa Gusewelle is a proud middle school educator at Hazen Middle School in Hazen, North Dakota. While embarking on her quest to become a teacher with a master’s degree, her profound graduate advisor wisely recommended that Gusewelle choose to add the College Ready Writer’s Program to her class choice list.

Since becoming an enterprising teacher consultant of the National Writing Project, she has been warmly greeted by other teachers similar to herself. That in and of itself is reward enough, but her teaching practice has also been amped up in quality and intensity as well.

Her students are most likely the most thankful participants of the program as they are churning out great writing and speech examples like pioneers churned butter; however, their parents may be the least thankful of indirect participants since they now have to combat smaller versions of Steven Colbert and John Stewart. Parenting, am I right?

Though Gusewelle may seem like her only interests are teaching, she also has began learning to play chess. Her most notable match was against a tenacious fourth grader. During the heated match, the fourth grader barely managed to win within the first 15 moves.  This has strengthened Gusewelle’s resolve to win and to eventually play against this fourth grader again in the future. Meanwhile, she enjoys taking her dog Richard to the Bark Park in Bismarck, coaching theater students in the art of lying, feuding with her cat over the cat’s new diet, and swatting off her husband’s multiple pleas for more new guns. Isn’t 8 enough?

Success! My Experience with CRWP

           In the past years, I have had a difficult time having all of my students turn in their writing pieces. Typically, my less enthusiastic students don’t participate in the writing process at all and turn in a shabby rough draft a week after the writing project is due.

           However! This school year I had 100% participation with 90 students who were actively involved during the entire writing process when we worked on Letters 2 the Next President. Were all of their writing pieces perfect or at grade level? Of course not! More importantly, though, is the fact that each of the students tried and participated and gained more confidence and more skill than they

CRWP Success Story: Tammy Linn

Professional Biography of Tammy A. Linn, M.Ed.

Tammy Linn teaches middle school English/Writing at Discovery Middle School, Fargo, North Dakota.  Previously, she taught high school career development, marketing, and character education in another state.  She earned a master’s degree in elementary education and an undergraduate degree in mass communications. In addition, she was a national trainer for the Josephson Institute of Ethics CHARACTER COUNTS! where she trained over 11,000 teachers and wrote many published articles on character education and development.

Tammy brings a different and unique perspective to writing because she spent over 25 years in business and marketing prior to education.  Because of this background she understands that writing is critical to be successful in school and work life.  During her time in business, she wrote hundreds of published articles, brochures, annual reports, speeches, radio, and television commercials.  She also co-authored two books on marketing and customer service.

Critical Thinking and Creativity with the CRWP

     Students at Discovery Middle School in Fargo, North Dakota have enjoyed several new and innovative writing strategies because of the College Ready Writing Project (CRWP).  Not only have they enjoyed the new strategies, but the students have also developed more critical thinking skills and more creativity in their word choices.

     One new strategy that I implemented was the use of the “Writing Sprint” in lieu of their regular bell work, which was to answer a journal question.  The objective of the “Sprint” is to develop a student’s critical thinking skills by analyzing a statement.   Students are asked to write their opinion or belief/disbelief about a comment or statement.  I start by saying, “on your mark, get set, write” and

CRWP Success Story: Becky Fisher

 About Becky Fisher, M.Ed

Becky Fisher is a middle school English teacher at Discovery Middle School in Fargo, North Dakota. She earned a Master’s of Teaching and Technology from Valley City State and two  degrees from the University of Houston:  Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, specializing in Reading and Math, and Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance).  Her classroom experience has also included elementary, middle school science, gifted and talented, and Starlab.  She enjoys reading and writing with her students.  Prior to her teaching career, Becky worked in the financial industry and brings her business perspective to her classroom.

CRWP Success Story

            Attending the National Writing Project Summer Institute changed my writing practice.  When the advanced institute Creating College-Ready Writers (CRWP) was offered, I wanted to attend, even though I teach at the sixth grade level.  Our school motto is “Building a Foundation for Success.”  I am helping to build a foundation for success by providing English instruction to the newest class of our school that can be built on by my peers to help prepare our students for the writing rigor of high school and college.

            The biggest change to my classroom has been in the sequence of my instruction.  Prior to the CRWP, argumentative writing was delegated to a unit at the end of the school year, which was

Weekend Writing Prompt

The 17^th was St. Patrick’s Day. Try your hand at writing a limerick.

Scholastic Spotlight: Lenora Combs

The Inmate

Combs, Lenora

Grade:  11

School:  Divide County High School, Crosby ND

Educator:  Richard Norton

AWARD:  Silver Key, Flash Fiction

Norman awoke to a dank, musty smell that invaded his nostrils. His arms and chest felt overly warm and he could hardly move them, as if he were bundled tightly under several sheets. It was no pile of blankets, however. He could tell that without having to open his eyes. Whatever it was that held him so tightly was not nearly soft enough, or comforting enough, to be blankets. And his bedroom, his apartment, had never smelled so repugnant.

Questions raced through his head at break-neck speed.

Why had he been sleeping sitting up? What was so hard and cold against the back and side of his

National Winners Announced March 14, 2017 for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

(New York City). The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers announced the national award winners in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards on March 14, 2017.  North Dakota's American Visions winner was Katelyn Arman (Fargo North High, educator Lisa Gingerich) for her photograph "Perspective." Anna Wurzer (Davies High, educator & RRVWP TC Nathan Kurtti) was the American Voices winner for her personal essay, "Half-full or Half-empty." Emily Frovarp (Park River, educator Kierstin Hurtt) won a silver medal for her journalism piece, "Finding Dori." Alison Gaarsland (Fargo South, educator RRVWP TC Jackie Brown) won a gold medal AND the New York Life Award for her poem, "To Dad." The latter award comes with a $1,000 cash prize. Ali (in photo) was one of only six U.S. students to win this prize nationally. The New York Life Award acknowledges "students who have experienced the death of a close loved one and who have explored that loss in their creative work." Congratulations to all the national winners! The national ceremony takes place at Carnegie Hall in New York City on June 8, 2017. The Red River Valley Writing Project partners with Plains Art Museum to serve as the state affiliate for the Awards in North Dakota.

Weekend Writing Prompt

Pick an object in your everyday life—your car, a chair, a bag, a sign you see on your way to work, anything that stands out in your mind—and write a narrative about its day, from the perspective of that object.

Scholastic Spotlight: Michelle Chadraa

Today we begin a series of Friday blogposts about our Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Winners. The Red River Valley Writing Project partners with Plains Art Museum to serve as the state affiliate for North Dakota. 

Davies High School (Fargo) 11th grader Michelle Chadraa at the 2017 Awards Ceremony

In Arduis Fidelis, Lamentation of Hope, Regrets of a Martyr (or: Artifice)

 Chadraa, Michelle

Grade:  11

School:  Davies High School, Fargo ND

Educator:  Nathan Kurtti

AWARD:  Silver Key

In Arduis Fidelis 

I thought I saw a marigold
growing in my neighbor’s garden
But I must’ve been seeing things because it’s the
dead
of
winter.

Tinny screaming of shriveling plants and strangled insects
frittered in the background, drowned out by hungry vampiric gusts,
lost in the incessant moanings and groanings of the frostbitten Mother Earth.

CRWP Success Story: Ann Duchsner

Bio for Ann Duchscher

Coordinator for Gifted Education

Fargo Public Schools, Fargo, North Dakota

Ann Duchscher has been in the educational field for the past 24 years serving as a classroom teacher and teacher of the gifted. Presently Ann is a program coordinator and instructional coach for Gifted Services in the Fargo Public Schools.

Ann completed her undergraduate work in elementary education at Concordia College, Moorhead and graduate work at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, in the field of gifted education.

In Fargo Public Schools Ann coordinates the K-8 gifted program, provides professional development and coaching to teachers in the area of differentiation, as well as, serves on a district committees.  Ann has twice presented at the National Association for Gifted Children’s Annual Convention (NAGC) sharing her district’s model for meeting the needs of gifted and academically talented students.

What I am learning as we study argumentative writing 

Kim Rensch and I are approaching this course a little differently than teachers who have classrooms of students to teach.  Neither of our positions are such that we have daily access to students, and so we are implementing our learning in this course through the vehicle of our elementary Gifted Services teachers. We have asked them to implement the mini-lessons and strategies with high ability gifted language arts students in grades 4 or 5. 

Our Gifted Services team has used texts of varying topics of student interest. This included the Jump Start Mini-Lesson on the topic of school start times.   Kim created a Google folder of many other various texts that could be of high interest to gifted children, as well. The teachers are using those texts to teach argumentative writing to 4th and/or 5th graders. We had a good team discussion on Friday, November 4^th about how things were going for their students.  Here were a few of the things the teachers said—

·       Our Gifted Services teachers were surprised some students got so caught up in the Start Time articles, they almost didn’t believe the evidence because they didn’t like the perspectives they were reading.  Since these elementary students didn’t want the school start times to change for themselves, it was hard for them to see beyond their own strong opinions that a change in time might benefit middle and high school students based upon what the research was saying.

·       Their interest in the topic mattered when it came to keeping students’ engaged in the process.

·       The conversations were heated amongst the students.

·       One Gifted Services teacher said she was surprised at how many students polled other students and parents opinions to inform their arguments rather than relying on the text sources.

·       Another Gifted Services teacher thought the idea of the Burkean Parlor might be helpful in teaching the students that they can’t speak to the topic yet until they have more context, background information, and questions answered.

·       Another Gifted Services teacher broke the argumentative rubric down into kid friendly "I can" statements. The teacher went on to say that when the students debated the topic first, their argumentative writing really improved. Some differences included that after a debate, students were more likely to use topic related vocabulary and debate language such as claim, evidence, affirmative, negative, etc. in their writing. Students also provided more evidence, statistics, and quotes from experts.

·       Another Gifted Services teacher said she realized her students really didn’t know the basics, i.e., graphic organizers, topic sentences. She felt the process took far longer because they didn’t have those foundational skills.

·       And another Gifted Services teacher said her students quoted too much.   They had trouble discerning the most important text to pull into their arguments without taking all of it. 

·       Regarding Harris Moves, Gifted Services teachers said students were capable of understanding the difference between forwarding and countering, and they were able to find the extending, too. Students were able to determine what text sources were credible based upon the learning Harris Moves.

And, I asked for questions the Gifted Services teachers still had-

·       Am I teaching them the best way?

·       How do I teach the claim? evidence?

·       If you have to write about the opposite side, then you know what to defend. Should we be including this as part of the process of teaching them to write argumentatively?

·       Should we show them universal arguments? What about the strategy of play-it-out?

So, all of their reflections and feedback leads helps me clarify where to take the teachers next. Some thoughts I had are to show them the common framework for writing paragraphs that are used in middle school called RDF. We could also show them a framework for making universal arguments (to persuade), and the cause/effect structure in play-it-out. I will continue to keep reflective lists of their feedback to help guide them in improving the process with their students.