TByrd

                          As a professional writing teacher, I am very impressed with the ideas that these authors have brought to my attention. It can be argued that students need more conventional instruction than craft lessons, but I believe that a mixture, or balance, in the instruction is necessary. I am evolving as a teacher as I reflect on my directions that I give to students. My intent is to facilitate students in an environment designed to bring students to their personal bests in all areas. I will use this book for guidance.Each lesson has suggested scripts for teachers who are engaged in being succinct, but motivating. Writer's Workshop, here we are!

            Actually starting with p. 74, the reader finds an excellent list of books to which the authors refer as lessons are described to the would be teacher of writing. All of the lessons are excellent and will be included in my writer's workshop time. From, "Finding A Focus" to "Using Interior Monologue" the amount of development of the student required is very sophisticated and the desire to write must be in evidence. May God have mercy on our souls as I try to do this after the students have been taught to Power Write.

Pages1-13of Craft lessons

                      As I read my first assignmentI thought of all the wonderful writing lessons from the past 28 years and the high test scores of my students. I am so proud that I did not wait to read this book before teaching as these teachers have desribed so well in this book. The pages I read were all about the motivation of the authors and the philosophy from which they approach the teaching of writing. It is true that teachers spend more time on the planning of the topic and the finished product than is spent on crafting. My personal belief is that we do this because that is the basic necessity of teaching writing and crafting is for students who actually plan to become writers by stock and trade. We seem to be in a swing these days towards extending beyond the basics. We are leaving the time that requires us to stick to the bottom line or basics. Ummmm...I'm with this to the point that we do not frustrate students who are only hoping to pass and, not necessarily, become another Mark Twain. We must encourage and teach whenever the moment is right for the student and this is what makes Craft Lessons a very good source for teachers.